Derek Jeter’s ‘I’ve Got a Story to Tell’, a collaborative effort with The Players’ Tribune and Assouline, offers a poignant collection of personal narratives from some of the world’s most celebrated athletes. The book goes beyond the usual highlights and accolades, delving into the intimate journeys and vulnerabilities that make these sports icons human.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the footballing superstar, contributes a heartwarming piece titled “My First Fans.” He candidly recounts his early days playing in the streets of Madeira, where he and his friends lacked even a proper goal, stopping their games whenever a car passed by. Initially, only Ronaldo’s father showed genuine interest in his burgeoning soccer career. His mother and sisters, however, remained seemingly indifferent, barely acknowledging his triumphs. But, as he writes, a pivotal moment changed everything: “Then one day—I will never forget this image—I was warming up and looked over and I saw my mom and sisters sitting together on the bleachers. They looked… how do I say this? They looked cozy. They were kind of huddled close together, and they were not clapping or yelling, they were just waving to me, like I was in a parade or something. They definitely looked like they had never been to a football match before. But they were there. That’s all I cared about.”
This story, one of many in the book, exemplifies the core idea behind The Players’ Tribune, a platform Jeter founded ten years ago to empower athletes to share their stories in their own voices. Jeter, speaking on a Zoom call from Miami, emphasizes the need to recognize athletes as multifaceted individuals: “What I’ve always understood is that athletes are not two-dimensional. They had and have other interests and other beliefs and things they want to share and talk about, but they just weren’t asked those questions. It’s not just what you did on the field, what you did on the court—fans want to know who you are as a human being. I think we recognized that a long time ago.”
The book features an array of captivating stories: Stephen Curry reflects on the profound influence of his mother, Tom Brady grapples with the cultural shift from California to New England, Iga Świątek, the tennis phenom, reveals her surprising introversion, Dawn Staley, the renowned NCAA basketball coach, addresses the underrepresentation of Black coaches in the sport, and Mikaela Shiffrin, the accomplished skier, opens up about the devastating loss of her father.
One of the most resonant narratives comes from Kevin Love, who, in 2014, became one of the first athletes to openly discuss his struggle with mental health. Love’s story, titled “Everyone Is Going Through Something,” sparked a crucial conversation about athlete mental well-being: “He was probably one of the first athletes to be vocal about mental health. [His story] actually crashed our site, because so many people had comments and questions,” Jeter reveals. “I think there was this belief that athletes were larger than life, but didn’t have to deal with mental health. I think it was taboo at the time and I give Kevin a lot of credit for being vocal about it.” Love’s piece resonated so deeply that The Players’ Tribune created a dedicated inbox for readers’ responses.
‘I’ve Got a Story to Tell’ also offers glimpses into Jeter’s own career, including a poignant photo of him clearing his locker at Yankee Stadium, a stadium he only ever played in for one franchise, the New York Yankees. Jeter also includes a tribute to his fellow teammate, Mariano Rivera.
The book serves as a powerful testament to Jeter’s belief that every individual, regardless of their accomplishments, has a story worth telling. As Jeter states, “I’ve just always been interested in what’s behind the scenes… It’s about how people got to the places they are today.” ‘I’ve Got a Story to Tell’, available for pre-sale on September 12 at assouline.com, is more than a collection of sports stories; it’s a compelling journey into the human experience, reminding us that even the most iconic athletes have stories to share, vulnerabilities to embrace, and struggles to overcome.
