Maureen Holohan was known for giving her all when she played basketball for Northwestern. And that’s exactly what she’s doing in her latest adventure.
Holohan, a three-time All-Big Ten selection at Northwestern, has been a jock for as long as she can remember. Now, in a book series she’s writing called The Broadway Players, she wants to share the joy of sports with young girls.
The Broadway Players are Penny, Molly, Rosie, Wil and Angel. They are neighbors and friends–but toss ’em a ball and they turn into fierce competitors.
“We’re at a new day and age,” said Holohan, 25. “That’s the way girls are, more and more competitive. I’d rather have them be that focused on a healthy passion than being focused on makeup and boys.”
Don’t sweat it, boy and makeup fans; Holohan’s not knocking those things. She just says there’s other stuff out there. We read Holohan’s first book, “Friday Nights/ By Molly,” and found it very different from other books for girls. For Holohan’s characters, sports aren’t a pastime–they rule. The girls dream about games, dread rivals, battle intensely on the court and relive games off. Sure, there are guys in the book, and a bratty little sis and stuff like that, but the real heart-pounding moments come when the characters compete. And then, forget that sugar-and-spice stuff!
How does Holohan make her characters so realistic? It helps that they’re based somewhat on her childhood in upstate New York.
“Molly is the most like me,” she said. “Everyone thinks Molly is totally me, but she’s not. I didn’t fight as much as Molly does.”
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But the books involve more than just heated competition. Holohan uses sports to help her characters learn about life. After all, that’s what helped her learn. Look at one life lesson:
“I remember when I was a kid and there was that really tall girl on the other team, and you’d think the worst things in the world about her,” Holohan said. “But as you got to know her, you’d find she was a lot like you.”
Anyone who’s a lot like Holohan has loads of determination. When she decided to write her books, “Everyone thought it was great–everyone except the publishers. They said, `We don’t work with first-time authors.’ ” So Holohan got a $12,000 loan and published “Friday Nights” herself. (A story told by Rosie is due out in January.) And she has promoted the book aggressively.
Holohan, who lives in Evanston now, has more battles ahead, besides paying off that hefty loan. She tore both arches in her feet playing ball, and when we talked she was awaiting her second operation. So her basketball playing has been put on hold. (After her days at Northwestern, she played overseas.) She hopes to play pro ball, but knows she has to be patient for her feet to heal. In the meantime, she’s giving kids basketball lessons–and, we hope, dreaming up more books.
For more info on these books, call 1-888-LETMEPLAY.