A.J. starts sixth grade with a big secret: She is too worried about her family falling apart to care about seeing friends and meeting new teachers. Jump Ball is the coming-of-age story about Adrianna, an athletic, artistic girl forced to grow up early and deal with serious issues. Over the summer, her parents came home drunk one night and had a terrible fight, ending with her dad hitting her mom, knocking her down and leading to a trip to the emergency room. A.J.'s dad was arrested, and the family, which includes her brother and grandfather, didn't see him for months. Her brother took off in the car, got high and crashed. He survived but was sent to rehabilitation. A.J., who always had a strong relationship with her brother and played basketball with him, even thinks about giving up the sport. A.J. must rely on her inner voice and strength to work things out. At times she stumbles, going down the wrong path. She starts to use alcohol and gives up on basketball. She takes her mother for granted, and her grades start to slip. But through court intervention, the help of her beloved grandfather and some counseling, she begins to straighten out. A.J. discovers talents she never realized she had and redevelops her love of sports. She is allowed to live with her father and brother. What does the future hold for Adrianna? Only she knows whether she has the strength to build a better life. In Jump Ball, author Vicki Drewa shows the importance of seeking guidance for life's serious problems. Instead of following a bad path on their own, those in trouble should seek help from someone they trust, whether it's a coach, guidance counselor, family member, religious leader or neighbor. Vicki Drewa grew up in a small town in northeastern Wisconsin. She fit in most when playing sports, starting with summer sports when she was 9. She played basketball from sixth grade through high school and was on the track team from seventh grade through college. Drewa was fortunate to have a coach from junior high through high school who helped keep her focused, showing her she could use her talents to move forward in life. After graduating from college, Drewa coached several teams in her hometown. A few years later, she moved to Chicago and earned a teaching degree. Drewa has been an elementary school teacher since 1999 and continues to coach.

Tells the story of a high school basketball team's season through a series of poems reflecting the feelings of students, their families, teachers, and coaches.

An initial public offering (IPO) is one of the most significant events in corporate life. It follows months, even years of preparation. During the boom years of the late 1990s bull market, IPOs of growth companies captured the imagination and pocketbooks of investors like never before. This book goes behind the scenes to examine the process of an offering from the decision to go public to the procedures of a subsequent equity offering. The book is written from the perspective of an experienced investment banker describing the hows and whys of IPOs and subsequent equity issues. Each aspect of an IPO is illustrated with plenty of international examples pitched alongside relevant academic research to offer a combination of theoretical rigour and practical application. Topics covered are: - the decision to go public - legal and regulatory aspects of an offering; marketing and research - valuation and pricing - allocations of shares to investors - examination of fees and commissions * Global perpective: UK, European and US practices, regulations and examples, and case studies * First hand experience written by an IPO trader with academic rigour * Includes the changes in the market that resulted from 1998-2000 equity boom

A brief introduction to the game of basketball as intended to be played by children.

This easy-to-read guide, filled with illustrations and action photographs, contains everything for the fan and non-fan alike to understand and enjoy the sport of basketball. Each section stands alone, so it can be used as a handy reference guide, and it is so lightweight it can easily be taken to games. The book includes:- The Rules of Basketball Simplified - What to Look For During Play - Statistics Explained - The NBA Draft - The Road to the NCAA Final Four - College Rule Differences - Stars and Great Teams -- Past and Present - A Complete Glossary The popularity of basketball has exploded over the last decade or so. Attendance has doubled and annual merchandise sales are now approaching $3 Billion! Yet many people still do not grasp the basics of the sport. This handy spectator guide will help you better understand the game so you can discover why basketball is America's fastest growing team sport.

This third edition now covers all school age groups from primary to secondary. It shows teachers how to make the switch from using a traditional games teaching approach to a tactical one using detailed unit and lesson plans, a DVD-ROM with video clips, reproducible elements and a standards-linked performance assessment system.

Newly revised and updated, "Webster's II New College Dictionary" contains more than 200,000 definitions, including scientific, technology, and computer terms. 400 line drawings.