We haven’t published a Monday Quotes in a long time, but in honor of the Olympics, we’re sharing quotes from some of our favorite YA books about athletes or sports. Hope you’re all enjoying watching the Rio Olympics as much as my family is!
THE RUNNING DREAM by Wendelin Van Draanen
If the mind’s not strong, the body acts weak, even if it’s not. If the mind says it’s too cold or too rainy or too windy to run, the body will be more than happy to agree. If the mind says it would be better to rest or recover or cut practice, the body will be glad to oblige.
LEVERAGE by Joshua C. Cohen:
On any given day you have the chance to be a hero or a victim, predator or prey. Most times, circumstances are beyond your control. Other times, you got a choice but you think about it too much and you freeze up. Sometime, though, you’re forced to react and it’s all instinct. May not make a damn bit of difference in a bad situation. But sometimes instinct squeezes the good out of you, forces you to be a hero before you even realize it.
CATCHING JORDAN by Miranda Kenneally:
Love hurts worse than getting slammed by a 250-pound linebacker.
ON THE FENCE by Kasie West:
Dancing wasn’t quite the same as running . . . or any sport, for that matter. I didn’t feel like I had a purpose, a goal. But after a while I let my mind relax and realized not everything had to have a point. Some things could just be for the fun of it. I looked over at Amber dancing next to me. She smiled, then hooked her arm in mine and twirled me around. My surroundings blurred and I soaked the moment in, deciding this night was something I could do again.
THE CROSSOVER by Kwame Alexander:
Never let anyone lower your goals. Others’ expectations of you are determined by their limitations of life. The sky is your limit, sons. Always shoot for the sun and you will shine.
WINGER by Andrew Smith:
The thing about rugby is this: You can hate a guy off the pitch who will save your fucking balls on the pitch when you play on the same side. There is nothing more glorious that that.
What Do You Think?