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Who is the person? Jackie Robson

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Bethany Hamilton Story for Kids | Bedtime History

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Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play baseball in the modern era of the major leagues. He played as an infielder and outfielder for the Brooklyn Dodgers from...

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SI Kids: Sports News for Kids, Kids Games and More

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Surfer Bethany Hamilton was only 13 years old in 2003 when she was attacked by a tiger shark and lost her left arm. She thought her surf career was over, but a little over a year after her life-changing experience, she was back on a board and competing. She also wrote about her experience and getting back in the water in the book Soul Surfer, which became an instant hit and a source of inspiration for kids and adults alike.

More than 10 years after the shark attack, Bethany is still competing and writing. Her latest book is Body & Soul, a collection of fitness and nutrition tips for kids that she wrote with trainer Dustin Dillberg. Bethany recently stopped by the SI Kids offices to talk about the book, why it's important to eat healthy, and how to get started as a surfer.

What made you want to put together a book of workout and food tips?

My initial inspiration for writing the book was to be an encouragement - starting with teenage girls, and now that I think about it, just all females in general. I just remember when I was a teenager, you go through awkward stages adjusting to your body. And also as an athlete I was starting to take more notice of what I was eating and starting to workout and crosstrain for surfing and I liked how I felt, especially eating right. People ask if I didn't surf what I would do. I think I would be a nutritionist. I love the art of healing and getting healthier. I eat a normal American diet - fast food, junk food, candy, corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, dyes - all the dumb stuff, and I'm glad that I decided to start changing it because I think when you start eating healthy, you start to crave that more and more. Now I don't even think twice when I walk past fast food.

Is there a fast food that you miss eating or that you have every once in a while to sort of balance things out?

Lately, sweet potato fries, which is kind of healthier, but they're still fries. If I was sitting in front of ice cream and one was this coconut bliss ice cream versus a normal ice cream, I still would go for the coconut bliss because it's a healthier option. So I still have my treats. I love dark chocolate, but I also love getting in the kitchen and making veggies and scrambled eggs and smoothies and shakes and I like how I feel.

When you started eating healthier, what was the hardest thing to give up or adjust to?

I think sugar just because it's so addictive, and like candy and sweets. And I'll still have treats, but I'm definitely better than when I was younger. Like, I don't really eat Butterfingers anymore. I think that was my go-to when I would get a treat at the grocery store. There's so many yummy healthy things that you can have instead. Fruit is so delicious.

Yeah, and it also has a ton of sugar.

Yeah, it's a good sugar, but you still shouldn't go overboard on it. But it's better than a Butterfinger, which has sugar and like hydrogenated oil and all these crazy things. In the book we talk about things like reading your labels. The more you read your labels, the more you start to understand what you're actually eating and you start to realize, "Oh, this isn't so good for me. Maybe I shouldn't have this too often or even ever."

Do you have a favorite food in general?

If I had to narrow it down, probably salads because you can put anything in a salad and make it your own. On Kauai, Hawaii, where I live, fresh produce is so accessible, we get crazy with our salads.

There are a lot of kids who don't live near fresh food. If one of them reads your book and wants to be a healthy eater, how can they be creative if they don't have the access?

We put a lot of thought into the book so it's not just for a wealthy kid who has to have money to do this. For example, the exercises we talk about, you can do anywhere, you don't need a gym to do it. And same for the recipes. A good thing to do would be to ask your parent to start buying healthier groceries so that you can get in your kitchen and make it yourself.

You mentioned the workout. For a kid, or anyone, who wants to surf, what kind of workouts are the most important?

Throughout the book, we highlight Surfer Workouts, which are good for anyone whether you surf or not. Swimming is really good for surfing, and just making sure you have a strong core and stomach and legs. But nothing can really beat actually being in the water and surfing. But it's also about just encouraging girls to get active and finding things they enjoy and finding a friend to go workout with. And if you're not into working out, maybe find a dance class or maybe just have a dance party in your house or go on a hike. Depending on where you live, find what works best for you. We're not all trying to be the best surfer in the world, so it's finding what works for your lifestyle.

What advice would you give for a kid who wants to get in the water and start surfing? How should they start?

If you want to start surfing, first you have to take a lesson. It's essential to get a good lesson because the ocean is like nothing else. It's not like a soccer field or a tennis court. It's moving and it's going to take you in different directions if you don't know what you're doing. So it's essential to have someone help you understand the different areas of the ocean and help educate you. Make sure you're good at swimming. And then starting off on a long surfboard, usually like 8 to 9 feet long so that you can balance. And then just have fun. I think giving it a go, and if you like it and you really want to take it serious, then you have to go out every day if not, like, five days a week to really conquer it.

And then how about for a kid who reads your story and says, "I don't want to get bitten by a shark or get injured." What would you say to a kid like that to help them conquer that fear?

That's a good question. I think just realizing that shark attacks are so rare and not letting the fear stop you from going for it. There are so many things that could happen. But don't focus on what happened to me. Instead, remember that barely any people have had that experience. It's almost more dangerous to walk on the sidewalk than it is to go surfing!

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Photo: Aaron Lieber/Liebervision

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Eating Healthy with Soul Surfer Bethany Hamilton

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Surfer Bethany Hamilton was only 13 years old in 2003 when she was attacked by a tiger shark and lost her left arm. She thought her surf career was over, but a

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Venus and Serena Williams are sisters who play tennis. They won many important tournaments from 1999 to the early 2000s. The two sometimes teamed up to win doubles (two against two) championships. Each sister won many singles championships as well. In 2002 they were the top two women tennis players in the world.

Venus Williams was born on June 17, 1980, in Lynwood, California. Serena was born on September 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Michigan. The sisters' father, Richard, taught them to play tennis when they were very young.

The Williams sisters both became professional tennis players at about age 14. Being professional means that they earned money for playing. In 1999 Serena was the first to win one of the four major tennis tournaments when she won the U.S. Open. The major tournaments are known as grand slam tournaments. She was the first African American woman to win a grand slam tournament since Althea Gibson did so in the late 1950s.

In 2000 Venus won another of the major tournaments, this one in Wimbledon, England. She and Serena won the women's doubles competition at Wimbledon as well. Later that year Venus won the U.S. Open for the first time. Venus also won a gold medal at the Olympics in 2000. She and Serena won the gold medal for doubles. In 2001 Venus won both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open again.

In 2002 Serena beat her sister at the French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open. She became the number-one player in the world. In 2003 Serena beat Venus at Wimbledon and the Australian Open. The Australian Open victory gave her wins in all four of the major tournaments. Both sisters won many more individual titles after that.

The sisters continued to play as a doubles team as well. They won their second doubles gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, and their third at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.

Serena announced in 2022 that she would retire after the U.S. Open that year. She lost in the third round of the tournament. By the time her career had ended, she had won 23 grand slam tournaments.

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Venus and Serena Williams are sisters who play tennis. They won many important tournaments from 1999 to the early 2000s. The two sometimes teamed up to win doubles (two against two) championships. Each sister won many singles championships as well. In 2002 they were the top two women tennis players in the world.

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U.S. Championships

Biles began competing at the top, or elite, level of gymnastics in 2011. Within two years, she dominated the sport. Biles won her first U.S. championship in 2013, along with silver medals in all four individual events. She placed at the top again in 2014 and also won gold medals in the vault and floor exercise. In 2015 Biles became the first gymnast since 1992 to win a third consecutive U.S. all-around title. She won again in 2016, 2018, and 2019. In the 2021 competition, Biles won her seventh U.S. championship, her sixth gold in vault, and her fifth golds in balance beam and floor exercise. She competed in the Olympics that year but then took a couple of years off. In 2023 she returned and set more records. She won her eighth U.S. championship. That was more than any other U.S. gymnast had won. At age 26, she was the oldest woman to win the championship.

World Championships

In 2013 Biles became the first African American to win the all-around title at the gymnastics world championship. She also took home a gold in floor exercise, a silver in vault, and a bronze in balance beam. At the 2014 world championship, she won four gold medals: the women's team, the individual all-around, floor exercise, and balance beam. She also won the silver medal in vault. Her performance at the 2015 world championship brought her career total of world championship medals to 14. This was the most ever earned by a U.S. gymnast. Her 10 gold medals were the most won by a female gymnast in the sport's history. At the 2018 competition Biles won four more golds: in the team, individual all-around, vault, and floor exercise. She repeated the feat in 2019 but this time added the gold for the balance beam. After the 2019 competition, Biles became the most decorated gymnast in the history of the sport with 25 medals-19 gold, 3 silver, and 3 bronze-from the world championships. She added to that total at the 2023 world championships.

Olympics

Biles competed in her first Olympic Games in 2016. She led the U.S. team to the team gold and won individual golds in the all-around, floor exercise, and vault. She was the fifth gymnast to win four golds at an Olympic Games. Biles also took home the bronze in the balance beam.

The 2020 Olympic Games were postponed to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Biles was expected to finish strongly at the Olympics, but she withdrew early in the team competition for mental health reasons. She later explained that she had "the twisties," a mental block that gymnasts experience when they cannot tell where they are when in the air. The U.S. team went on to win silver. Biles was able to return and compete in the balance beam finals. She took home the bronze medal in that event. This resulted in seven career Olympic medals, which was a tie for the most Olympic medals for a U.S. gymnast.

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Simone Biles is a U.S. gymnast. Her power and ability allowed her to perform skills that no other female gymnast had completed before. Biles holds many U.S. and world records...

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SI Kids: Sports News for Kids, Kids Games and More

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Celebrities from reality TV star Kim Kardashian to hockey player Wayne Gretzky had shown up at the 2015 U.S. Open to watch Serena Williams make tennis history. It had been a monumental year for the sport. With Williams on the brink of completing the first Grand Slam since Steffi Graf, the U.S. Open women's final sold out before the men's did.

However, in a stunning upset, Williams lost to unseeded Roberta Vinci in the semifinals. While Williams wiped a tear out of her eye, and disappointed spectators around the world shut off their TVs, many wondered the same question: Where does women's tennis go from here? What does the future of women's tennis look like?

By the future, of course, we mean after Williams-eventually-slows down. She lost that U.S. Open but afterward reached four Grand Slam finals and won two of them, including the 2017 Australian Open.

Since Williams turned pro in 1995, she has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, and she and her older sister, Venus, have dominated women's tennis ever since. The Williams sisters have won over 40% of the grand slam women's singles championships since 2000, and Serena is inarguably one of the greatest athletes in the world.

In January, they played against each other in the finals of the Australian Open, the year's first Grand Slam event. Venus is 36, and Serena is 35. Both will likely retire soon. And when they do, how will their departure impact the world of women's tennis?

"It's probably going to be like basketball after Michael Jordan," says L. Jon Wertheim, a tennis writer and commentator and the deputy managing editor of Sports Illustrated. "The sport won't go away; they still held the NBA Finals the year after he retired, but it took a few years for a new star to emerge. It will be a big loss."

Serena, especially, attracts many fans, and those fans may very well leave the game when she does. However, when she retires, there will be no clear No. 1 player, and this might be a good thing.

"New champions come right behind [Venus and Serena], and they keep things interesting. It keeps evolving," says WTA president Micky Lawler. While the inevitable loss of the Williams sisters will be devastating to tennis, it could also make the game more competitive and exciting. Rivalries will develop and the sport can evolve.

As we delve into a new era of tennis, who are the young rising stars? Like many others, broadcaster and former tennis player Mary Carillo has high hopes for American Madison Keys, who finished 2016 at No. 8 in the world and is the best American after Serena Williams. Many consider Keys, who is 21, to be one of the most promising players in women's tennis. In terms of young Americans, many also consider 23-year-old Sloane Stephens, who is ranked 35th in the world, and 17-year-old Catherine Bellis, who is 75th, to be leading prospects.

But why aren't there more talented young women ready to take Serena's place? There are many reasons, starting with the disparity between men's and women's tennis.

As nice as it would be to say that inequality between men and women in sports is a thing of the past, the prize money and exposure difference between men and women doesn't indicate that. "It's about sponsorships, it's about companies, media rights, who's paying for men's tennis versus women's tennis, and who's filling up the seats in men's events versus women's events," says Eleni Rossides, the president of the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation. The New York Times reported last year that of "the top 100 earners on the WTA and ATP Tours...female tennis players [earn] 80 cents on each dollar men earn."

However, the gap between the women's game and the men's game could be a result of more than just sponsorships. During the 2015 Australian Open, after winning a thrilling match, Eugenie Bouchard was asked to twirl for the fans. The focus on women's beauty over their athleticism is a struggle in all sports at many different levels.

Says Keys, "There's a lot of comments made about female athletes that takes away from them doing their sport and them sacrificing." Many agree that this type of attitude hinders women's tennis-as well as other women's sports-from reaching its full potential.

The Next Generation
Tennis is also at a disadvantage when it comes to being able to develop talent and making the sport available to young people. "Kids are getting away from physical sports," says Carillo. "It's not as big a sport as in this country as it was in the '70s."

The sport lags far behind football, basketball, and baseball when it comes to youth participation. In 2013, ESPN reported that only 8% of all kids play tennis. So what is preventing more young people from getting involved?

"Tennis is competing with very established seasonal sports," explains Lawler. And Carillo is concerned about the constant need for grown-up assistance in terms of transportation and equipment when kids play tennis. This reliance on adults can make it hard for kids to go out and play tennis on their own.

Tennis organizations across the country are working to get more kids interested in playing the sport. Groups like the Women's Tennis Federation and the United States Tennis Association are working to form programs that can overcome these challenges and get more kids playing.

"The advent of 10-and-under tennis has been helpful for getting younger kids interested in tennis," says Rossides, whose organization helps children from low-income households get involved in the sport. The 10-and-under program was created by the USTA and uses smaller racquets, courts, and bigger balls that help young kids find joy in tennis.

For fans, the WTA has created a new platform called WTA Network to help give a more interactive experience with the women's tour. The WTA Network uses Instagram, Facebook, and other social media to help engage and inform fans about women's tennis. Says Lawler, "If we can create that ecosystem around the WTA-around the players and the tournaments-our younger fans will really become much more interested."

As technology and the younger generation's relationship with it continue to evolve-including the way fans watch tennis-it's vital that tennis evolves with it. Wertheim stresses the importance of making tennis more high tech in order to attract younger fans and keep them engaged.

"I think some of it is to have some variation of daily fantasy and to have some sort of micro-guessing within matches," Wertheim says. "Social media is obviously big. These players are global, so it's a great way to know them even if they don't come to your country."

Whenever the Williams sisters retire, the sport will undergo changes. In the meantime, players like Keys and organizations like the USTA are working to cultivate fans by targeting young people who might pick up the sport.

"I think that my biggest message when I do clinics and stuff like that is to remind kids to play tennis for fun," Keys says. "Remember that. And to not get so wrapped up in winning matches or winning tournaments because that's where they get discouraged and maybe quit pretty early. I just really like to focus on them enjoying the game and doing it with their friends and for fun. Just developing a love for the game."
Photographs by (from top): Clive Brunskill/Getty Images; Chris Trotman/Getty Images for USTA

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Celebrities from reality TV star Kim Kardashian to hockey player Wayne Gretzky had shown up at the 2015 U.S. Open to watch Serena Williams make tennis history. It had been a monumental year for the sport. With Williams on the brink of completing the first Grand Slam since Steffi Graf, the U.S.

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Who Was Muhammad Ali? Black History Month (Facts for Kids)

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U.S. boxer Muhammad Ali was a gifted athlete with a personality that brought him fans and fame. He was known for such phrases as "I am the greatest!" and "float like a...

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Who is Serena Williams? Black History Month (Facts for Kids)

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some of her best friends. Doing gymnastics

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Muhammad Ali By_ Little People Big Dreams

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Simone Biles was a bright, bubbly, bouncy little girl. She couldn't sit still, and her favorite place to be was the trampoline in her grandparents' backyard, where she flipped and twisted in the air for hours. Any move her siblings could do, she could do too.

Simone was born in 1997. When she was 6 years old, her day-care group went on a field trip to a gym. Simone loved watching the gymnasts train and perform. She couldn't just watch them, though-she had to try their moves. She was so good that one of the coaches sent a letter home with her, inviting Simone to take gymnastics classes.

CRAIG BARRIT/GETTY IMAGES FOR SK-II

Simone loved the classes, and she was excellent at climbing, swinging, jumping, and tumbling. She had a lot to learn, though. Most of the gymnasts in her class had started lessons when they were toddlers. At 6, Simone was the oldest child in her class. That would change quickly.

Several times a year, the gym held exhibitions to demonstrate the gymnasts' skills. At one of these, young gymnasts had to climb 10 feet up a rope, using just their arms and holding their legs straight in front of them. Simone was so strong that she climbed 15 or 20 feet into the air and had to be coaxed back to the ground.

The coaches could hardly keep up with Simone. When one girl performed a standing back tuck, Simone was sure she could do one too. Her coach didn't believe her, so Simone tried the trick and nailed it on the spot.

At 9, Simone learned why she couldn't sit still: She had ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Her brain moved fast and her body did too-which made it hard for her to concentrate in school but which also made her an amazing gymnast. "The challenges we face help define who we are," Simone wrote. "My challenge is also my superpower: ADHD." Simone's superpower would help make her one of the most dynamic gymnasts ever seen.

Medal Winner

Simone is one of the greatest athletes in history. At age 16, she won two gold medals at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, including the all-around (the total score from competing in all events). She has now won 25 world medals, 19 of them gold. That's the most in world gymnastics history.

Simone competed in her first Olympics in 2016. She was the first female U.S. gymnast to win four gold medals in an Olympic Games. Since then, Simone has debuted moves never successfully done in competition, including a double-double dismount from the balance beam. The move became known as the Biles. Several signature moves have been named after Simone.

ALEX LIVESEY-GETTY IMAGES

Fast Facts

Simone is the most decorated female gymnast in America.

One of her signature moves is a triple-double (double backflip with three twists in the air). It's known as the Biles II.

She is the first Black woman to win an Artistic Gymnastics World Championships all-around title-and she's won this title five times.

Simone is the first woman gymnast to win three consecutive all-around world titles.

At the 2018 World Championships, Simone had a painful kidney stone. She still won gold and collected the all-around title.

JARED WICKERHAM-GETTY IMAGES

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This is Simone: Read the Story of Simone Biles

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Simone Biles was a bright, bubbly, bouncy little girl. She couldn't sit still, and her favorite place to be was the trampoline in her grandparents' backyard, where she flipped and twisted in the air for hours. Any move her siblings...

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Ed Arnold talks with Major League Pitcher and author Jim Abbott.

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SI Kids: Sports News for Kids, Kids Games and More

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Jim Abbott, a former MLB pitcher who played for the Angels, Yankees, Brewers, and White Sox, was born without his right hand. Despite the birth defect, Abbott is a College Baseball Hall of Fame inductee and pitched for the U.S. gold medal Olympic team in 1988. Abbott's most memorable accomplishment is throwing a no-hitter in 1993 for the Yankees.

You might wonder how Abbott was able to play baseball - especially at the pro level - with only one hand. Well, when he learned the game, he also developed a way to throw with his left hand, then move the glove to his left hand in order to make a catch.

Today, as a motivational speaker, Abbott talks about his days playing baseball and inspires others to never give up on their dreams. I recently caught up with him to talk about overcoming obstacles, baseball rituals, and his favorite present day pitchers.

When you were a kid, who taught you to play baseball?

My dad was the first person who taught me to play and how to switch the glove on and off and play catch. And then I had a lot of great coaches: My Little League coach, a man named Jeff Blanchard, my high school coach, Bob Holec. They all were really helpful to me in my career.

How did they help you?

They were creative and very positive. They helped me devise the strategies to hold the bat a little bit differently, to switch the glove on and off, and to go about what it would take being a baseball player. I'm really thankful that they were so positive and creative and that they believed that there was a way for me to play.

You're very inspirational in showing that we can achieve dreams even if others look us at differently. How did you become so confident in your ability to play baseball? Did you ever feel that people looked at you like you were different?

I think maybe people don't understand. They look at my hand and they look at my play and they think, "You must have been so confident and you really believed." But the truth is that it was always a battle and I didn't always believe. It took a lot of hard work. It took a lot of going through times when I felt a little bit insecure. I went through times that were a struggle and not doing well and having coaches there to support me. So, just because somebody makes it or they do positive things or achieve great things, it doesn't always mean that the path was easy and that they always believed that it would happen. A lot of times it takes a lot of hard work and struggle to get there.

When you pursued your baseball career, what made you never give up? Do you think it was harder for you than it was for other people?

I don't know that I worked any harder than anybody else. A lot of people work really hard to achieve their dreams. Especially as you get higher and higher up the baseball ladder, as the players get better, it gets harder and harder. There are more people who want it: More people who want to be in the major leagues, more people who want to play college baseball, more people who want to play in the Olympics. So, I don't know that I wanted it any more than anybody else, but I worked really hard. Growing up differently gave me a drive and an ambition to prove myself.

Do you have a ritual when you throw a pitch? If so, what is it?

I had a lot of different rituals. I was a little superstitious. I changed them up a bit. Most of the time I would get to the ballpark at the same time, like three-and-a-half hours before the game and I would put on the same outfit, I would put on the same t-shirt and shorts before the game...Then the game would start and I would get up on the mound. You know on the mound there's the pitching rubber. That's where you start every pitch from. My favorite thing to do was to wipe it clean and I would wipe all the dirt off and get it as clean as I could get it. That, to me, was a ritual and a symbol of starting new, starting a new game.

What was it like to throw that no-hitter in 1993? How did you feel afterwards?

I felt like I was plugged into a wall. I was so excited. It was like electricity was going through me. I was so happy and charged up. So many people were so excited in the stadium; my teammates were so excited. A no-hitter is nine innings, it's 27 outs, so it's a countdown. It gets to a point where you're counting the outs down. So when you get that last out it's like, "Yeah!" So it really felt like you were plugged in; like electrical charges are going through you.

Who are some of your favorite current MLB pitchers and why?

I really like Jared Weaver for the Angles. I like him because he's really matured into a smart pitcher. He came up and he threw hard and he had - baseball people call it 'good stuff,' which means you have a really overpowering fast ball and breaking ball. As he's gotten older, he doesn't throw as hard as he used to, but he's just as effective because he's become a smart pitcher. So he's one of my favorites right now.

Looking back at your career, what lessons did you learn from baseball and overcoming obstacles?

I think the greatest lesson I took away from baseball is that what happens today doesn't mean anything about what's going to happen tomorrow. What I mean by that is, my proudest moment as a major league player was a no-hitter that I pitched for the Yankees. It was this great moment and it's looked at as this great time, but one game before that I had one of the worst games of the whole year. I was knocked out early. I felt terrible. I was really struggling. I went into that next game, that no-hitter game, with a great amount of uncertainty and really worried. Baseball taught me that you can be really down and struggling, but if you work hard and you believe, the next time can be great. There's always going to be another time and another chance to prove yourself.

Photos: John Iacono /Sports Illustrated (Yankees), courtesy Isabel Gomez

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Jim Abbott, a former MLB pitcher who played for the Angels, Yankees, Brewers, and White Sox, was born without his right hand. Despite the birth defect, Abbott is a College Baseball Hall of Fame inductee and pitched for the U.S. gold medal Olympic team in 1988.

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Jim Abbott is an American baseball player that played for the California Angels and the New York Yankees. In this text, Peter McDonald tells how Jim Abbott became one of the best baseball pitchers in history.

As you read, take notes on Jim Abbott’s actions.

"Untitled" by GettyImages is used with permission.

[1]April 8, 1989, was a warm Saturday in Anaheim, California. It was one of the California Angels’ first baseball games of the season. The crowd roared as a new player named Jim Abbott stepped onto the pitcher’s mound. He was pitching for the Angels.

Jim Abbott was 21 years old. All his life, people had told him that he shouldn’t play baseball. “You will never be very good,” they said. Jim never believed them, but he believed in himself. And now, Jim was playing in the major leagues.

Why did people doubt Jim Abbott? It was because he was born with only one hand. His right arm ended at his wrist.

Some things are hard to do with only one hand, like buttoning your shirt or tying your shoes. Playing baseball is hard to do, too. A player needs one hand to throw the ball and one hand to catch it.

[5]When he was young, Jim’s parents decided not to worry about what Jim could or could not do. They knew some things would be hard for him, but they told Jim he could do anything he put his mind to. Jim believed them.

Jim grew up in Flint, Michigan, where he learned about baseball by playing catch with his dad.

Jim could throw a baseball as fast as lightning. Yet with only one hand, Jim played a little differently. First, he caught the ball in his glove. Then, he took his glove off with the ball inside it. He slid the glove onto his right wrist. Last, he reached into his glove with his left hand and threw the ball back. Whoosh!

Jim loved baseball. He played on local teams in Flint. People were not always kind to Jim. At first, his teammates teased him. “You will never really play baseball,” they told him.

Jim was teased so much that he got used to people doubting him. Jim didn’t like it, but he believed in himself, and he kept playing baseball.

[10]When people saw how good Jim was at baseball, they forgot he was one-handed. Jim could hit the ball better than anyone, and he could pitch like the wind. When batters swung at Jim’s pitches, all they hit was air. “Everyone on the team knows that he’s the best player,” Jim’s coach said.

Jim’s parents knew that Jim was a good ballplayer, too, but they didn’t know he was great. Then one day there was a story about Jim in the newspaper! “Jim Abbott is great, great, great!” the writer said.

Jim was just eleven years old and the star of his baseball team. Still, no one could look past the fact that he had just one hand. That doesn’t matter, Jim thought to himself. What matters is that I’m a good ballplayer.

Many went on thinking that Jim could not be a very good baseball player. “He has only one hand!” they kept saying. “How can he field the ball? How can he bat?”

Jim didn’t listen. He didn’t want to spend his time worrying because he knew he was good. Jim’s dream was to play baseball in the major leagues, but he didn’t tell anyone about his dream. He was afraid people might laugh at him.

[15]At each level of baseball, people doubted Jim Abbott. They doubted him in grade school. They doubted him in middle school. They doubted him in high school and in college.

Jim had to prove himself everywhere he played. And everywhere he played, people were amazed.

In 1988, Jim was asked to be on the United States Olympic baseball team. What an honor! Jim and his teammates traveled to Seoul, South Korea, for the games.

The team did so well in the Olympics that they made it to the gold medal game, where they played against Japan. It was a hard game, but Jim hung in there. He pitched every inning and won the game. It was the first U.S. baseball team to win a gold medal!

When Jim got home to the United States, he found out that the California Angels had called him. They wanted him to join them for spring training.

[20]Jim was the star of spring training. Reporters from all over the country came to ask him questions.

Everyone thought Jim was limited in what he could do. “I haven’t been limited in any way,” Jim said.

Soon it was time for Jim’s first game. He was nervous, just as any pitcher would be, but he was under more pressure than other pitchers. He had never pitched in front of so many people, and he knew they had come to see if someone with one hand could play the big leagues.

Jim stepped onto the pitcher’s mound. He took a deep breath and looked at the batter. Then he slipped off his glove. He took the ball in his left hand. He wound up and threw.

Strike one!

[25] Jim pitched in the major leagues for ten years. He won many awards for his athletic abilities. Perhaps no award was more special than what Jim did one September day in 1993. He was playing for the New York Yankees. That day, Jim pitched a no-hitter, which means that no batter on the opposing team made a base hit during the entire game. To pitch a no-hitter is a mark of greatness. After the game, Jim’s teammates charged onto the field to embrace him.

Jim Abbott had a brilliant career. His determination and talent helped him to achieve great success.

Copyright © Highlights for Children, Inc., Columbus, Ohio. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, this content is licensed under theCC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license

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CommonLit | Yes, I Can! The Story of Jim Abbott

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Jim Abbott is an American baseball player that played for the California Angels and the New York Yankees. In this text, Peter McDonald tells how Jim Abbott became one of the best baseball pitchers in history.

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Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (January 31, 1919 - October 24, 1972) was the first African-American Major League Baseball (MLB) player of modern times. Robinson broke the baseball color barrier, also called the color line, when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. He was the first black man to openly play in the major leagues since the 1880s. He had a big role in bringing racial segregation to an end in professional baseball. For sixty years until that point, African-Americans could only play in Negro leagues. Robinson's character and skills made people think about the usual basis of segregation. Robinson and his abilities added much to the civil rights movement.

Robinson had an overall good baseball career. Over ten seasons, he played in six World Series and helped in the Dodgers' 1955 World Championship. From 1949 to 1954, he was selected for all six All-Star Games. Robinson received the first MLB Rookie of the Year Award in 1947. He also won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949. He was the first black player to win this award. Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. In 1997, Major League Baseball retired his uniform number, 42, across all major league teams.

Robinson was born on January 31, 1919. His middle name was in honor of former President Theodore Roosevelt, who died twenty-five days before Robinson was born.

In 1935, Robinson graduated from Washington Junior High School. He then entered Muir Tech (now called John Muir High School). Seeing that Robinson was good at sports, his older brothers inspired Jackie to follow his interest in them. At Muir Tech, Robinson played several sports at the varsity level.

Robinson lettered in four sports: football, basketball, track, and baseball. Jackie played shortstop and catcher on the baseball team, quarterback on the football team, and guard on the basketball team. With the track and field team, he won awards in the broad jump. He was also part of the tennis team.

In 1936, Robinson won the junior boys singles championship in the yearly Pacific Coast Negro Tennis Tournament. He also won a place on the Pomona baseball tournament all-star team. In late January 1937, the Pasadena Star-News newspaper wrote that Robinson "for two years has been the outstanding athlete at Muir, starring in football, basketball, track, baseball, and tennis."

After attending Muir, Robinson went to Pasadena Junior College (PJC). There he continued his sports career by playing basketball, football, baseball, and track. While playing football at PJC, Robinson fractured his ankle. Issues from this would later delay his deployment status while in the military. Despite his injury, Jackie Robinson was one of the best athletes at Pasadena Junior College. He broke school broad jump records that had been held by his brother, Mack.

As at Muir Hugh School, most of Jackie's teammates at PJC were white. In 1938, he was elected to the All-Southland Junior College Team for baseball. He was also selected as the region's Most Valuable Player. That year, Robinson was one of ten students named to the school's Order of the Mast and Dagger ( Omicron Mu Delta). This was awarded to students performing "outstanding service to the school and whose scholastic and citizenship record is worthy of recognition." It showed that Jackie not only excelled in sports but that he also was intelligent and had excellent character.

After graduating from PJC in the spring of 1939, Robinson transferred to UCLA, where he met his future bride. There he became the school's first athlete to win varsity letters in four sports: baseball, basketball, football, and track. He was one of four African-Americans on the 1939 UCLA Bruins football team. This made UCLA college football's most integrated team.

Military career

In 1942, Robinson was drafted and assigned to a segregated Army cavalry unit in Fort Riley, Kansas. Having the necessary requirements, Robinson and several other black soldiers applied for entrance to an Officer Candidate School (OCS) then located at Fort Riley. The men were accepted into OCS. Upon finishing OCS, Robinson was commissioned as a second lieutenant in January of 1943. After receiving his commission, Robinson was moved to Fort Hood, Texas. There he joined the 761st "Black Panthers" Tank Battalion.

After he left the army, Robinson returned to his old football club, the Los Angeles Bulldogs, for a short time. Robinson then took an offer to be the athletic director at Sam Huston College in Austin. The job included coaching the school's basketball team for the 1944-45 season. Robinson was respected as a coach who made his players work hard. He received the respect of, among others, basketball player Marques Haynes, a future member of the Harlem Globetrotters.

On February 10, 1946, Jackie married his fiance, Rachel Isum, a nursing student he had met at UCLA. They went on to have three children: Jackie Jr., Sharon, and David. His family provided the emotional support he needed during the difficult times he faced as a black baseball player.

Baseball career

In early 1945, while Robinson was at Sam Huston College, the Kansas City Monarchs sent him a written offer to play professional baseball in the Negro leagues. Robinson accepted a contract for $400 ($6,021 in 2023) per month. This was a big deal for him at the time. In all, Robinson played 47 games for the Monarchs.

Rickey committed to officially signing Robinson before November 1, 1945. On October 23, it was announced that Robinson would be assigned to the Royals for the 1946 season. On the same day, with officials of the Royals (minor league) and Dodgers (major league) present, Robinson signed his contract with the Royals. In what was later referred to as "The Noble Experiment," Robinson was the first black baseball player in the International League since the 1880s.

Six days before the start of the 1947 season, the Dodgers brought Robinson up to the major leagues. On April 15, 1947, Robinson played his first major league game at Ebbets Field in front of a crowd of 26,623 spectators. More than 14,000 black fans attended the game. Robinson became the first player since the 1880s to openly break the major league baseball color line.

Post-baseball life

Robinson retired from baseball on January 5, 1957. Later that year, after he complained about a lot of physical problems, his doctors diagnosed Robinson with diabetes. Robinson started an insulin injection schedule. However, the quality of medicine at the time could not control the disease as well as the medicine we have today.

In 1962, Jackie was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame, becoming the first African-American inducted into the Cooperstown museum.

In 1965, Robinson served as an analyst for ABC's Major League Baseball Game of the Week telecasts. He was the first black person to do so. On June 4, 1972, the Dodgers retired his uniform number, 42. Retiring a number means that nobody on that team can use that number anymore. He was the first black person to serve as vice president of a major American company. Robinson always considered his business career as advancing the cause of African-Americans in business.

Problems with heart disease and diabetes made Robinson weak. He was almost blind by the end of his life. On October 24, 1972, at age 53, he died of a heart attack at home in Stamford, Connecticut.

2,500 people attended Robinson's funeral service on October 27, 1972, at New York City's Riverside Church. Many of his former teammates and other famous black baseball players served as pallbearers (people who carry the coffin when necessary. The Reverend Jesse Jackson gave the eulogy. Tens of thousands of people lined the procession route that followed to Robinson's gravesite site at Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. He is buried next to his son Jackie and mother-in-law Zellee Isum.

After Robinson's death, his widow founded the Jackie Robinson Foundation, which advances higher education by providing scholarships for those who work hard. She stepped down as chairman of the board of directors, but still remains an officer as of 2022. Robinson's daughter Sharon serves as vice-chair of the board. As of 2022, funds are still being raised to open the Jackie Robinson Museum, which will be located at One Hudson Square in New York City.

Robinson's major league debut brought an end to almost sixty years of segregation in professional baseball, known as the baseball color line. Robinson's breaking of the baseball color line and his professional success meant big changes and showed that the fight for equality was more than just a political matter. Martin Luther King, Jr. said that he was "a legend and a symbol in his own time." In 1999, Jackie Robinson was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

Robinson said about himself, "I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me ... all I ask is that you respect me as a human being."

Awards and recognition

According to a poll conducted in 1947, Robinson was the second most popular man in the country, behind Bing Crosby. In 1999, he was named by magazine on its list of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century. Also in 1999, he ranked number 44 on the Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players.

Robinson has also been recognized outside of baseball. In December 1956, the NAACP recognized him with the Spingarn Medal, which it awards annually for the highest achievement by an African-American. President Ronald Reagan awarded Robinson the Presidential Medal of Freedom on March 26, 1984, after Robinson's death.

On March 2, 2005, President George W. Bush gave Robinson's widow the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award given by Congress. Robinson was only the second baseball player to receive the award. On August 20, 2007, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, announced that Robinson was inducted into the California Hall of Fame, located at The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts in Sacramento.

A number of buildings have been named in Robinson's honor. The New York Public School system has named a middle school after Robinson. In 1976, his home in Brooklyn, the Jackie Robinson House, was declared a National Historic Landmark. Robinson also has an asteroid named after him, 4319 Jackierobinson. In 1997, the United States Mint issued a Jackie Robinson commemorative silver dollar and a five-dollar gold coin.

Jackie Robinson quotes

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."

"I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me... all I ask is that you respect me as a human being."

"Life is not a spectator sport. If you're going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you're wasting your life."

"There's not an American in this country free until every one of us is free."

"The most luxurious possession, the richest treasure anybody has, is his personal dignity."

"Relationships may change throughout the gift of time, memories stay the same forever in my mind."

Interesting facts about Jackie Robinson

While Jackie was stationed in Fort Hood, he became friends with Joe Louis.

Robinson's brother Mack raced with Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics.

He was arrested twice: once in 1938 for arguing with a police officer about the arrest of a black friend and again in 1944 by military police for refusing to go the back of an army bus.

Larry Doby became the second black player in the Major League. Robinson and Doby spoke regularly.

Robinson was an excellent bunter: Robinson laid down 46 bunts in 1947 and all except four resulted in either a base hit or a sacrifice.

Jackie starred as himself in the 1950 Hollywood film "The Jackie Robinson Story."

Images for kids

Lobby card for The Jackie Robinson Story, 1950, with Minor Watson (left, playing Dodgers president Branch Rickey) and Robinson

Depiction of Robinson in lobby card for the 1950 film The Jackie Robinson Story

In Spanish: Jackie Robinson para niños

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In April 1947, Jackie Robinson made history. He joined a modern Major League Baseball (MLB) team. He was the first Black player to do this. Before then, Black and white athletes almost never played together.

Some people did not want Robinson to play baseball. This was because of his .He was not always treated well. But Robinson fought for . He wanted Black and white people to have the same opportunities.

MARK RUCKER-TRANSCENDENTAL GRAPHICS/GETTY IMAGES

Francisco Lindor plays baseball for the New York Mets. He says Robinson opened doors for players of color. "He is one of the main reasons we're here," Lindor said last year.

Looking Back

Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia. That was on January 31, 1919.

Robinson was always good at sports. He played basketball and football in college. He went to the University of California, Los Angeles. He played baseball and ran track there, too.

BETTMANN/GETTY IMAGES

On April 15, 1947, Robinson played his first game in MLB. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He won MLB's of the Year Award. Robinson played MLB for 10 years. In 1962, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

BETTMANN/GETTY IMAGES

This year is the 75th anniversary of Robinson's first major-league game. Athletes continue to honor his . "He gave the Black community a sense of hope, a sense of pride," Congressman John Lewis said.

MLB PHOTOS/GETTY IMAGES

Jackie Robinson's jersey number was 42. MLB retired the number in 1997. That marked the 50th anniversary of Robinson's first MLB game. The number can't be assigned to other players. It's the only number that has been retired across all of MLB. Since 2004, Jackie Robinson Day has been celebrated every April 15. Players wear 42 in his honor.

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In April 1947, Jackie Robinson made history. He joined a modern Major League Baseball (MLB) team. He was the first Black player to do this. Before then, Black and white athletes almost never played together. Some people did not want...

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