Finding a Way to Play

Book excerpt: Finding a Way to Play is full of stories about girls and women who have gone to great lengths to play the game of basketball. In this book you will read about:* Early pioneers, such as Senda Berenson, who played despite concerns about risks to their health and femininity* Black and Native American women, such as Shoni Schimmel, who endured racial discrimination as they searched for opportunities to play* Lesbians, such as Brittany Griner, who hid their identities for fear of being denied the chance to play* Women over 50 who ignore aches and pains to rediscover the joys of a childhood passion. Readers will come away with an understanding of the roads women have traveled to bring the game into the future. Those who grew up before Title IX may find themselves or loved ones in the stories of women who kept the earliest flame alive.