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Out of Our League: 16 Stories of Girls in Sports
A compelling YA anthology from editors Dahlia Adler and Jennifer Iacopelli about the trials and triumphs of girls in sports.
Ambition. Drive. Determination. Talent. Courage. Teamwork.
Every athlete knows what it takes to win. But for teen female players, the stakes are so much higher. In this anthology, the voices of these athletes come alive, highlighting the ferocity of those who are often shunted to the side. From navigating rampant misogyny to forging a sisterhood through sweat or just reveling in the love of the game, the stories in Out of Our League address the phenomenal physical and emotional power of teenage athletes as they compete, persevere, and thrive, on and off the field.
Ambition. Drive. Determination. Talent. Courage. Teamwork.
Every athlete knows what it takes to win. But for teen female players, the stakes are so much higher. In this anthology, the voices of these athletes come alive, highlighting the ferocity of those who are often shunted to the side. From navigating rampant misogyny to forging a sisterhood through sweat or just reveling in the love of the game, the stories in Out of Our League address the phenomenal physical and emotional power of teenage athletes as they compete, persevere, and thrive, on and off the field.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 23, 2024
About the author
Dahlia Adler
21 books2,842 followersDahlia Adler is the award-winning author of seven young adult novels, editor of five young adult anthologies, and founder of the website LGBTQReads. As a book blogger, her byline has appeared on Buzzfeed, B&N Reads, Reactor, Parents.com, and more. She enjoys ’90s rock, rewatching Grey’s Anatomy, finding great cover songs, crying at commercials, and extremely short walks on the beach. She lives in the New York City suburbs with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
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November 13, 2022Getting closer and closer to pub and can't wait for everyone to read! (More soon!)
August 19, 2021
A dream project with a dream team.
January 22, 2024
As someone who has never really played sports or cared anything about them, I was a little worried I’d be indifferent to this book. Surprisingly, it was a very enjoyable read! I liked the different kinds of sports and athletes we had in these stories. From girls who loved the game and made it their entire life to girls who just wanted to play for fun or girls who learned to love the game. We get a little bit of everything here. I also like how this touches on girls that are trans as well as girls with disabilities and how they fit into the sports world. There’s also discussions of eating disorders and how it can affect young athletes. There’s excellent character development and times where I found myself wishing I played a sport so I could be on a team like this.
My favorite stories were:
Better in the Long Run- Cross Country
Woman Land- Powerlifting
Sidelined- Football
Kylie with an I- Ice Hockey
One on One- basketball
Volley Girl- volleyball
The range in these stories was great and I found myself actually very impressed with a lot of them. From a non sport girlie who hasn’t really cared about being a part of a team, this was an excellent read that opened my eyes to what it means to be a team player.
My favorite stories were:
Better in the Long Run- Cross Country
Woman Land- Powerlifting
Sidelined- Football
Kylie with an I- Ice Hockey
One on One- basketball
Volley Girl- volleyball
The range in these stories was great and I found myself actually very impressed with a lot of them. From a non sport girlie who hasn’t really cared about being a part of a team, this was an excellent read that opened my eyes to what it means to be a team player.
May 8, 2026
Thanks to the publisher and Netgally for providing this ARC.
I love Women/Girls in Sport, and having faced injustice from childhood and teen sports to now trying to break into an industry still dominated by egotistical men who thrive on belittling women, this short story collection has healed a bit in me. I wish I had something like it growing up - it would have helped so much.
I loved that it covers such a wide range of disciplines, from wrestling to volleyball to archery, and includes several stories featuring young LGBTQIA+ teens. I think everyone will find at least one five-star story here. A big shoutout to all the amazing audiobook narrators. It was so cool that each story had its own unique voice.
Some of my favorites were: Womanland, #GOALS, Bunker Buddies (so cute), No Love Lost, Volley Girl, and Anchor Points.
So many important topics were featured but each story carries a lot of hope with it. For a better future for the next generation, for how important it is to standing your ground and how we still have a lot to fight for.
I love Women/Girls in Sport, and having faced injustice from childhood and teen sports to now trying to break into an industry still dominated by egotistical men who thrive on belittling women, this short story collection has healed a bit in me. I wish I had something like it growing up - it would have helped so much.
I loved that it covers such a wide range of disciplines, from wrestling to volleyball to archery, and includes several stories featuring young LGBTQIA+ teens. I think everyone will find at least one five-star story here. A big shoutout to all the amazing audiobook narrators. It was so cool that each story had its own unique voice.
Some of my favorites were: Womanland, #GOALS, Bunker Buddies (so cute), No Love Lost, Volley Girl, and Anchor Points.
So many important topics were featured but each story carries a lot of hope with it. For a better future for the next generation, for how important it is to standing your ground and how we still have a lot to fight for.
Read
May 24, 2024 CW: Eating disorder, fatphobic comments, intrusive thoughts, mention of COVID, death of a loved one due ot to COVID-19; homophobia; blackmailing threat; misgoyny; misgendering, deadname on page.
Full review on Substack!
Full review on Substack!
February 10, 2024
This book attempts to fill a gap in the much needed world of sports literature - more girls/women in sports please!! The first three stories were my favorites (along with Sidelined). Some of the other stories weren’t very well written but this was a cool anthology and hopefully we’ll start to see more girls and women sports stories emerging!
November 30, 2023
Thanks to #NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends publishers for allowing me to read an eARC of this title in exchange for a honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. Each of the 16 stories focuses on a different sport: Softball, Cross Country, Powerlifting, Soccer, Football, Cheerleading, Wrestling, Crew, Golf, Boxing, Wheelchair Tennis, Ice Hockey, Basketball, Sport Climbing, Volleyball and Archery. There is diverse representation throughout the book. Many of the stories are tied together through common locations, schools or character mentions.
I will definitely be purchasing this one for my students.
Content Warnings: language, attempted assault, death of a parent, COVID death, eating disorder, racism, sexism, misogyny, misgendering, toxic relationship, gaslighting, manipulation, blackmail, ableism
No sex. A few kisses
I really enjoyed this book. Each of the 16 stories focuses on a different sport: Softball, Cross Country, Powerlifting, Soccer, Football, Cheerleading, Wrestling, Crew, Golf, Boxing, Wheelchair Tennis, Ice Hockey, Basketball, Sport Climbing, Volleyball and Archery. There is diverse representation throughout the book. Many of the stories are tied together through common locations, schools or character mentions.
I will definitely be purchasing this one for my students.
Content Warnings: language, attempted assault, death of a parent, COVID death, eating disorder, racism, sexism, misogyny, misgendering, toxic relationship, gaslighting, manipulation, blackmail, ableism
No sex. A few kisses
March 16, 2026
I love sports, especially women and girls’ sports, and this collection of sports stories was overall fantastic. There was a diverse spectrum of experiences, gender identities, races, goals, and dreams represented, and each story reflected a distinct yet cohesive point of view: that sports are about more than just competition and winning, but about self-identity, community, joy, and love.
Here are some of my faves:
Kylie with an I — by Carrie S. Allen
“It’s not about who you’re playing against. It’s who you’re playing with.” Kylie is learning that playing women’s hockey is different than playing with boys, and that she can find a place where she can be truly herself. It helps that I love hockey, especially women’s hockey, but I loved this one.
Sidelined — by Maggie Hall
I hate that Lexie had to stop playing football, the sport she loves, because of sexism, but I love that she finds a way to keep it in her life, especially when she’s so good at it. She and Ollie are so cute - clearly they’ve been in love for a long time and everyone else was just waiting for them to notice.
All for One — by Yamile Saied Méndez
This one was hard to read and made me cry multiple times, but it was so important. There’s an eating disorder, self-hatred, grief, loneliness, Covid. The voice in Alika’s head that won’t stop condemning her. It’s all so heavy. But there’s light when you are willing to accept help, to allow those who love you to hold you up as you learn to heal and love yourself again. “And in the end, the team surrounds her. Little by little, the emotion around her seeps through her skin and reaches her heart, all the way to the wounds that need real cheer to heal.”
Here are some of my faves:
Kylie with an I — by Carrie S. Allen
“It’s not about who you’re playing against. It’s who you’re playing with.” Kylie is learning that playing women’s hockey is different than playing with boys, and that she can find a place where she can be truly herself. It helps that I love hockey, especially women’s hockey, but I loved this one.
Sidelined — by Maggie Hall
I hate that Lexie had to stop playing football, the sport she loves, because of sexism, but I love that she finds a way to keep it in her life, especially when she’s so good at it. She and Ollie are so cute - clearly they’ve been in love for a long time and everyone else was just waiting for them to notice.
All for One — by Yamile Saied Méndez
This one was hard to read and made me cry multiple times, but it was so important. There’s an eating disorder, self-hatred, grief, loneliness, Covid. The voice in Alika’s head that won’t stop condemning her. It’s all so heavy. But there’s light when you are willing to accept help, to allow those who love you to hold you up as you learn to heal and love yourself again. “And in the end, the team surrounds her. Little by little, the emotion around her seeps through her skin and reaches her heart, all the way to the wounds that need real cheer to heal.”
March 26, 2024
Anthologies are always a hit or miss. Most of the stories just weren't for me, but there were some I liked. "#GOALS" by Amparo Ortiz is a nice soccer story about learning not to see other girls as competition for boys. "All For One" by Yamile Saied Méndez is a good cheerleading story that discusses eating disorders. I'm just not a sports person and specifically read this for these two authors. Sports fans will probably enjoy this more than I did
Want to Read
August 22, 2021UPATE:
Okay yes it's about sports, it's a YA ANTHOLOGY ABOUT GIRLS AND SPORTS and oh my gosh I am SO excited.
---
Honestly I don't know what this book is yet because there's no summary or anything, but the title *kind of* reminds me of sports, it definitely looks like an anthology given the number of authors it's by, and some authors whose books I've enjoyed wrote part of it, so I'm marking it as to-read!
Okay yes it's about sports, it's a YA ANTHOLOGY ABOUT GIRLS AND SPORTS and oh my gosh I am SO excited.
---
Honestly I don't know what this book is yet because there's no summary or anything, but the title *kind of* reminds me of sports, it definitely looks like an anthology given the number of authors it's by, and some authors whose books I've enjoyed wrote part of it, so I'm marking it as to-read!
August 4, 2024
This book was really really cute and I loved all the stories, even though some of them were a bit juvenile. I loved all the different sports and angles and appreciated. I also really liked how they all intertwined and there were little cameos it was positively adorable
March 8, 2024
Overall,, this was really fun. Great characters, great rep, great stories, and great writing. Stats are for all of the stories in general. 8.43/10 or 4.5/5
Characters:9
Atmosphere:8
Writing-9
Plot:8
Intrigue-8
Logic:9
Enojyment-8
Characters:9
Atmosphere:8
Writing-9
Plot:8
Intrigue-8
Logic:9
Enojyment-8
November 18, 2023
Dahlia Adler does it again! I swear that she only writes/edits/contributes to books that I needed as a kid and that I am so glad kids will have now. Plus, I am truly a sucker for a short story anthology…and then you add in that it is about girls in sports? I am IN! All of the main characters are faced with different obstacles but they are very relatable. The mix of sports by all of the contributing authors was really great, too. (Of course, this swimmer would have loved a story about a swimmer, but I loved the stories I got!) I had not read works by all of the authors (shoutout to Sara Farizan for being my reigning short story anthology queen) before but will definitely be on the lookout for their writing in the future. The diversity of the authors and the stories they tell is a breath of fresh air. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
March 2, 2024
Safe at Home (Jennifer Iacopelli): loved it, exactly what I'd expect from this author.
Better in the Long Run (Sarah Henning): also amazing, also exactly what I wanted to see.
Woman Land (Miranda Kenneally): I've actually never read one of her books, so I didn't really know what to expect. Honestly, it was fine. I enjoyed the story, but not really so much that I'd want to read a full novel by her.
#GOALS (Amparo Ortiz): Another new author to me. Again, it was fine, the story was nice, just not something I would personally read a full novel of.
Sidelined (Maggie Hall): I've also never read anything by her, but I actually really enjoyed this one! I could feel the passion through the pages, which I loved. Now I'm gonna go read some of her other books I think!
All for One(Yamile Saied Mendez): I read Furia and absolutely loved it, however this story fell a little flat to me. While the message was great, I think Mendez's kind of poetic and figurative writing style didn't mesh well with the short story format. Or maybe it was just me, either way it was still a great story and she's still an amazing author in my mind.
Two Girls Walk into a Wrestling Match (Naomi Kanakia): It was fine, not my favorite, though. The writing felt a little choppy and certain things could have made more sense, but the overall message was great.
Power Ten in Two (Leah Henderson): Again, just fine, not my favorite but I can appreciate the message.
Bunker Buddies (Sara Farizan): Also, fine. A pretty easy read, nice message, wouldn't want to necessarily read a whole novel like this.
Three Minutes (Aminah Mae Safi): This one was great. Probably not my favorite in the whole anthology (others were more my style) but I really enjoyed it!
No Love Lost (Kayla Whaley): Kind of choppy, not my favorite, but it was alright.
Kylie With an / (Carrie S. Allen): This one was great! I'm a sucker for these kinds of stories and this one did not disappoint!
One on One (Juliana Goodman): Fine, again, not really my thing but it was nice.
Save the Lead (Cam Montgomery): Love, love, love! Always great to hear about less mainstream sports, and the romance was super sweet.
Volley Girl (Dahlia Adler): It seemed like a great setup, but the conflict fell a little flat for me. Great writing, though!
Anchor Points (Marieke Nijkamp): It was good, not my favorite. The friendship was really nice, just would have liked more/clearer conflict!
Also, please keep in mind in this whole thing, especially for authors who I haven't read before, it could just be that short stories don't suit their voice and style as much which is totally fine. I'm sure all of these authors are incredibly talented. Also, that these are all personal opinions and everyone is entitled to their own."
Better in the Long Run (Sarah Henning): also amazing, also exactly what I wanted to see.
Woman Land (Miranda Kenneally): I've actually never read one of her books, so I didn't really know what to expect. Honestly, it was fine. I enjoyed the story, but not really so much that I'd want to read a full novel by her.
#GOALS (Amparo Ortiz): Another new author to me. Again, it was fine, the story was nice, just not something I would personally read a full novel of.
Sidelined (Maggie Hall): I've also never read anything by her, but I actually really enjoyed this one! I could feel the passion through the pages, which I loved. Now I'm gonna go read some of her other books I think!
All for One(Yamile Saied Mendez): I read Furia and absolutely loved it, however this story fell a little flat to me. While the message was great, I think Mendez's kind of poetic and figurative writing style didn't mesh well with the short story format. Or maybe it was just me, either way it was still a great story and she's still an amazing author in my mind.
Two Girls Walk into a Wrestling Match (Naomi Kanakia): It was fine, not my favorite, though. The writing felt a little choppy and certain things could have made more sense, but the overall message was great.
Power Ten in Two (Leah Henderson): Again, just fine, not my favorite but I can appreciate the message.
Bunker Buddies (Sara Farizan): Also, fine. A pretty easy read, nice message, wouldn't want to necessarily read a whole novel like this.
Three Minutes (Aminah Mae Safi): This one was great. Probably not my favorite in the whole anthology (others were more my style) but I really enjoyed it!
No Love Lost (Kayla Whaley): Kind of choppy, not my favorite, but it was alright.
Kylie With an / (Carrie S. Allen): This one was great! I'm a sucker for these kinds of stories and this one did not disappoint!
One on One (Juliana Goodman): Fine, again, not really my thing but it was nice.
Save the Lead (Cam Montgomery): Love, love, love! Always great to hear about less mainstream sports, and the romance was super sweet.
Volley Girl (Dahlia Adler): It seemed like a great setup, but the conflict fell a little flat for me. Great writing, though!
Anchor Points (Marieke Nijkamp): It was good, not my favorite. The friendship was really nice, just would have liked more/clearer conflict!
Also, please keep in mind in this whole thing, especially for authors who I haven't read before, it could just be that short stories don't suit their voice and style as much which is totally fine. I'm sure all of these authors are incredibly talented. Also, that these are all personal opinions and everyone is entitled to their own."
January 15, 2024
🏳️🌈✊🏾♿Rep: some POC rep, some trans/queer rep, one with disability rep
📝Tropes/Themes: short story anthology, girls in sports, young adult
This anthology was not quite what I was expecting. There were a number of stories that I enjoyed, some I thought were okay and a couple that I just didn’t care for much. I think I was hoping more for stories of empowerment and encouragement. But some of the stories focused so much more on all the negative things like eating disorders, misogyny, racism, ableism, etc. And some of the stories ended in a way where I was left wondering what message I was supposed to glean from that story.
I did really enjoy a few of the stories. Volley Girl by Dahlia Adler, Anchor Points by Marieke Nijkamp, Three Minutes by Aminah Mae Safi, and One on One by Juliana Goodman were probably my favorites.
I did not at all care for the wheelchair tennis story which was unfortunate. It wasn’t the story, it was just the format of the story - written more like the transcript of a documentary - and I found it hard to get into/follow. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ice hockey one either - I really didn’t like the whole premise of that one.
Sports included in the anthology: Softball, Cross Country, Powerlifting, Soccer, Football, Cheerleading, Wrestling, Crew, Golf, Boxing, Wheelchair Tennis, Ice Hockey, Basketball, Sport Climbing, Volleyball and Archery.
All in all, I thought it was a good anthology, and I found some enjoyment in most of the stories. It was just a lot different than what I was expecting. If you like stories about girls in sports, then I recommend picking it up. Not every story was for me, but that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy them! Please note the trigger/content warnings below.
I received an ARC through NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.
⚠️TW/CW: racism, sexism, misogyny, bullying, misgendering, eating disorder, ableism, vomit, toxic relationship/gaslighting, references to death of parent, COVID death, blackmail
📝Tropes/Themes: short story anthology, girls in sports, young adult
This anthology was not quite what I was expecting. There were a number of stories that I enjoyed, some I thought were okay and a couple that I just didn’t care for much. I think I was hoping more for stories of empowerment and encouragement. But some of the stories focused so much more on all the negative things like eating disorders, misogyny, racism, ableism, etc. And some of the stories ended in a way where I was left wondering what message I was supposed to glean from that story.
I did really enjoy a few of the stories. Volley Girl by Dahlia Adler, Anchor Points by Marieke Nijkamp, Three Minutes by Aminah Mae Safi, and One on One by Juliana Goodman were probably my favorites.
I did not at all care for the wheelchair tennis story which was unfortunate. It wasn’t the story, it was just the format of the story - written more like the transcript of a documentary - and I found it hard to get into/follow. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ice hockey one either - I really didn’t like the whole premise of that one.
Sports included in the anthology: Softball, Cross Country, Powerlifting, Soccer, Football, Cheerleading, Wrestling, Crew, Golf, Boxing, Wheelchair Tennis, Ice Hockey, Basketball, Sport Climbing, Volleyball and Archery.
All in all, I thought it was a good anthology, and I found some enjoyment in most of the stories. It was just a lot different than what I was expecting. If you like stories about girls in sports, then I recommend picking it up. Not every story was for me, but that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy them! Please note the trigger/content warnings below.
I received an ARC through NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.
⚠️TW/CW: racism, sexism, misogyny, bullying, misgendering, eating disorder, ableism, vomit, toxic relationship/gaslighting, references to death of parent, COVID death, blackmail
January 20, 2026
I enjoyed this YA and sports focused anthology. I enjoyed that there were a wide variety of main characters with varying backgrounds and identities, as well as you get a good look at multiple sports.
The narrators did a great job with each story. I loved listening to each, then referencing the ebook if I needed anything.
I put a * on my favorite stories!
Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for an ALC of this book!
Safe at Home*:
- Softball
- Sisterhood
Better in the Long Run*:
- Cross Country
- Dual POV
Woman Land:
- Powerlifting
- Sexual Assault
#Goals*:
- Soccer
- Would be very cute as a movie or full length novel
Sidelined*:
- Football
All for One*:
- Cheerleading
- Eating Disorder
- Covid
Two Girls Walk into a Wrestling Match*:
- Wrestling
- Trans Woman main character
Power Ten in Two:
- Crew
Bunker Buddies:
- Golf
- Non-Binary main character
Three Minutes:
- Boxing
No Love Lost:
- Tennis
Kylie with an I*:
- Ice Hockey
One on One:
- Basketball
Save the Lead:
- Sport Climbing
Volley Girl*:
- Volleyball
Anchor Points:
- Archery
Content Warnings: language, attempted assault, death of a parent, COVID death, eating disorder, racism, sexism, misogyny, misgendering, toxic relationship, gaslighting, manipulation, blackmail, ableism
I recommend this book for any teen that enjoys sports. Or if you enjoy YA and sports!
The narrators did a great job with each story. I loved listening to each, then referencing the ebook if I needed anything.
I put a * on my favorite stories!
Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for an ALC of this book!
Safe at Home*:
- Softball
- Sisterhood
Better in the Long Run*:
- Cross Country
- Dual POV
Woman Land:
- Powerlifting
- Sexual Assault
#Goals*:
- Soccer
- Would be very cute as a movie or full length novel
Sidelined*:
- Football
All for One*:
- Cheerleading
- Eating Disorder
- Covid
Two Girls Walk into a Wrestling Match*:
- Wrestling
- Trans Woman main character
Power Ten in Two:
- Crew
Bunker Buddies:
- Golf
- Non-Binary main character
Three Minutes:
- Boxing
No Love Lost:
- Tennis
Kylie with an I*:
- Ice Hockey
One on One:
- Basketball
Save the Lead:
- Sport Climbing
Volley Girl*:
- Volleyball
Anchor Points:
- Archery
Content Warnings: language, attempted assault, death of a parent, COVID death, eating disorder, racism, sexism, misogyny, misgendering, toxic relationship, gaslighting, manipulation, blackmail, ableism
I recommend this book for any teen that enjoys sports. Or if you enjoy YA and sports!
September 10, 2023
This is a book I have been waiting for for a very long time. An anthology of YA stories about girls and sport.
Out of Our League combines 16 stories about girls and people who identify as female in a wide variety of sports, from golf and archery to wrestling and ice hockey. The characters are just as diverse as the sport choices, and we even get disabled athlete rep, which can often be overlooked.
Some of the stories centred around falling in love with a sport, others were about winning. Some were about finding the family you can only have in teammates, while others addressed issues of racism and misogyny in sport, eating disorders and toxic relationships.
There were so many stand-out stories in this collection that I can’t name them all. I had many favourites and loved the mix of tones, themes and voices.
Edited by Dahlia Adler and Jennifer Iacopelli, this anthology has something for every reader and I can’t wait to add Out of Our League to our school library sport fiction collection.
The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.
Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library
Out of Our League combines 16 stories about girls and people who identify as female in a wide variety of sports, from golf and archery to wrestling and ice hockey. The characters are just as diverse as the sport choices, and we even get disabled athlete rep, which can often be overlooked.
Some of the stories centred around falling in love with a sport, others were about winning. Some were about finding the family you can only have in teammates, while others addressed issues of racism and misogyny in sport, eating disorders and toxic relationships.
There were so many stand-out stories in this collection that I can’t name them all. I had many favourites and loved the mix of tones, themes and voices.
Edited by Dahlia Adler and Jennifer Iacopelli, this anthology has something for every reader and I can’t wait to add Out of Our League to our school library sport fiction collection.
The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.
Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library
April 22, 2026
Very solid little anthology! There's definitely a lot of heart for female athletes (of all backgrounds) in this collection. Most of the stories are incredibly well done with only 1-2 weak additions, which is a rare balance for this type of book and shows off an impressive caliber. I especially enjoyed the diversity of the sports and how more outlier options were included, such as climbing and archery. It explores a wide array of topics that would interest YA audiences and features an incredible diverse range of characters. As a former teenage female athlete myself, it was a wonderful experience and I enjoyed how much respect and appreciation was given for all of the young athletes featured.
However, I want to give a specific shout-out to the fastpitch softball story. Holy moly was that story accurate to the world of fastpitch softball. I was impressed with the casual knowledge drops (particularly with how the age brackets work for tournament play and adopting a younger player for a larger tournament) The author must have played at one point because it's the first time I read a softball story and could just accept everything as is rather than rant about the inaccuracies about how that world works. Nice work!
However, I want to give a specific shout-out to the fastpitch softball story. Holy moly was that story accurate to the world of fastpitch softball. I was impressed with the casual knowledge drops (particularly with how the age brackets work for tournament play and adopting a younger player for a larger tournament) The author must have played at one point because it's the first time I read a softball story and could just accept everything as is rather than rant about the inaccuracies about how that world works. Nice work!
June 15, 2024
Out of Our League just wasn't quite for me. Started out with not including the main sport I've participated in (seriously, why no swimming?), and throughout the stories, only reinforced my perception that competitive teen sports are overwhelmingly built for non-disabled cisgender people, and the "coaching" tends toward abuse thinly disguised as "character building". Plus a lot of not-particularly-believable dialogue and just generally not the strongest writing/plotting.
--Here's the list of stories included, in book order as I didn't have much in the way of favorites (I guess this is technically a connected-stories type of anthology, but the connections were mainly limited to names of characters from some stories being briefly dropped into other stories, not anything that actually affected the plots):
Safe at Home
Better in the Long Run
Woman Land
#GOALS
Sidelined
All for One
Two Girls Walk Into a Wrestling Match
Power Ten in Two
Bunker Buddies
Three Minutes
No Love Lost
Kylie with an I
One on One
Save the Lead
Volley Girl
Anchor Points
--Here's the list of stories included, in book order as I didn't have much in the way of favorites (I guess this is technically a connected-stories type of anthology, but the connections were mainly limited to names of characters from some stories being briefly dropped into other stories, not anything that actually affected the plots):
Safe at Home
Better in the Long Run
Woman Land
#GOALS
Sidelined
All for One
Two Girls Walk Into a Wrestling Match
Power Ten in Two
Bunker Buddies
Three Minutes
No Love Lost
Kylie with an I
One on One
Save the Lead
Volley Girl
Anchor Points
November 5, 2023
"Out of Our League," a captivating YA anthology edited by Dahlia Adler and Jennifer Iacopelli, delves into the trials and triumphs of young female athletes in a wide range of sports, from golf to wrestling. The anthology showcases the resilience, determination, and camaraderie of these teenage athletes, shedding light on their struggles against misogyny, racism, eating disorders, and toxic relationships. With diverse characters and compelling themes, this collection offers a powerful and long-awaited exploration of girls and sports, making it a must-read for all. The anthology features significant content warnings, including racism, misgendering, sexism, misogyny, eating disorders, toxic relationships, and more, while providing representation of POC, queer, and disabled athletes. "Out of Our League" is a valuable addition to any school library's sport fiction collection; however, I'd caution it for middle school readers and suggest high school and older.
#outofourleague
#netgalley
#outofourleague
#netgalley
March 14, 2024
Really loved that this covers girls in all different sports and at all different kinds of levels, playing in different ways and for different reasons.
Some favorites:
*Iacopelli's "Safe at Home" - we don't have enough softball YA stories, and this one is so explicitly for the A League of Their Own (movie) fans
*Sarah Henning's "Better in the Long Run" - the reflections on running as love vs punishment here are so good! And people becoming teammates!
*Maggie Hall's "Sidelined" - I really like stories of people finding different places than they expected in activities they love. Also figuring out if they actually like something!
*"Volley Girl" by Adler - all the growing up feelings.
Some favorites:
*Iacopelli's "Safe at Home" - we don't have enough softball YA stories, and this one is so explicitly for the A League of Their Own (movie) fans
*Sarah Henning's "Better in the Long Run" - the reflections on running as love vs punishment here are so good! And people becoming teammates!
*Maggie Hall's "Sidelined" - I really like stories of people finding different places than they expected in activities they love. Also figuring out if they actually like something!
*"Volley Girl" by Adler - all the growing up feelings.
April 5, 2024
This is an excellent anthology featuring all kinds of girls: girls in wheelchairs, transgirls, brown girls, girls struggling with eating disorders, strong girls, fast girls, and all of them are incredible. These girls also play all kinds of sports: tennis, rock climbing, football, running, cheer, basketball, softball, and more. There is a story for anybody who plays sports, and for people who don't play sports. There is a story in this anthology for anybody who has ever had to overcome any challenge.
I loved this. You don't have to love sports to love this, but I think as there are so few stories about girls and sports for our teens, this is a much-needed book. It was fantastic. Every voice felt authentic, and I wanted to befriend every girl in this book. I can't wait to recommend it to our teens.
I loved this. You don't have to love sports to love this, but I think as there are so few stories about girls and sports for our teens, this is a much-needed book. It was fantastic. Every voice felt authentic, and I wanted to befriend every girl in this book. I can't wait to recommend it to our teens.
February 6, 2026
'Out of Our League' is a YA anthology of sports stories focused on amplifying the female voice in sport. Like all anthologies some of the short stories were great and some were really lacking in depth. I found that the stories in the beginning were the most original and stood apart from the rest, and I don't know if it was because the stories tended to be repetitive but by the end of the I thought I would hear the same stories repeated.
Just like the stories some narrators were better than others but it was greatly appreciated having a different narrator for every story and made the storylines stand out from each other.
Overall, the book was great for it's target audience and I actually really enjoyed the read. I would recommend to young women as I thought it had an empowering narrative for young women.
3.5/5
thanks to #netgalley for this audio ARC.
Just like the stories some narrators were better than others but it was greatly appreciated having a different narrator for every story and made the storylines stand out from each other.
Overall, the book was great for it's target audience and I actually really enjoyed the read. I would recommend to young women as I thought it had an empowering narrative for young women.
3.5/5
thanks to #netgalley for this audio ARC.
January 8, 2024
Thank you to Edelweiss for the arc!
Overall, I loved this anthology. My favorites have to be the ice hockey story (obligatory, I love all of Allen's work), softball, and the closing archery story. My least favorite would the boxing one.
As a whole, I liked that the stories had different tones, but they didn't always transition well enough. You'd have an inspiring football story followed by graphic depictions of bulimia one story later. I also wish we didn't have dual pov stories with men when the purpose of the anthology was girls and NBs in sports.
More importantly, I loved the diversity. I loved trans women finding sports that worked where they didn't have to play a gendered side. I loved adaptive sports. And I loved the call outs between stories.
Overall, I loved this anthology. My favorites have to be the ice hockey story (obligatory, I love all of Allen's work), softball, and the closing archery story. My least favorite would the boxing one.
As a whole, I liked that the stories had different tones, but they didn't always transition well enough. You'd have an inspiring football story followed by graphic depictions of bulimia one story later. I also wish we didn't have dual pov stories with men when the purpose of the anthology was girls and NBs in sports.
More importantly, I loved the diversity. I loved trans women finding sports that worked where they didn't have to play a gendered side. I loved adaptive sports. And I loved the call outs between stories.
January 24, 2024
This was a unique compilation, and so unlike anything I normally read, that I probably wouldn’t have picked it up on my own, but I’m glad I did!
This book is comprised of many different stories by many different authors. The only commonality being that they’re stories about girls in sports. Honestly, there wasn’t very much to these stories, and several of them read like excerpts of larger stories, but I appreciated the attention to detail, as most of the stories found a way to connect to another, and each author clearly researched or had a personal connection to the sport they wrote about.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. All opinions are my own.
This book is comprised of many different stories by many different authors. The only commonality being that they’re stories about girls in sports. Honestly, there wasn’t very much to these stories, and several of them read like excerpts of larger stories, but I appreciated the attention to detail, as most of the stories found a way to connect to another, and each author clearly researched or had a personal connection to the sport they wrote about.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. All opinions are my own.
January 29, 2024
This is a phenomenal collection of short stories! I am often frustrated with short stories, since I want more. I could easily have read an entire novel for each one of these, but they were so incredibly complete I didn't need to. There was a fantastic variety of sports represented, including wheelchair tennis. I also loved that the writers refer to each other's characters -- there are cross-story mentions, which ties them together so nicely and makes it feel more real. If i had to pick my favorites, I would say the golf story (since I was on the girls' golf team in high school and I was awful), the hockey story, and the archery story which was the perfect ending. Highly recommended for grades 8 & up, especially high school athletes.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss
April 23, 2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I loved how diverse Out of Our League is, it shows stories about girls from many different backgrounds. I also appreciated how each story was paired with a narrator who matched the character’s background, which added authenticity to the listening experience.
My favourite stories were All For One by Yamile Saied Méndez, 2 Girls Walk Into a Wrestling Match by Naomi Kanakia, and Save the Lead by Cam Montgomery. There were also some stories I enjoyed less, mostly because they didn’t go far enough with their messaging.
The narration throughout the book was excellent. The narrators brought a great deal of emotion and strong cadence to their performances, which made the stories even more engaging.
I loved how diverse Out of Our League is, it shows stories about girls from many different backgrounds. I also appreciated how each story was paired with a narrator who matched the character’s background, which added authenticity to the listening experience.
My favourite stories were All For One by Yamile Saied Méndez, 2 Girls Walk Into a Wrestling Match by Naomi Kanakia, and Save the Lead by Cam Montgomery. There were also some stories I enjoyed less, mostly because they didn’t go far enough with their messaging.
The narration throughout the book was excellent. The narrators brought a great deal of emotion and strong cadence to their performances, which made the stories even more engaging.
July 2, 2023
Content warnings: (across the whole anthology): racism, misgendering, sexism, misogyny, eating disorder, vomit, toxic relationship/gaslighting, references to death of parent, references to death of someone by covid, manipulation, blackmail, ableism. And probably more but I can’t recall them all.
Rep: some POC stories, some queer stories, some of both. Disabled story rep, too.
There were only 2 stories out of 16 in this that I liked.
I was expecting a lot more from this anthology and it just fell really flat for me.
More like 1.5 stars because I really did not like this one at all.
Rep: some POC stories, some queer stories, some of both. Disabled story rep, too.
There were only 2 stories out of 16 in this that I liked.
I was expecting a lot more from this anthology and it just fell really flat for me.
More like 1.5 stars because I really did not like this one at all.
January 24, 2024
This was a unique compilation, and so unlike anything I normally read, that I probably wouldn’t have picked it up on my own, but I’m glad I did!
This book is comprised of many different stories by many different authors. The only commonality being that they’re stories about girls in sports. Honestly, there wasn’t very much to these stories, and several of them read like excerpts of larger stories, but I appreciated the attention to detail, as most of the stories found a way to connect to another, and each author clearly researched or had a personal connection to the sport they wrote about.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. All opinions are my own.
This book is comprised of many different stories by many different authors. The only commonality being that they’re stories about girls in sports. Honestly, there wasn’t very much to these stories, and several of them read like excerpts of larger stories, but I appreciated the attention to detail, as most of the stories found a way to connect to another, and each author clearly researched or had a personal connection to the sport they wrote about.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. All opinions are my own.
January 7, 2025
I loved this compilation of stories. There was so much representation for different sports, different kinds of girls, different passions and issues and characters -- honestly, every time I said "just one more chapter," I kept reading for the next story and the next one.
A few of the short stories stayed in my head and heart longer than others. More than once, I hoped the author would revisit the short story and write a full length novel about the character. It was truly amazing how distinct and full the young women in each of these short stories was, given how few pages a short story really is.
I would recommend this for anyone, regardless of whether or not they like sports.
A few of the short stories stayed in my head and heart longer than others. More than once, I hoped the author would revisit the short story and write a full length novel about the character. It was truly amazing how distinct and full the young women in each of these short stories was, given how few pages a short story really is.
I would recommend this for anyone, regardless of whether or not they like sports.
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