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Excited for the Women's World Cup? So are we! Here in D.C., we are excited to wish seven members of the Washington Spirit, Aubrey Kingsbury (USA), Trinity Rodman (USA), Ashley Sanchez (USA), Andi Sullivan (USA), Gabrielle Carle (Canada), Marissa Sheva (Ireland) and Riley Tanner (Panama) as they represent four different nation’s World Cup rosters.
We're teaming up with the Washington Spirit to kick off the competition with some great Women's Soccer reads for all ages. Check them out today with your DC Public Library Card!
Books for Children and Families
Wake Up and Kick It, Written by Trinity Rodman, Illustrated by Black Madre
The words “hero” and “athlete” have always been used to describe men. Combine that with the fact that 95% of sports media coverage is focused on men’s sports, and we are teaching another generation of boys and girls to idolize male athletes. Few had heard of 19-yr old, Trinity Rodman, US women’s soccer phenom, and Rookie of the Year, fewer had seen her play. So, instead of creating a traditional campaign to share her amazing accomplishments, we made a children’s book that told Trinity’s story as inspiration for other young athletes. Unlike other children’s books, which are designed to put kids to bed, this is a “wake up” book. After all, Trinity didn’t become the youngest player ever drafted into the NWSL by sleeping in; she got there by getting up and getting after it!
Copies of this title have been generously donated to DC Public Library by the Washington Spirit and DC Scores.
What Is The Women's World Cup?, Written by Gina Shaw, Illustrated by Ted Hammond
Gooaal! Soccer fans, get your game on with this book about one of the biggest tournaments in women's sports. The first international women's soccer match was in 1881, but the Women's World Cup didn't become official until 1991 -- 110 years later! Read about the courageous, soccer-loving women who worked hard to have a World Cup of their own in this addition to the Who HQ series. Young readers will learn about the history of women's soccer, star players, and iconic wins! From Team USA's record-breaking four championships to Japan's inspiring win in 2011, this book is full of heartwarming and exciting stories about incredible athletes across decades!
Books for Teens
One Life, Megan Rapinoe with Emma Brockes, adapted by Sarah Durand
You know Megan Rapinoe as an international soccer superstar! She's also a fierce activist, boldly speaking out about issues of equality and justice-from LGBTQ rights to the equal pay movement to Black Lives Matter. In this adaptation for middle school readers of her memoir One Life, get to know Megan- from her childhood in a small California town where she learned to play soccer and how to fight for social justice; through high school, college and beyond; to 2016 when she became the first high-profile white athlete to take a knee in support of Colin Kaepernik, and also suing the United States Soccer Federation along with her teammates over gender discrimination. Using stories from her own life and career, Rapinoe discusses the responsibility we have to speak up. In this edition specifically for young readers, she reveals the impact everyone, even kids, can have on their communities and how kids can get involved in making the world a better place.
Breakaway, Alex Morgan with Sarah Durand
Get inspired to be your best--in sports and in life--with this uplifting memoir from star soccer player and Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan that includes eight pages of full-color photos as well as book jacket that doubles as a poster! As a talented and successful female athlete, Alex Morgan is a role model to thousands of girls who want to be their best, not just in soccer, but in other sports and in life. The story of her path to success, from playing in the 2011 Women's World Cup, to winning gold in the 2012 London Olympics, to ranking as one of the National Team's top scorers, will inspire everyone who reads it. From her beginnings with the American Youth Soccer Organization to her key role in the 2015 Women's World Cup, Alex shares the details that made her who she is today: a fantastic role model and athlete who proudly rocks a pink headband.
Books for Adults
The National Team: The Inside Story of the Women who Changed Soccer, Caitlin Murray
The U.S. Women's National Soccer Team has won three World Cups and four Olympic gold medals, set record TV ratings, drawn massive crowds, earned huge revenues for FIFA and U.S. Soccer, and helped to redefine the place of women in sports. But despite their dominance, and their rosters of superstar players, they've endured striking inequality: low pay, poor playing conditions, and limited opportunities to play in professional leagues.
The National Team, from leading soccer journalist Caitlin Murray, tells the history of the USWNT in full, from their formation in the 1980s to the run-up to the 2019 World Cup, chronicling both their athletic triumphs and less visible challenges off the pitch. Murray also recounts the rise and fall of U.S. professional leagues, including the burgeoning National Women's Soccer League, an essential part of the women's game.
Through nearly 100 exclusive interviews with players, coaches, and team officials, including Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd, Hope Solo, Heather O'Reilly, Julie Foudy, Brandi Chastain, Pia Sundhage, Tom Sermanni, and Sunil Gulati, Murray takes readers inside the locker rooms and board rooms in engrossing detail. A story of endurance and determination, The National Team is a complete portrait of this beloved and important team.
My Greatest Save: The Brave, Barrier-Breaking Journey of a World-Champion Goalkeeper, Briana Scurry with Wayne Coffey
Briana Scurry was a pioneer on the US Women's National Team. She won gold in Atlanta in 1996, the first time women's soccer was ever played in the Olympics. She was a key part of the fabled "99ers," making an epic save in the decisive penalty-kick shootout in the final. Scurry captured her second Olympic gold in 2004, cementing her status as one of the premier players in the world. She was the only Black player on the team, and she was also the first player to be openly gay. It was a singularly amazing ride, one that Scurry handled with her trademark generosity and class--qualities that made her one of the most popular players ever to wear a US jersey.
But Scurry's storybook career ended in 2010 when a knee to the head left her with severe head trauma. She was labeled "temporarily totally disabled," and the reality was even worse. She spiraled into depression, debt, and endured such pain that she closed out her closest friends and soccer soulmates. She pawned her gold medals. She walked to the edge of a waterfall and contemplated suicide. It seemed like the only way out until Scurry made her greatest save of all.
A memoir of startling candor, My Greatest Save is a story of triumph, tragedy, and redemption from a woman who has broken through barriers her entire life.