Final Discussion: Out of Our League
what's wrong with being confident?
It's time for me to take it
I'm the boss right now
Not gonna fake it
Not when you go down
'Cause this is my game
And you better come to play
Condifent, Demi Lovato
Schedule
Kick-off:May 3, 2024Midway Check In:May 13, 2024…May 15, 2024Final Discussion:May 24, 2024 at 6PM PSTLast Minute RSVP here ⛹🏾♀️
Didn’t finish? Who care? Come hang out anyway.
If you can’t make it to the digital hang, you can always use the comment section to leave your thoughts, reviews, and reflections at any time.
Teen Spirit
by Alex
Your teen years are about finding yourself as you come of age in high school and graduate off to college, if you choose. Team sports can be a crucial part of a teenager’s coming of age story and that is exemplified in this YA anthology.
Out of Our League: 16 Stories of Girls in Sports edited by Dahlia Alder and Jennifer Icapelli shows teenagers in different sports and different walks of life in sixteen fictional stories. Through the perspectives of professional teen athletes, a teenage girl trying out for the USA Women’s Hockey team, an Olympian going for gold or a Paralympian’s road to stardom, and teens attending sports-related camps, we get a glimpse into the lives of teenage girls and what sports mean/meant to them.
This was my most anticipated book release of 2024 because I love queer stories, I read a lot of Young Adult and I’m a sports fan. If you know anything about me, it’s that I love sports! I like watching them and reading about them. Personally, I’m a big hockey fan so of course I was stoked to see Carrie S. Allen appear (I really enjoyed her debut YA novel, Michigan vs The Boys) in this anthology among many new-to-me authors and some I’ve already had the pleasure of reading.
Themes & Messages
My biggest takeaway from this anthology was the emphasis on team bonding, camaraderie, and finding new sports. Whenever I read YA, I think about the audience - teenagers - and try to put myself in their shoes. While reading Out of Our League, I couldn’t stop thinking about how teens would enjoy this and react to the anthology as a whole. This would be a great read for any graduating high school seniors who have played team sports or are going off to college to play their sport, or incoming freshmen to learn about the options they have. There’s a variety of different sports included in this anthology that aren’t usually mentioned when we talk about sports in the traditional sense. Archery, powerlifting, crew, and sport climbing are a few that come to mind from reading this anthology. I was so glad to see a variety of different sports and I got to learn about them for the first time.
Like I stated at the beginning, team sports can be a crucial part of coming of age as a teenager. You learn how to be a team player, self-confidence, heartbreak, and victory which was reflected in a majority of the stories. I loved how the stories showed teen athletes' imperfections and how not all of them were joyful stories because sports may bring me joy but that’s not everyone’s experience. As a High School Musical fan, I was DYING for a “that’s your dream, not mine!” story, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that in Marieke Njikamp’s story about archery.
Trans People Belong in Sports!
As a trans person, sports are very personal to me and my community. Trans girls and women are being targeted for ~simply wanting to play their sport~ but are often denied access and ridiculed. So Marieke Nijkamp, Naomi, and Cam Montgomery’s additions to Out of Our League brought me a lot of joy. The way they showed trans and non-binary characters in sports with discussions about sports being binary was a breath of fresh air! I was very appreciative seeing trans* characters playing sports and feeling confident. I absolutely loved the euphoria their stories brought me.
Connections
I love reading anthologies because as a writer, I love seeing how other writers are given a prompt and execute it. I wish they had author’s notes because I’m so intrigued to know why each author chose each sport and storyline. But a highlight for my reading experience was the stories being in the same universe!!! I have been wanting to read an anthology where the stories are all interconnected like Blackout or most notably (in my mind), Let It Snow. Therefore, I was giddy when a character would mention another character we’ve met or one we’re about to read.
My Favorite Stories
I don’t rate books but for this anthology, I graded each of the stories with a letter like I was a college professor grading final exams. My criteria for an A or a B rated story was if they wrapped up nicely/to my liking and if I’d read the story as a full novel. Anthologies can always be a hit or miss because it shows a writer’s strengths and weaknesses. Short stories are difficult! Can keep the reader engaged and connected for a short amount of pages? Luckily for me, I found that this anthology had more hits than misses and that’s not my sports fan brain being biased.
A few stories that made the cut and one I cannot stop thinking about having a full novel for include:
“Safe at Home” by Jennifer Icopelli (Softball)- I don’t need a full novel of this because it wrapped up so nicely. I loved the sisterly bond and seeing the dynamic between the girls play out. The ending where they squash the beef on TV was gold.
“Sidelined” by Maggie Hall (Football) - Oh my God, I need to have a full story of this. Rivals to lovers is such a fun trope to write in a sports romance and having the FMC coaching the player? Touchdown.
“Kylie with an I” by Carrie S. Allen (Ice Hockey) - If you haven’t read Carrie S. Allen, but like me, are obsessed with hockey and you want to read more girls stories that aren’t hockey romances, I highly recommend her YA novel, Michigan vs. The Boys. However, her stories can be on the darker side, so see trigger warnings before picking it up. I need a full story of Kylie and Dana! I loved them watching the USA Women’s team and Kylie breaking a perfume bottle out of pure excitement for the goal. Hockey can do that to a person!
“All for One” by Yamile Saied Mendez (Cheerleading) - This is a heavy read but necessary. I’m glad it came with trigger warnings at the beginning because one of my main critiques with anthologies is that they most likely never come with content warnings. I liked having a more serious story because sports aren’t always joyous and they can result in serious outcomes like eating disorders or permanent injuries.
“Three Minutes” by Aminah Mae Safi (Boxing) - Having this story formatted with a timer for each heading was a great element. It was intriguing and you learned about the main character in a way that you don’t have any looming questions. I haven’t read Aminah Mae Safi’s work, but have been wanting to for the longest time, so I’m glad I was introduced to a snippet of her writing which was fantastic.
“No Love Lost” by Kayla Whaley - I was so excited to see Kayla Whaley in this anthology because I enjoyed her in Up All Night and Game On. The TV script format was intriguing and it really worked for this story. I wasn’t sure where it was headed but once the drama came into play, I was fully seated. I liked the conversation about how disabled folks in the media can be taken advantage of. For Lotte, she learns she was caught up in the fame and not advocating for her community.
Conclusion
Overall, I really enjoyed this anthology! It had a lot to offer and is a great read for teens who love sports or want to get into sports. I was especially glad that we had some romance stories because I was craving some queer sports romance and thankfully, I was satisfied. My favorite romance stories include “Save the Lead” and “One on One” — seriously, I need a whole novel of “One on One”, please! My only minor critique and just a suggestion is I would’ve liked to see how different authors tackle having the same sport. I understand the need to not have duplicates but it would’ve been intriguing to see how different authors write the same sport.
I’d also like to have seen dancing as one of the options because dance is a sport! Maybe even having a more lacrosse-centered story as well.
If you want to read a similar anthology to Out of Our League, I highly recommend Game On edited by Laura Silverman, which Yamile Saied Mendez is also featured in. This is a YA anthology based around games. It has a mixture of stories about sports and games (i.e. D&D, board games) incorporated into the anthology.
⛹🏾♀️
Alex (he/him) is a trans man from Philadelphia, PA. He loves all things hockey and is a die-hard Philadelphia Flyers fan. He can talk about hockey for hours! You can find him uplifting queer and trans books on his YouTube channel @Pucksandpaperbacks and over on Instagram @pucksandpaperbacks.
Final Thoughts
Overall, how strong was the anthology for you?
Now that you’re done reading, how did the book make you feel?
What was your favorite story? What about it made it your favorite?
Was it easy for you to put yourself in the shoes of teens playing sports? Were you able to reminisce (if you played sports as a child or teen)?
Did this book change your point of view on sports— whether that be about sports fiction or inclusivity in real life events?
Anything else? Share your thoughts in the comments or reply to this email. I’ll see you in the next one! ♥
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