Sportswomen Essays List
I got the idea from reading the intro to one of the Best American Essays anthologies to create a list of my favorite sports essays. Since then, I have been collecting essays written by, for, and about sportswomen, particularly adult, competitive sportswomen or adults reflecting on their sports careers.
Here is Sport Stories Press’s list. It’s a work in progress, and we plan to add to it as we collect more essays. Certainly, there are many more essays out there that meet the criteria for this list, so, please post links to those essays in the comments!
Also, check out our lists of book-length fiction and memoirs written by, for, and about adult, competitive sportswomen.
-Anne Greenawalt, Ed.D., Sport Stories Press Editor-in-Chief
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Crane, Mac. “The Shared Language of the Game: Marisa Crane on Trying Out for Pro Basketball.” LitHub.
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Belc, Krys Malcolm. “Back Under The Bar Postpartum — And Post-Transition.” Romper.
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Kasbeer, Sarah. “The Diving Well: The Ten-Meter Platform Is Not for Everyone.” Creative Nonfiction.
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Cox, Jocelyn. “I never made the Olympics as a figure skater. Yes, I’m a little bitter.” Slate.
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Waddle, Victoria. “Learning When to Give Up.” Oldster.
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Baxter, Megan. “On Running.” Creative Nonfiction.
Kwak, Elisabeth. “The Long Game: How Motherhood Bolstered My Confidence as an Athlete.” Backpacker.
Yudkin, Marcia. “I Call It Running.” Next Avenue.
Zimmerman, Edith. “A Former Drinker Asks, Am I Addicted to Running?” Vogue.
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Dressler, Mylene. “End Over End: It’s Never Too Late to Learn a New Sport.” Creative Nonfiction.
Monroy, Liza. “How Wave Riding is Like Writing: Liza Monroy on Surrendering to the Great Unknown.” LitHub.
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Greenawalt, Anne. “You Are a Strong, Brave Girl.” Autofocus.
Hinkle, Pia. “My Inner Critic in Open Water: Is Swimming a Catalina Channel Relay Enough?” Words & Water.
Lloyd, Delia. “Making Friends in Adulthood: Why We Never Leave Seventh Grade.” Invisible City Literary Journal.
Sweeney, Heather. “I Was a College Athlete, I’m Relieved My Teens Chose Different Sports.” Grown and Flown.
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Holland, Eva. “Why We Play: Doing What We Love, Despite the Risks.” SBNation.
Ryan, Eimear. “How Sports Profoundly Shape Us, Even After We Quit.” LitHub.
Have another essay by, for, or about sportswomen that you’ve loved? Post it in a comment! If it meets our mission, we’ll add it to the list.
