June 2023 MBR The Sports Shelf

The Sports Shelf

Play Pickleball
Sydney Steinaker
Rock Point
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9781631069406, $16.99, HC, 160pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/play-pickleball-sydney-steinaker/1142514929

Synopsis: Pickleball is an indoor or outdoor racket/paddle sport where two players (singles), or four players (doubles), hit a perforated hollow plastic ball over a 36-inch-high (0.91 m) net using solid-faced paddles. Opponents on either side of the net hit the ball back and forth until one side commits a rule infraction. Pickleball was invented in 1965 as a children's backyard game on Bainbridge Island, Washington, United States. In 2022, pickleball was adopted as the official state sport of Washington and is currently the fastest growing sport in America.

Now with the publication of "Play Pickleball: From the Local Court to the Pro Circuit, An Insider's Guide to Everyone's Favorite Sport" by Sydney Steinaker, you can learn the ins and outs of the sport that is taking the world by storm.

Pickleball insider Sydney Steinaker travels all over the country playing the sport, and in this guide, in her instructional guide she takes you on a journey through the pickle-dome, from the amateur scene and casual play, to leagues and pro-level tournaments.

Critique: Exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'player friendly' in organization and presentation, "Play Pickleball: From the Local Court to the Pro Circuit, An Insider's Guide to Everyone's Favorite Sport" is a handsomely designed 'how-to' guide for beginner as well as experienced players, and covers: The different types of paddles and equipment; The rules of play; Pickle terminology and etiquette; Game strategies and techniques; Advice from some of the biggest pros on the scene -- and so much more! While highly recommended as a core addition to family, school, community, and academic library Contemporary Sports/Athletics collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of aspiring and practicing Pickleball players that "Play Pickelball" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Sydney Steinaker is an amateur pickleball player and content creator. She began playing pickleball in October 2020 as a beginner and quickly became determined to become the best player she could be. Follow her pickleball adventures as an amateur in one the fastest growing sports in world on TikTok and Instagram @sydneysteinaker. She has a YouTube website at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO1vW7UrZBIq0_ILigv8MHw

Pittsburgh's Historic Ballparks
Mark T. Faila
Arcadia Publishing
www.arcadiapublishing.com
9781467109109, $23.99, PB, 128pp

https://www.amazon.com/Pittsburghs-Historic-Ballparks-Images-Baseball/dp/146710910X

Synopsis: Pittsburgh has an incredible baseball history filled with great players, teams, and historic moments, but few realize that Pittsburgh has often been in the lead in ballpark design and development.

Showcased in "Pittsburgh's Historic Ballparks" by Mark T. Faila, yesteryear photographs chronicle the nine ballparks that hosted major league baseball in Pittsburgh between 1876 and the present, including the Negro Leagues. Here are the design and construction phases, the major changes as parks expanded and aged, and eventually, their demolition.

Here also are the monuments, details, and the surrounding neighborhoods that became part of the fan experience, along with rare glimpses of behind-the-scenes areas. The great players, teams, and moments are not the focus.

While there are many other books to tell their individual stories. Here in the pages of "Pittsburgh's Historic Ballparks", those players, teams, and moments are seen only as they illustrate the look and condition of the ballparks themselves.

Critique: A fascinating and informative read replete with historic black/white photographs, "Pittsburgh's Historic Ballparks" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Sports History collections in general, and the personal reading lists of dedicated Pittsburgh baseball fans in particular.

Editorial Note: Mark T. Fatla (https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467109109) is a local writer and lifelong baseball fan searched a wide variety of sources for photographs to illustrate this history, including team archives, museums, newspapers, and private collections. Included are rarely seen images and several that have never been published, providing a unique perspective on the rich history of Pittsburgh's ballparks.

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