Ball Girl

About the Book

Lisa Patterson is the title character in the sports romance novel "Ball Girl: Sports Scribe in a Skirt." This unique work—parts of which are autobiographical for the principal author—covers the life and pioneering career of a smart, stylish, athletic, cosmopolitan Southern girl who happens to love expressing herself in print, the smell of hot dogs, the sounds of the arena, and attractive men in uniforms. Lisa puts the men she really loves on pedestals. But life isn't always easy. She has to deal with the losses of family members, lovers, many games, and even jobs, but through it all, she keeps pedaling and always manages to look great while she does it. And once in a while, she misses a deadline and comes through unscathed. This book may inspire both sweet and painful emotions, and we hope it will make you laugh a few times. Through it all, Lisa does everything she can to keep things fun and full of humor. And most of the time, she succeeds.

About the Author

M. is a career sports writer who has covered at last count 28 sports, with primary emphases on team sports at the pro, college and high school levels. M. has won five awards as either a conference sports writer of the year or state baseball writer of the year and has been a part of award-winning daily sports sections in two states. M. has attended and written about World Series and Stanley Cup Finals games as well as NCAA Championship finals in basketball, baseball, soccer, track & field, wrestling and field hockey, and has been a poll voter for the Atlantic Coast Conference, both NCAA Division II and Black College football, and the state Associated Press. M. counts about 100 members of various sports halls of fame as friends, and has been a primary beat writer for five teams from high school to major pro sports that won season-ending “cheese stands alone” games. A former college cheerleader and high school cross country runner who has belonged to numerous choirs and choruses, M.’s best sports have been badminton, miniature golf, and shooting – although he was named most improved player at a basketball camp for rising 8th graders. M. is a leading officer in both the local Mensa chapter and the county Democratic party, and - in a major upset - actually did graduate from William & Mary. G. is an outstanding editor who oversees the newsletter of the local Mensa chapter and is quickly climbing the career ladder as software test engineer. An unwavering 4.0 student from kindergarten through a bachelor’s degree from a Historically Black University, G. took exactly five innings to master scoring a baseball game from scratch at age 30. G. attended elementary school with one of the fastest receivers in NFL and Big Ten history, and dons the jersey of a retired fourth-line stalwart who also wore the “A” when attending an NHL game. A one-time decorated high school swimmer who also played saxophone in the band, G. frequently volunteers working with children through Mensa and at the local elementary school. M. and G. are very proud parents of a pre-teen Mensa Girl who specializes in defense.