About this item
Highlights
- A Library Journal Best Arts & Humanities Book 2022.
- About the Author: S.C. Megale is an adventurer, humanitarian, hockey lover, and author who lives outside Washington, DC, and was first traditionally published at the age of twenty-three.
- 280 Pages
- Sports + Recreation, History
Description
About the Book
A Library Journal Best Arts & Humanities Book 2022. Hockey's Hidden Gods is the incredible true story of the U.S. Paralympic sled hockey team that overcame personal hardships to win gold. The moving stories of the individual players are brought to life this uplifting and littl...Book Synopsis
A Library Journal Best Arts & Humanities Book 2022. Hockey's Hidden Gods is the incredible true story of the U.S. Paralympic sled hockey team that overcame personal hardships to win gold. The moving stories of the individual players are brought to life this uplifting and little-known piece of sports history.
Review Quotes
A great book and story about another miracle: the hard work, dedication, and sacrifices these young men went through to accomplish an incredible goal. The incredible effort individually and collectively that they put together to win their gold medal is a great message for all of us.
The stories told within these pages will capture your heart and challenge you to think differently. From the history of the incredible sport of sled hockey, to the stories of community, taking risks, defining and redefining winning, and the true passion and dedication to overcoming adversity, this book is a true victor's tale. The way the pages flow purposefully together and weave with emotion will leave you wanting more. It is a privilege to have these stories shared, and to experience life through the eyes of those within.
The story of the U.S. Paralympic men's sled (or sledge) hockey team and their miracle performance in 2002 is not a well-known story. Megale (American Boy: The Opioid Crisis and the Sister Left Behind)--whose author bio notes that having genetic and permanent muscular dystrophy gives her a unique perspective on the Paralympics--tells it well and effectively by noting the development of sled hockey and alternating chapters that either give a chronological view of the team or biographically portrays the individual athletes.... In her analysis, winning gold when they were not expected to win any medal at all secured the future of the U.S. sled hockey program. Megale provides a richly detailed account of the U.S. men's sled hockey program and its obstacles and trials (including some self-inflicted ones); it's sure to appeal to fans of triumphant sports stories.
Twenty years ago, it was generally accepted that the U.S. Paralympic sled hockey team was just awful. Winning a medal was not just unlikely but downright inconceivable. That changed in 2002, when Rick Middleton, a former NHL player, signed on to coach the team and led it to winning the gold medal. The subtitle's use of the phrase "miracle on ice" references the 1980 gold-medal Olympic hockey game between Russia and the U.S. (in which a mostly amateur U.S. team defeated the powerhouse Soviets). Applying that phrase to the paralympic sled-hockey team's triumph in 2002 is entirely apt; this story, like that one, is a classic triumph-over-adversity saga. It wasn't the players' physical limitations that kept them from succeeding; it was their lack of training and cohesion as a team. This well-told account of how they overcame those obstacles is a sports story that transcends athletics. Inspirational can be an overused adjective, but not this time.
About the Author
S.C. Megale is an adventurer, humanitarian, hockey lover, and author who lives outside Washington, DC, and was first traditionally published at the age of twenty-three. A prolific writer, Megale has been profiled by the Washington Post, USA Today, and the Today Show, among others. Megale's genetic and permanent muscular dystrophy lends a unique perspective to Hockey's Hidden Gods few other authors can match. For more information, please visit www.scmegale.com.
