Scholastic and Kaepernick Publishing will co-publish the YA graphic novel Change the Game, Colin Kaepernick’s memoir about the period in his life when he chose football as his sport over baseball, the New York Times reports.

The graphic novel will be co-written by Kaepernick and Ironheart writer Eve L. Ewing, and the artist will be Orlando Caicedo. The paperback will be released under the Graphix imprint on March 7, 2023, with an MSRP of $14.99.

Change the Game focuses on a key moment in Kaepernick’s life when he was a high school baseball player who was already being scouted by colleges and the big leagues. Despite pressure from his parents and coaches, Kaepernick turned away from baseball, partly because he just wasn’t that interested in the game but also because he felt the atmosphere would be more racist and less supportive. Football, on the other hand, would “provide me with real opportunities to fully embrace my culture, identity, and community.” Kaepernick ultimately became a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers as well as a civil rights activist.

Scholastic and Kaepernick Publishing are also co-publishing Dreamer, the graphic memoir of former Calgary Flames hockey player Akim Aliu (see “Scholastic and Kaepernick Team Up”), which will be pitched at middle-grade readers.