In2010twentyAmericanwomenwereselectedtorepresentTeamUSAinthefourthWomen’sBaseballWorldCupinCaracas,Venezuela;mostAmericans,however,hadnoideasuchateamevenexisted.AGameofTheirOwnchroniclesthelargelyinvisiblehistoryofwomeninbaseballandoffersanaccountofthe2010Women’sWorldCuptournament.JenniferRingincludesoralhistoriesofelevenmembersoftheU.S.Women’sNationalTeam,fromthemomenteachplayerpickedupabatandballasayounggirltoherselectionforTeamUSA.Eachstoryisunique,buttheysharecommonthemesthatwillresonatewithyoungfemaleplayersandfansalike:facingskepticismandtauntsfromplayersandparentswhentakingthebatter’sboxorthepitcher’smound,self-doubt,theunceasingpressuretoswitchtosoftball,andeventualacceptancebytheirbaseballteammatesastheyprovethemselvesasballplayers.Theseracially,culturally,andeconomicallydiverseplayersfromacrossthecountryhaveignoredthemessagethattheirloveofthenationalpastimeis“wrong.“Theirstoriescomealiveastheyrecounttheirbattlesandmostmemorablemomentsplayingbaseball--thejoysofexceedingexpectationsandthepleasureofhoningbaseballskillsandtalentdespitethelackofsupport.Withexclusiveinterviewswithplayers,coaches,andadministrators,AGameofTheirOwncelebratestheU.S.Women’sNationalTeamandtheexcellenceofitsremarkableplayers.Inresponsetothejeer“Nogirlsallowed!“thesearepowerfulstoriesofoptimism,feistiness,andstayingtruetooneself.
