‘Pride’ a lesson in girl’s courage

“SOME KIND OF PRIDE,” by Maria Testa, Delacorte Press, New York, 2001, 117 pages, $14.95.

“Some Kind of Pride” is a riveting sports story by a lifelong baseball fan and so much more. It’s a must-read for anyone who is, is on the verge of becoming, has been or loves a preteen girl. In the protagonist, Ruth, Testa has exquisitely captured the often bittersweet and tempestuous nature of being 11, an age when physical and psychological transformation can combine with changed responsibilities and expectations to throw one’s world temporarily into chaos.

A star shortstop, Ruth is working toward becoming a major-league baseball player. Passion and persistence are helping her develop her natural talent. In fact, a reporter from Sports Illustrated is coming to her small Maine town to write a feature story about her. On the surface, it seems like she should be on top of the world.

But there’s a lot going on beneath the surface. For one thing, Ruth has suddenly begun to really miss her mom, a firefighter who died in the line of duty when Ruth was three. She also has discovered that some people considered that career choice wrong for a mother of three young children.

And then there’s Ruth’s father, Tony. Baseball has always kept their relationship simple and easy. But one day before a game, when someone praises Ruth to him she overhears Tony respond, “I know. Real major-league talent. But I can’t help thinking what a shame it is that it’s all wasted in a girl.”

In a poignant scene, Tony comes into Ruth’s room to find out why she’s in a funk. She suggests that she might be outgrowing baseball. He replies that she doesn’t have to play or even like the sport.

While maintaining a calm facade, Ruth rages inwardly. “He’d gotten it all wrong. I wanted him to yell at me, to tell me that I had to play baseball, that it was a family tradition and I was a part of it. I wanted him to scream at the top his lungs that I was too good to quit.”

Even Ruth’s conversations with Ross, the sportswriter, quickly get out of control. Prepared to talk about sports, she’s floored when he asks her personal questions. When he wonders what she’d be without baseball, she replies that she’d be nothing special at all.

Testa had several sources of inspiration for “Some Kind Of Pride.” She grew up playing baseball and rooting with her Rhode Island family for the Yankees. “I loved the sport and its history. It was so much a part of my childhood.”

A few years ago, she began to read and research, finding the age of 11 was crucial in molding a young woman’s identity. “Many girls are confident at 11 and confused at 14. It’s a turning point. If they can make it through that year they can come through.”

Moving to Maine and watching Cindy Blodgett play basketball, Testa began to ponder the role of an exceptionally gifted female athlete in a small town. “I was blown away by the absolute talent of this little girl. Her story always played in the back of my head.”

What Testa enjoyed most about writing “Some Kind of Pride” was being able to create a female athlete, who had great talent and enjoyed the respect and admiration of her peers. She’d like young readers to, “get the feeling of holding on to the dream.”

Testa’s advice to parents is, “Your child’s passions can be very real. They need to be encouraged and nurtured.”