YA Books For Sports Fans 

Do you love watching sports? Are cozy Sundays watching football your thing? Or, do you dream of summer days where baseball is the norm? Maybe you prefer the Olympics and cheering on your country. It doesn’t matter which sports you love because we’ve got a story for you. Let us know if you have other sports books that you recommend!

1. Throw Like a Girl by Sarah Henning

The description of this book hooked us immediately. Liv Rodinsky made one mistake and it cost her the scholarship from her private school and her softball team. As she tries to navigate public school, Grey Worthington, son of the softball coach who doesn’t think she’s a team player, offers her an opportunity. Liv can play Quarterback for the football team and prove she can be a team player. Only, it’s not easy being the first female on the team and some of the guys can’t accept it. If you like football, badass female characters and a sweet romance, Throw Like A Girl is for you!

2. Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross

Annie Lucas’s life changes in the blink of an eye when her dad gets offered the pitching coach position for the KC Royals. But, it’s hard to fall for the hot rookie pitcher, Jason Brody, when your dad is his coach. Except, he’s always at the house and Annie can’t get him out of her head.

Whatever Life Throws at You is perfect for MLB fans. Annie goes to a lot of the games and gets to watch with all the player’s kids. However, Brody isn’t the only athlete. Annie is a track star determined to make the state championships. This is one of our favorite YA romances.

3. The Boyfriend League by Rachel Hawthorne

When Dani’s family agrees to host a pitcher from a summer league, she’s thrilled. As the family’s resident tomboy and baseball lover, she’s never been interested in romance. But when her best friend convinces her to pitch (ha! get it…?) the idea of hosting a player for the summer to her family, she can’t turn it down. After all, she’s dying to bond with someone over baseball…and the summer league is full of potential boyfriends. Her parents agree on one condition: no dating her new house guest. If only her family’s player, Jason, weren’t so swoonworthy. 

The Boyfriend League is an oldie but a goody! We read it back in the day and it still holds a nostalgic place in our heart. Dani is full of baseball knowledge and we loved her enthusiasm for the sport. Jason is a gifted pitcher, and we loved seeing them bond over their mutual love for baseball. If you’re looking for a light-hearted summer baseball read, this is the book for you!

4. On Thin Ice by Julie Cross

Claire never wanted to return to Juniper Falls. She has to take care of her dad though and that means seeing everyone she left behind. The night before she moved away, Claire and Tate Tanley shared a secret. Then, they didn’t speak for a year. He’s changed a lot too. He’s now the varsity hockey goalie and turned into a hottie, But, Claire wants to lay low and go back to her performing arts school.

Claire and Tate have a great relationship. This town is completely obsessed with hockey and Clare doesn’t buy into that. Tate loves hockey, yet the pressure from everyone takes away from it. It’s more than just a sweet love story. Both Claire and Tate have dark secrets and need each other to overcome them.

5. Off the Ice by Julie Cross

We’re back in the world of Juniper Falls. This time Tate’s friend Jake is the star of the book. Jake Hammond, aka the Prince of Juniper Falls, is the star of the hockey team and destined for greatness. He hasn’t had time for relationships or any distractions from his goal to go pro. Brooke moved to Juniper Falls and she doesn’t know how to fit in until she signs up for the new girls high school hockey team. Hockey has always only been for the guys by the time high school rolls around, but Brooke is determined to learn and be part of a real team.

We loved that Broke played hockey. It’s such a typical trope for bad boy hockey players to fall for the beautiful good girl. Not Brooke! She’s tough, tenacious and ready to show Juniper Falls that it’s time to support these badass ladies. 

6. Break the Fall by Jennifer Iacopelli 

Break the Fall was our book club pick last month– and it did not disappoint. The book follows elite gymnast Audrey Lee and her teammates on the U.S. Olympic team as they strive to overcome personal hardships and win gold for the U.S. in Tokyo. The book delves into the grueling training and harsh realities of elite gymnasts. Iacopelli gives the reader an inside look into the lives of elite gymnasts and their Olympic experiences. It was such a realistic take on the sport! 

If you’re sad that the Olympics were postponed, then this is the perfect read. Plus, we just learned that Iacopelli has a book about Olympic Figure Skating out in time for the 2022 winter Olympics!

7. On the Fence by Kasie West

On the Fence is one of West’s original books. When Charlie Reynolds, a tomboy, gets a speeding ticket one summer, her dad makes her get a job to pay it off. She starts working at a boutique despite having zero knowledge of fashion and makeup. But all she wants to do is spend all her time playing sports with her brothers and their friend, next door neighbor and hottie, Braden Lewis. Charlie plays many sports with her brothers and friends. Together they typically play football, but Charlie is also on her school’s basketball and soccer teams!

In this book, Charlie has to balance her new double life and try to figure out who she is….while falling for Braden along the way.  We enjoyed this sporty romance and it definitely is one of West’s more popular reads for its lighthearted nature. 

8. Beautiful Broken Hearts by Kami Garcia 

Star soccer player Peyton Rios has just received an offer from her first-choice college. But when she uncovers her boyfriend’s dark secret, she confronts him– falling down the stairs in the process and injuring her knee. Speculation circulates around the school as to whether she fell or was pushed. To escape the noise, Peyton goes to stay with her uncle in a small Tennessee town to recover physically and mentally. While there, she meets the sweet and hunky Owen Law– who she definitely should stay away from. 

We’ve yet to read this book, but the plot is drawing us in! We’re definitely adding it to our TBR list. Garcia is an excellent YA author, and we love reading books about soccer. She’s The Man is one of our favorite movies, after all. Let us know if you’ve read this in the comments below! 

9. We Are the Wildcats by Siobhan Vivian 

Everyone at West Essex High School wants to be a varsity field hockey player. The football and basketball players never win championships. But their coach is tough and only 20 girls make the team every year. Six girls get their dream of playing…but there is a lot of pressure. The team lost in the state championships last year and the coach will do anything to prevent another embarrassment. The night of the team roster going up, the girls have a sleepover. Instead of a cute initiation ritual and a good night sleep, Coach is calling all the shots in hopes of bringing the team together. Except, he’s more manipulative than any of them thought possible. He might unite them after all…against him.

We Are the Wildcats is a great read about a group of badass women taking on their emotional manipulative coach. Each girl deals with her own insecurities resulting from his emotional turmoil. It also delves into the logistics of field hockey, a sport not as discussed in YA books.