Sports Stories for 6th Grade and Above Readers

Alex had been running track for two years, but he had never won a race. His friend Jan was the fastest kid in school. She made it look easy. On the day of the big meet, Alex lined up at the start. His legs felt heavy. The gun went off. Alex pushed hard from the first step. He could hear feet pounding behind him. Jan was in the lane next to him, already ahead. Alex kept his eyes on the finish line. His lungs burned. His arms pumped. With ten steps left, he found something extra. He leaned forward and crossed the line. He did not win. Jan beat him by two steps. But when Alex looked at the clock, he saw his best time ever. Jan ran over and hugged him. "You were so close," she said. Alex was breathing hard, but he was smiling. He had not won the race, but he had beaten himself. That was enough.

Alex and her friend Lee played on the same basketball team. They had been losing all season. The last game of the year was against the best team in the league. No one expected them to win. Alex dribbled the ball up the court. Lee set a screen. Alex drove to the basket and scored. The crowd cheered. Lee stole the ball on the next play and passed it to Alex. She hit a long shot. They were ahead. The other team came back strong. With one minute left, the score was tied. Lee had the ball. He looked at Alex. She was open. He passed it. Alex caught the ball, took a breath, and shot. The ball spun through the air. It hit the rim, bounced once, and went in. The buzzer sounded. They had won. Alex and Lee jumped into each other's arms. The whole team piled on. It was the best moment of the season.

Alex had always wanted to swim across the lake near her house. It was a long way, almost a mile. Her friend Max said he would follow her in a boat just in case. On a calm morning in June, Alex waded into the water. It was cold at first, but she got used to it. She started with long, steady strokes. Max paddled beside her. The far shore looked so far away. Alex kept her head down and counted her strokes. After a while, her arms started to ache. She rolled onto her back and floated for a minute. "You are halfway there," Max called. Alex flipped over and kept going. The last stretch was the hardest. Her body was tired, but she refused to stop. When her hand hit the sand on the far side, she stood up and raised her fists. Max cheered from the boat. Alex sat on the bank, dripping and spent. She had done it.