So You Want To Be A Soccer Player

What does it really take to play the world’s most popular sport for a living?

Soccer has one rule that sets it apart from almost every other major sport: you can’t use your hands. Players have to control a spinning ball at full speed with their feet, chest, and head while opponents try to take it away. Some estimates put the sport’s fan base at about four billion people. So You Want To Be A Soccer Player shows young readers what life is like for the athletes at the top of that game, and how kids who love it can start building real skills today.

Readers learn why coaches watch a player’s first touch more closely than their shot, how formations like 4-3-3 work, and what offside actually means. A “Which Position Are You?” section helps kids see whether they might be a goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, or forward. A behind-the-scenes Day in the Life follows a professional through breakfast with the team nutritionist, a rondo at training, a video session on the next opponent, and a ten-minute ice bath.

The history goes back more than 2,000 years, to cuju in ancient China and kemari in Japan. Kids then follow the game to the London tavern where the Football Association wrote the first shared rules in 1863. They’ll meet the Dick, Kerr Ladies, who drew 53,000 fans in 1920, and learn about the fifty-year ban on women’s soccer that followed. They’ll also visit the floating pitch built by kids in a Thai fishing village. Inspiring profiles feature Pelé, Mia Hamm, Marta, Sun Wen, Lionel Messi, and Didier Drogba, the striker who used his fame to help push his country toward peace. Along the way are memorable stories, including Pickles the dog who found the stolen World Cup trophy, a goalkeeper who was left alone in the fog for fifteen minutes, and Paul the octopus who “predicted” match winners.

The book is honest about the hard parts too, including injuries, public slumps, and youth heading guidelines. It’s also clear that far fewer than one in a hundred young players turn professional. That’s why it explains why school matters and introduces other careers in the game, from referee and coach to sports scientist and kit designer. Kids finish with practical ways to improve now, such as wall passing, juggling for a personal record, and learning the Cruyff Turn. The back matter adds a kid-friendly glossary, recommended books and websites, and youth soccer organizations to explore.

Written for ages 10 to 14 and accessible to younger readers with a grown-up, this richly illustrated nonfiction book makes a great gift for young soccer and football fans. It also works well for classrooms, homeschool families, libraries, and coaches looking to inspire their teams. The book uses US terms such as cleats and soccer, and it explains the British and international words (boots, pitch, football) for readers everywhere.

Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… career exploration series by Linda Soules