Review: Out of Our League Edited by Dahlia Adler and Jennifer Iacopelli

Out of Our League
Edited by Dahlia Adler and Jennifer Iacopelli
Feiwel & Friends
Published January 23, 2024

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About Out of Our League

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.

My Review

The last time I reviewed an anthology, I took a new approach, in which I grouped the stories by topic and wrote a couple sentences evaluating each one. I’m going to do that again here so you can see who’s in the anthology and which stories I found to be its highlights.

One thing that this anthology does that was fun to notice is that each story contains connections to other stories within the collection. Like, a character from one story might be mentioned in another one. One story shows the filming of a documentary, and characters in another story reference watching that film. It creates an overall sense of these things happening in a world together, which I thought was really clever.

Overall, I found the stories to be kind of hit or miss with me. Some of them were so good I wished they were full novels. Others didn’t resonate so much. Here is a quick impression for each story in the collection.

The Power of a Support System

Safe at Home by Jennifer Iacopelli – Sisters competing against one another in a championship softball game. I love sister stories, and this is a great angle to mine the complexities of those relationships. This one packs a lot of thought into a few pages. Definitely enjoyed.

Power Ten in Two by Leah Henderson – This is another story where I wish there had been more time to get to know the characters and really watch the conflicts and changes play out. I love the idea of it. It’s about a very competitive girl whose drive isolates her from her teammates and an unusual object lesson her coach puts her through to teach her the value of operating as a team.

All for One by Yamile Saied Méndez – This story follows a girl experiencing disordered eating. She wrestles with a lot of guilt and shame and shows up for her cheerleading team, trying desperately to keep everything together. The story shows a lot of depth and compassion while acknowledging the danger and harmfulness of those behaviors and the importance of a support system.

Relationships in Sports

#GOALS by Amparo Ortiz – I like that this one highlights that all kinds of girls play sports, and you don’t have to be the best for your interest to matter. I appreciate the focus it brings to the pain of a breakup and the value in being your true self, even when that doesn’t fit into the box someone creates for you.

Sidelined by Maggie Hall – This one might be my favorite. I think it also uses flashbacks most successfully. I love the way it captures the evolution of the relationship between Oliver and Lexie and sets up the turning point of the story. We also see a girl who, despite her status as a rising basketball star, deeply loves football.

Bunker Buddies by Sarah Farizan – I think this story set itself a tall hill to climb. The story begins in a tense moment and immediately flashes back to the setup that led the character to that situation. The flashback explained the character’s feelings but wasn’t particularly endearing. The relationship between the main character and her opponent in the golf match is the most compelling thing about the story. The end of their match contains a sweet moment that careful readers will find referenced later in another story.

Save the Lead by Cam Montgomery – I know nothing about sport climbing, so it was fun to read this one even simply to learn a little more about it. I loved the relationship between Pilar and Pavel. I also loved the way that it impacted each of them without dominating their connection to their sport.

Issues in Sports

Two Girls Walk Into a Wrestling Match by Noomi Kanakia – Some stories in the collection highlight the power of friendship and camaraderie between girls in sports. This one explores the discomfort and harm that withholding acceptance does to fellow players. A transgender girl waits for her match to be called at a wrestling meet, and not everyone welcomes her.

No Love Lost by Kayla Whaley – I really like the concept of this one. It’s written like the transcript of a documentary, so it has an unusual look on the page, and the emphasis on what people say brings the characters into sharp focus. The story covers a lot of ground in a few pages, and I wonder if that dilutes the power of its message. At the core of the piece, two girls have an unresolved conflict over something that happened a year ago. They revisit the conflict in an argument and explore the ramifications of the decisions that the star tennis athlete made at that time. It’s an interesting conversation that raises some good points about disability representation in sports. It felt like an odd use of the documentary-style storytelling format, though.

Three Minutes by Aminah Mae Safi – I didn’t connect with this story as much as I hoped to. While I think it brings focus to an interesting part of boxing competition, I felt like I kept waiting for the actual story to begin. I wanted to know why she fired her coach, but we never really explore that or what she changed about her training or diet. It was interesting to think about the parts of boxing that happen outside the ring, though.

Fall in Love with Sports

Better in the Long Run by Sarah Henning – A girl in love with cross country shares her enthusiasm with a boy who got roped into the team as a punishment. I liked the back-and-forth between the two characters. The story shows a lot of growth for them.

Woman Land by Monica Kenneally – I love that this collection includes a story about girls in powerlifting. It’s a fun one, too, that shows a girl taking a risk on something she feels intimidated by and finding a new source of joy and personal pride.

Bunker Buddies by Sarah Farizan – I think this story set itself a tall hill to climb. The story begins in a tense moment and immediately flashes back to offer readers the setup that led the character to that situation. The flashback explained the character’s feelings, but wasn’t particularly endearing. The relationship between the main character and her opponent in the golf match is the most compelling thing about the story. Instead of further embarrassing or poking fun at her, the younger girl is kind and offers help. In exchange, the main character offers her friendship, something that matters a lot to the younger girl. The end of their match contains a sweet moment that careful readers will find referenced later in a another story.

Sports Camp

Kylie with an I by Carrie S. Allen – This one was excellent. A girl who has only ever had boys as hockey teammates attends an elite camp for girls in preparation for a huge championship. She has to reckon with internalized ideas about women in the sport and her expectations of herself and other players. She quickly realizes she’s got some work to do. This is another story that packs a lot into a few pages and does it so well.

One on One by Juliana Goodman – I have mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, I love that it explores the complexity of romance within a basketball team. On the other hand, I wish it had addressed the cheating aspect more fully. I know sometimes in real life, people get away with things, so it’s not unrealistic. It was nice to see a win for love, though.

Valley Girl by Dahlia Adler – I love the way this celebrates summer camp and how playing a sport together, even if it’s not something we’re good at, brings people together. Definitely a feel-good story that had me smiling.

Anchor Points by Marieke Nijkamp – The collection ended on a really strong note with this story. It’s about two people who’ve grown up loving archery and attending an archery camp. We get to see the impact that the sport has had on their lives and the value of the friendship they’ve formed, even if it took years to come to fruition.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Stories include a diverse cast of characters in terms of race, identity, sexual orientation, and disability. One character has disordered eating.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some stories contain swearing and the f-bomb.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a girl and nonbinary person.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
One story shows an athlete who gets an injury. Another shows an athlete who engages in bingeing/purging.

Drug Content
None.

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