With all of the pressure and distractions of modern student life, young athletes really have to focus their energy if they want to be the best student-athletes that they can be. This book will help them achieve their goals. Includes chapters on leadership, opportunity, teamwork, proactive practice and perseverance.

Michele Smith is a two-time Olympic gold medalist (1996 and 2000) for the U.S. National Softball Team. A potent double-threat in pitching and offense, Michele is an active veteran and seven-time MVP of the elite Japan Pro Softball League, and helped lead her team, the Toyota Shokki, to seven league championships. A true ambassador for the sport of fast-pitch softball, Michele was selected as one of only six players worldwide to serve on the International Softball Federation task force formed to lobby for softball's reinstatement as an Olympic sport. She is the ESPN commentator for the Little League World Series and runs a longstanding coaching program for Little League. She runs her own softball clinics around the country through her company, Michele Smith Inc. (www.michelesmith.com). In recognition of her contributions to softball, Michele was inducted in 2006 into the ASA Softball Hall of Fame.

Lawrence Hsieh is an author and corporate attorney. He is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School and Cornell University. He attended Hillsborough High School (N.J.), where he was valedictorian and earned a varsity letter (basketball). Lawrence volunteers his time as a youth sports coach.

ISBN-13: 9781930546882 - $16.95 - 160 pages - b/w illustrations - trade paper