PRAY BALL 2!! Spiritual Insights Into Sportsmanship is the second book in the PRAY BALL! series and is the first in a series of books that each highlight a specific, key value in the world of sports, and provides valuable lessons from Jewish tradition and history about this value.  Divided into 30 easy-to-read chapters, the book explores such topics as: (1) Rabbi Gordon’s Four Levels of Sportsmanship; (2) Enforcing Sportsmanship; (3) The Causes of and How to Prevent Bad Sportsmanship; and (4) Sportsmanship Awards and Inspirational Quotes.

Sports figures used to illustrate (positive) aspects of sportsmanship (more than 150), include: Michael Jordan, Bill Walton, Coach John Wooden, Sandy Koufax, Mickey Mantle/Roger Maris, Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, sisters Serena and Venus Williams, and collegiate softball players Sara Tucholsky and Mallory Holtman. Rabbi Gordon includes stories from all levels of competition, from youth sports to top-tiered professional competition. Figures in Jewish history cited in this book (more than 150) include: Biblical heroes Abraham and Sara, King David and Jonathan; Talmudic figures Rahbi Akiva , his students and his wife Rachel; Sages Hillel and Shammai , and Nachum Ish Gamzu ; and such heroes from modern Jewish history as Anne Frank, Professor Nechama Leibowitz and Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook. Not afraid to take on controversial topics, the author examines the challenges that brain injuries bring to life after sports, and how sports is compromised by the use of illegal steroids and other PEDs. 

Written especially for sports fans and athletes (boys, girls, men & women) of all ages (12–120), in addition to being an attractive gift item, this book is intended to be used as a textbook /curriculum for youth sports programs in Jewish schools (physical education courses, team sports and intramural competitions), youth groups, summer camps and Jewish Community Centers (year-round and Maccabi competitions).

Proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the Team Spirit Institute (TSI), a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation/organization, and will be used to help fund the creation/implementation of supplemental educational materials and future books in these series. 

PRAY BALL 2!! can also be used as a fundraising gift item for Jewish organizations.

If your school or organization is interested in incorporating PRAY BALL 2!! into its curriculum or for further information please contact the author at: RabbiGordon@TeamSpiritInstitute.org / 847.987.7876.