Jake Maddox sports stories

After breaking his arm during the first day of try-outs last season, Robby is determined to make the football team this year, but to do so he must face his own fears and the bully who tackled him the year before.

When Tony turns twelve and moves up to the next class of kart racing, he worries that he will never be able to compete against the older boys who have more experience.

When the son of the new manager of the ski resort starts a snowboard cross team and will not allow girls to join, Brian and Hannah try to think of a way to change his mind.

Jamie, the captain and star forward of the Comets hockey team, thinks everything is perfect. His two best friends, Jill and Brett, are amazing players too. The team is bound for the state championship. But when Jill is told she can't play on the boys' team anymore, and Brettt is hurt during a match, everything starts to fall apart. To make matters even worse, Jamie is pulled from his position to fill Brett's place at goal. Can Jamie make the adjustment...

When Jamal is asked to join the elite Cyclone basketball team, he worries that his ratty old shoes--all his family can afford--will hurt his image on the team.

When Kenny's anger problem gets out of control, his father signs him up for karate lessons. But even in karate class, Kenny can't get a grip on his temper. He's getting a reputation for being angry. With help from his karate teacher, will Kenny be able to calm down long enough to focus--and win?

Jason never turns down a dare, but when his classmates challenge him to a BMX competition Jason must learn to ride a BMX bike or this dare will be his last.

Danny has been the star catcher on his baseball team for three years, but this year his feelings about his parents' divorce seem to be effecting even routine plays.

Sam is the best swimmer on his team, and he is happy to help the new student, Julien, practice his laps and technique--but when it comes to an actual race, only one swimmer can win.

When his mother's job forces them to move to a rural area, Mason joins the Clearwater Middle School football team and finds that it will be up to him to teach them how to win.

Nick hates running, but his high school gym teacher thinks he is just the right person to fill in for the two hundred meter relay race, and will not give him a passing grade unless he tries--will Nick learn to run or let the team down?

When Ring Lake Middle School decides to host an Olympic Fest, Kyle is assigned to compete in the track and field throwing events--will practice make him good, or will he embarrass himself in front of everyone?

Conner and Hannah are friends who love to go to the skateboard park on Saturdays, so when a bully named Hank shows up and starts pushing them out of the way, they need to find a creative way to practice for the upcoming tournament.

Sixth-grader Max Stinson is tired of being bullied by Harold Weime and looking forward to a summer in the local paintball league to work off some of his frustration, but he soon learns that anger is not a winning attitude, especially when you take it out on the people around you.

Brian Worth Jr. is excited to try out for his middle school's basketball team. His hoop dreams are in jeopardy, though, after his dad forces him to volunteer at the local senior center. But Brian really needs to practice he's always relied on his height to dominate, but that won't cut it anymore. When Brian discovers that George, a man at the center, used to play basketball, this is his chance to learn some moves. Brian's working hard and even making...

Because his father is in the Army, Oliver Jeffries has never lived in any one place for long, but he was hoping that Colorado would be different because he is the starting wide receiver on the Jackson Middle School's football team--so when he gets word that his family is moving again he is bitterly disappointed, but he has one more game and he is determined to make it a good one.

Now that he has new glasses, fourteen-year-old Jaylin is anxious to put his speed and accurate shot to use on offense, but his lacrosse team has always relied on his stellar defense, and without it too many goals are ending up in their net--so the team needs to come up with a strategy to balance both halves of his game.

When fourteen-year-old Leggie LaGrande, star runner on the Bricklin Middle School track team, suffers a hamstring injury at the very start of the season, he figures his shot at the Junior Olympics is over--but his coach insists that even if he cannot run he can still compete in some other track and field event, so he finds himself working out at the shot put, competing with a new student whom he dislikes.

Eighth-grader and starting point guard Roman is initially thrilled when big man Sebastian transfers schools and joins the team, but Sebastian's skills seem to have disappeared and the other kids are merciless in their criticism--then Roman's big sister gives him some advice: talk to Sebastian and find out what is going on, and add a pick-and-roll to the team playbook.

Thirteen-year old Ben Malone is the son of the head groundskeeper at the exclusive golf club, Strongwood, a course Ben has never played because they cannot afford the fee--but when his best friend puts up the money to enter him in a junior tournament at the club, Ben is forced to confront his own lack of confidence (and his wicked slice).

During a football game star running back Harris Weathers takes a jarring hit and narrowly escapes injury, but after several days he is still rattled, leaving him with a tough decision--quit football or find a way to stay safe while playing the game he loves.

Upset over her parents' divorce and her subsequent move to Minnesota, Maisie joins a curling team and begins to have a change of heart.

Twelve-year-old Levi is at home in the dojo where he practices karate, although the contentious relationship with his new stepsister, Sofia, is disturbing his concentration--but when she suddenly decides to join his dojo he realizes that Sofia's prickly attitude is a cover for her unhappiness.

Twelve-year-old Calvin is the small but speedy left wing for his hockey team, but when he takes a really hard bodycheck during first game of a tournament he starts to freeze up on the ice and worry he will be benched.

Avani Patel loves to skateboard, but there is no skate park in her town so she does not get to practice tricks often--but now that the idea is under consideration in the city council Avani and her friends set out to convince the skeptical politicians the town really needs one.