Jackie Robinson Was a Hero in More Ways Than One…
Jackie Robinson’s family had little money, but they understood the value of education. In high school, Jackie became a star athlete in several sports. He earned a scholarship to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). At UCLA, Jackie played baseball, football, basketball, and track. His worst sport was baseball, but he didn’t give up, and baseball became the sport that made him famous.
When Robinson was a young man, African Americans were not allowed to play major league baseball. So, it took courage for Jackie Robinson to break the “color barrier” in 1947. That’s when he become the first African American to play major league baseball since 1880.
As a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie Robinson became a hall-of-fame player. And in 1997, his uniform number, 42, was retired by every major league team. He was the first pro athlete in any sport to be honored in that way. Jackie Robinson was a great athlete, but the courage and determination he showed — both on the field and off — made him a star in an even more important game: the game of life.
Jackie Robinson Didn’t Give Up. Here Some More Quotes by People Who Understood That It Pays to Keep Trying.
“Tough times never last but tough people do.”
Robert Schuller
“We could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world.”
Helen Keller
“When God shuts a door, He opens a window.”
John Ruskin
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is to always try just one more time.”
Thomas Edison
“Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.”
Babe Ruth
About Brooklyn, New York
It’s a Fact: Jackie Robinson played for a major league baseball team called the Brooklyn Dodgers. After he retired, the team moved to Los Angeles.
It’s a Fact: Brooklyn is a part of New York City. New York is made up of five separate areas called boroughs. Brooklyn is the most populated borough. Over two and a half million people live there. That means that the borough of Brooklyn has as many people as America’s third-largest city: Chicago.
It’s a Fact: The Brooklyn Bridge, which was finished in 1883, is the most famous bridge in New York. It connects the boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan.
It’s a Fact: Coney Island, which is a neighborhood in Brooklyn, is famous for its amusements parks and beaches.
Fun Fact: Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. In fact, it’s bigger than all the other planets put together.
Fun Fact: The largest freshwater lake in the world is Lake Superior, which is in the United States and Canada.
Fun Fact: The biggest river in America is the Mississippi.
Fun Fact: One meter is slightly more than 39 inches, which means it’s longer than a yard. A yard, by the way is 36 inches, which is the same as three feet.
Just for fun,
Jackie Robinson played four sports in college. Which sport was his worst?
Brooklyn is part of a bigger city. What's the name of that city.
Which planet is larger: Jupiter or Saturn?
Which is longer: a meter or a yard?
If you have time, you can write a story of your own.
Here are a couple of story ideas you can choose from.
You can write about the life of Jackie Robinson: his talents, his accomplishments, and his courage.
Or
You can write about what Jackie Robinson’s life means to you. What lessons can you learn from his story.
To help you write a great story, we have some helpful hints and timely tips.
Check out “10 Tips for Writing Better Essays.”
Here's a riddle for you:
How do baseball players stay cool?
For fun-to-read books about a girl detective who homeschools on a train... check out The Mystery Ryders, a series from the creators of the Homeschool Express.
