Crossing the Line: A Fearless Team of Brothers and the Sport That Changed Their Lives Forever
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-22 11:51:43
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Kareem Rosser
- ISBN：1250270863
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Summary
"A marvelous addition to the literature of inspirational sports stories。" - Booklist （Starred Review）
"This remarkable and inspiring story shines。" - Publishers Weekly （Starred Review）
"Crossing the Line will not just leave you with hope， but also ideas on how to make that hope transferable” - New York Times bestselling author Wes Moore
An inspiring memoir of defying the odds from Kareem Rosser， captain of the first all-black squad to win the National Interscholastic Polo championship。
Born and raised in West Philadelphia， Kareem thought he and his siblings would always be stuck in “The Bottom”， a community and neighborhood devastated by poverty and violence。 Riding their bicycles through Philly’s Fairmount Park， Kareem’s brothers discover a barn full of horses。 Noticing the brothers’ fascination with her misfit animals， Lezlie Hiner， founder of The Work to Ride stables， offers them their escape: an after school job in exchange for riding lessons。
What starts as an accidental discovery turns into a love for horseback riding that leads the Rossers to discovering their passion for polo。 Pursuing the sport with determination and discipline， Kareem earns his place among the typically exclusive players in college， becoming part of the first all-Black national interscholastic polo championship team—all while struggling to keep his family together。
Crossing the Line: A Fearless Team of Brothers and the Sport That Changed Their Lives Forever is the story of bonds of brotherhood， family loyalty， the transformative connection between man and horse， and forging a better future that comes from overcoming impossible odds。
"This remarkable and inspiring story shines。" - Publishers Weekly （Starred Review）
"Crossing the Line will not just leave you with hope， but also ideas on how to make that hope transferable” - New York Times bestselling author Wes Moore
An inspiring memoir of defying the odds from Kareem Rosser， captain of the first all-black squad to win the National Interscholastic Polo championship。
Born and raised in West Philadelphia， Kareem thought he and his siblings would always be stuck in “The Bottom”， a community and neighborhood devastated by poverty and violence。 Riding their bicycles through Philly’s Fairmount Park， Kareem’s brothers discover a barn full of horses。 Noticing the brothers’ fascination with her misfit animals， Lezlie Hiner， founder of The Work to Ride stables， offers them their escape: an after school job in exchange for riding lessons。
What starts as an accidental discovery turns into a love for horseback riding that leads the Rossers to discovering their passion for polo。 Pursuing the sport with determination and discipline， Kareem earns his place among the typically exclusive players in college， becoming part of the first all-Black national interscholastic polo championship team—all while struggling to keep his family together。
Crossing the Line: A Fearless Team of Brothers and the Sport That Changed Their Lives Forever is the story of bonds of brotherhood， family loyalty， the transformative connection between man and horse， and forging a better future that comes from overcoming impossible odds。
Reviews
Amelia Wall Warner
，
This story is a must read。 This amazing young man from West Philadelphia had his life forever changed by the Work to Ride program in Fairmount Park。 It is inspiring， heartbreaking， and hopeful。 A must read！
Scottie
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Loved everything about this。。。how to dance with the choices one does have and the choices one doesn’t。 This blends a good animal story and a coming of age tale。 Communion & therapy。
Jean
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Quick read。 Heart touching real story。
Amy
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Through a convoluted small-world kind of conversation with a good friend of a former student， I first learned about this polo team in Philadelphia。 Thanks to a social media post by that same friend of a former student， I became aware of this book: Crossing the Line: A Fearless Team of Brothers and the Sport That Changed Their Lives Forever。 I could hardly wait for the book to arrive and started reading it immediately。 I finished the book in 2 sittings over a 20-hour period。 I enjoyed the author' Through a convoluted small-world kind of conversation with a good friend of a former student， I first learned about this polo team in Philadelphia。 Thanks to a social media post by that same friend of a former student， I became aware of this book: Crossing the Line: A Fearless Team of Brothers and the Sport That Changed Their Lives Forever。 I could hardly wait for the book to arrive and started reading it immediately。 I finished the book in 2 sittings over a 20-hour period。 I enjoyed the author's writing style。 I found his story captivating and interesting。 I learned things about the sport of polo， horse behavior， and the challenges of growing up in western Philly that I had never been exposed to。Most importantly， I am in total awe of how one woman changed the trajectory of so many other's lives。 。。。more
Ellen
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Horses。 They do so much for us。 They teach， console， giving their rider a taste of the wind and freedom。 This book is how a run down stable in Philadelphia became a lifeline out of the "Bottoms"for one such boy via that most elite of equestrian sports， polo。 The book doesn't sugar coat much。 His mom's a functioning addict。 Kareem's older brothers fall prey to the streets and end in jail。 A book that is deceptively easy to read and yet touched this rider's soul。 Horses。 They do so much for us。 They teach， console， giving their rider a taste of the wind and freedom。 This book is how a run down stable in Philadelphia became a lifeline out of the "Bottoms"for one such boy via that most elite of equestrian sports， polo。 The book doesn't sugar coat much。 His mom's a functioning addict。 Kareem's older brothers fall prey to the streets and end in jail。 A book that is deceptively easy to read and yet touched this rider's soul。 。。。more
Katie
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Such a hard book to talk about。 On the one hand it was so inspiring and heartwarming to read about a kid connecting with horses and changing the course of his family's history。 But other the other hand， it was so heartbreaking to read about all the people stuck in cycles of poverty， violence， and crime。 How gun violence and addict parents are just a normal part of life for kids all over our country。 How prison is more likely for those kids than college。 And as inspirational as Rosser's story is， Such a hard book to talk about。 On the one hand it was so inspiring and heartwarming to read about a kid connecting with horses and changing the course of his family's history。 But other the other hand， it was so heartbreaking to read about all the people stuck in cycles of poverty， violence， and crime。 How gun violence and addict parents are just a normal part of life for kids all over our country。 How prison is more likely for those kids than college。 And as inspirational as Rosser's story is， at the end he feels so lost and confused， knowing that everything he did didn't really change anything。 His best friend was still shot in her home， his brother still killed on the street， his other brother still in prison， his mama still using。 He saved himself， but couldn't save his family。 So many mixed emotions in here。I loved reading about inner-city polo。 I wasn't completely unfamiliar with the concept of horses in Philly， having encountered a MG book about it before， but I certainly wasn't aware that there were work to play polo teams。 I didn't even really know polo existed in America。 But Rosser was so ALL IN。 I felt， in some ways， to be a kindred spirit with him， because in his passion for polo I recognized my high school self's passion for my own extra-curricular。 Of course I was never as good as him。 And it's always a joy to read about a master write about their craft。 Rosser's story is authentic and meaningful。 He has a strong voice in his writing， you truly feel that you get to know him。 Not only him， but his friends and family as well。 He really brings people and their emotions to life。 This was hard for me， reading about his anxiety and panic attacks， because I found the descriptions vivid enough to trigger my own。 But I also really appreciated how he normalized those feelings。 You can be a big tough DUDE and still have crippling anxiety。 And the way he tackled the lack of mental health care for poor kids。 I loved this book。 Just the right blend of sports memoir， social change commentary， and horse book。 The perfect meeting place for 30-year-old Katie and 1o-year-old-at-heart Katie。 。。。more
Jenny Brower
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Wow。 Remarkable story from a 27 year old。 The world needs more people like Lezlie Hiner and more programs like work to ride。
Sidra
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Great story， well written。 Exactly what I needed to read right now。
Nicky Guidry
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LOVE this easy to read book！ Provides hope！
Caroline Briseno
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Read this in about 2 hours。 As a life long horse person and former college polo player， I loved the intertwined descriptions of the barn life， the power of healing that horses bring to the soul and also the weaving in of the rules of the game into the storyline。 I had heard of Work to Ride many years ago and wow， what an incredible program。 I appreciated the reality that not everyone is magically saved by opportunity when trying to escape such difficulties in surroundings， but also what an incre Read this in about 2 hours。 As a life long horse person and former college polo player， I loved the intertwined descriptions of the barn life， the power of healing that horses bring to the soul and also the weaving in of the rules of the game into the storyline。 I had heard of Work to Ride many years ago and wow， what an incredible program。 I appreciated the reality that not everyone is magically saved by opportunity when trying to escape such difficulties in surroundings， but also what an incredible person Kareem is for all that he has accomplished。 I hope this book serves to bring more awareness to not only Work to Ride， but also the sport of polo and it's current lack of accessibility for many。 Everyone should get a chance to experience the joy of horses and the sport at least once in their life time， no matter where they come from。 。。。more
Judy Santos
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Author’s way of storytelling is so good， I suggest you join NovelStar’s writing competition this April。 If you are interested kindly check this link https://www。facebook。com/104455574751。。。 for the mechanics of the writing contest this April and also， I am sharing your book in Facebook to help reach readers。 Thank you Author’s way of storytelling is so good， I suggest you join NovelStar’s writing competition this April。 If you are interested kindly check this link https://www。facebook。com/104455574751。。。 for the mechanics of the writing contest this April and also， I am sharing your book in Facebook to help reach readers。 Thank you 。。。more
Susan
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Great story and nice to read for an autobiography written in first person。
Jeimy
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You tell me the book is going to be about a fearless team of brothers: I want the book to be a bout a fearless group of brothers。 Instead Rosser offers an autobiography that shows how polo served as his North Star helping to keep his end goal in sight and offering him the mindset to help him reach it。 Yes， his brothers are an important part of his life， but they are absent for what feels like long stretches of the book。I wish the book had offered a bit of Lezlie Hiner's backstory。 The woman was You tell me the book is going to be about a fearless team of brothers: I want the book to be a bout a fearless group of brothers。 Instead Rosser offers an autobiography that shows how polo served as his North Star helping to keep his end goal in sight and offering him the mindset to help him reach it。 Yes， his brothers are an important part of his life， but they are absent for what feels like long stretches of the book。I wish the book had offered a bit of Lezlie Hiner's backstory。 The woman was like a mother to Rosser and his siblings and definitely an emotional anchor to Rosser once he left West Philly and yet readers learn less about her life than we do about Rosser's mother。 The book is based on the author's life。 Life is not perfect; it is messy and does not offer a Hollywood ending， but the book still had too many lose ends for my taste。 。。。more
Dulany Noble
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Put this book on your list of must reads。 The book reads like a novel and you won't want to put it down。 It is tough to read about what these kids went through on the streets of Philadelphia and what they had to do to survive。 A woman with a stable in the inner city with horses and polo saved some of their lives。 Kareem is an inspiration！ Put this book on your list of must reads。 The book reads like a novel and you won't want to put it down。 It is tough to read about what these kids went through on the streets of Philadelphia and what they had to do to survive。 A woman with a stable in the inner city with horses and polo saved some of their lives。 Kareem is an inspiration！ 。。。more
Cris
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I loved this book for so many reasons。 First and foremost， the horses。 Horses have always healed my soul since I was child。 I’ve had the honor of volunteering alongside therapy horses and seen firsthand how they are used to strengthen and heal a variety of issues。Honestly I thought this book was going to have taken place in a far away land not right here in the United States close to my home。 I never knew anything about polo before reading this。I love this book for the grit and honesty from whic I loved this book for so many reasons。 First and foremost， the horses。 Horses have always healed my soul since I was child。 I’ve had the honor of volunteering alongside therapy horses and seen firsthand how they are used to strengthen and heal a variety of issues。Honestly I thought this book was going to have taken place in a far away land not right here in the United States close to my home。 I never knew anything about polo before reading this。I love this book for the grit and honesty from which it’s told。I am thrilled that Kareem is giving back and ensuring “The Barn” will continue to be viable for future generations。I’m in awe of the tenacity and courage of all in the story， and how hard they worked to achieve their dreams！ Bravo！Thank you for sharing your story！ 。。。more
Lauren Cook
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Incredible memoir showcasing resilience， persistence， and character。 Not to mention sales benefit the Work to Ride program based out of Philadelphia。
Lydia Love
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Nearly lost me on page 10 with the reference to his friend as a p*&&y。 But overall this was an inspiring and challenging memoir。
Amada
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Honest， well written and inspiring。 What a memoir should be。
Barbara
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Quick read。 Determination and horses saved this kid from the Philly hood to graduate from college。
Emily
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This book is phenomenal - I could not put it down！ It is so immersive and written with so much heart。 I am so inspired by and happy for Kareem’s success and look forward to following all the great things he， his family， and Work to Ride will accomplish。 I hope this gets made into a movie！
Sharon
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Interesting memoir in a sport that doesn't get a lot of recognition。this was a goodreads giveaway Interesting memoir in a sport that doesn't get a lot of recognition。this was a goodreads giveaway 。。。more
Susan
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I lived Kareem's story。 It was well written， both heart breaking and inspiring。 I lived Kareem's story。 It was well written， both heart breaking and inspiring。 。。。more
Kimberly Brooks
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So so so good！ He is such a great author: not polished， but real， funny， and inspiring。。。And it was a really quick read， it never got too technical with polo rules or history or anything。
Beatriz Aldridge
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Such an incredible story。 He has so much resilience but it is a miracle that he “made it out”。 Heart wrenching stories but his insights throughout and at the end show how he is mature beyond his years。 Great read！
Donna Frasor
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An enjoyable and inspirational memoir about Kareem Rosser， a black youth who grew up in The Bottom， a Philadelphia neighborhood， who pulled himself out of poverty and violence through the elite white man’s sport of polo。 You don’t need any knowledge of the game of polo to become invested in the inner city life of Kareem， his family， and his neighborhood。 The reader learns about his hardships， his weaknesses， his strengths， and successes as he discovers“。。。。it had never been about beating the sys An enjoyable and inspirational memoir about Kareem Rosser， a black youth who grew up in The Bottom， a Philadelphia neighborhood， who pulled himself out of poverty and violence through the elite white man’s sport of polo。 You don’t need any knowledge of the game of polo to become invested in the inner city life of Kareem， his family， and his neighborhood。 The reader learns about his hardships， his weaknesses， his strengths， and successes as he discovers“。。。。it had never been about beating the system; it was all about figuring out how to play the game。” Kudos to Lezlie Hiner， founder of the Work to Ride stables where Kareem fell in love with horses and the sport of polo。 It’s people like her that need to be recognized as they offer positive opportunities for change。 。。。more
Laura
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I listened to the audiobook of this
Stephanie
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Fully understand why this got great reviews; think it would make for good book club fodder， wish I'd read it in a group。 I got it from the Libro。Fm educators ARCs for free， thinking 'I'm interested in kids and horses but polo？？' Y'all this book almost has me interested in polo！ Kareem shares a lot of himself and his family life - I appreciate that this memoir is so much more than a stereotypical "sports saved my life" story。 I especially loved K's inclusion of and discussion about his mental hea Fully understand why this got great reviews; think it would make for good book club fodder， wish I'd read it in a group。 I got it from the Libro。Fm educators ARCs for free， thinking 'I'm interested in kids and horses but polo？？' Y'all this book almost has me interested in polo！ Kareem shares a lot of himself and his family life - I appreciate that this memoir is so much more than a stereotypical "sports saved my life" story。 I especially loved K's inclusion of and discussion about his mental health。 As much a story of survival， compassion， and fierce love as it is a story of kids， horses， and polo。 The audiobook is good; not read by the author for those who care about that。 。。。more
Sue
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A wonderful book， very satisfying。 You don’t need to know about polo。 This story is so inspirational。 My heart was opened to the struggles of this young man。 Such an emotional story on many levels。 Thank you for writing it。
Lisa Workman
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A remarkable memoir！ 4。5 stars。
Marilyn
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