Return to Matt Tavares page for Roslyn Elementary School

It’s 1976 and on Friday nights in Wilkins, Indiana, it seems like everyone in town shows up to cheer on the boys’ basketball team. Cars fill the parking lot and fans pack the gymnasium for every home game.

Most people don’t know it, but Wilkins actually has more than one basketball team. And what the newly formed girls’ team lacks in resources they more than make up for with grit and ball skill. But teammates Judi, Cindy, and Lisa aren’t satisfied with being treated as an afterthought to the boys. They want equal access to the gym for practices and games, as well as uniforms, transportation to away games, and everything else the boys get.

What will it take for the girls’ team to be recognized by their community–winning games, packing arenas, bringing home a state championship?

Matt Tavares, inspired by a real-life team, has crafted a story of heart and determination for a new generation of readers, athletes and sports activists.