Portrait of Passion

This book is about playing soccer when you’re five years old. It’s about playing soccer when you only have a ball and some grass. It’s about playing soccer when your high school friends are watching. It’s about playing soccer to get a college degree. It’s about playing soccer hurt. It’s about playing soccer for your parents, your friends, the ones you love. Yourself. Your country. 

The pictures and stories are of athletes who are like every other athlete who rises to the top. They start young, and learn to laugh inside when they do something well. It feeds them to do more. They are survivors, the ones who are driven, the ones who are lucky, the ones havethe knack for persevering. Being consistent. Being trustworthy. The ones who know how to win. 

This book is about a game that flows from end to end. No place to get a blast of oxygen. No time outs. No excuses. Just shin guards and a handful of rules. And the ability to dance on a moving ball. Or nail it. 

It’s a game that grabs the world’s imagination, yet fights for every second of recognition it gets at home in the United States. It’s a game of vision, of what you see in your teammates. Of knowing what is developing on the field before anyone can see it. Anticipation. Timing. Accuracy. Chess with sweat, strength and speed. Women’s soccer. Passion. Yours for the taking. 

Breath-taking. 

We are pleased to announce new additions to our Soccer Book Fundraiser Program!

 Welcome to the:

      St. Paul Blackhawks (MN)                                           PDA Tsunami (NJ)

      Fremont Flash U13 Girls (CA)                                      Burnsville Fire Soccer Club (MN)

      Illinois Fusion (IL)                                                        Coerver Coaching Minnesota (MN)

      New Jersey Girls Soccer Association (NJ)                     Express Soccer Club (TX)

      Eden Prairie Soccer Club (MN)                                     Soccer Plus Education Center (CT)

      Bangu Tsunami FC (MN)                                              Boerne Soccer Club (TX)

      Mustangs FC (TX)                                                        Revolution Premier Soccer Club (TX)

      Newark Celtic U12 Girls (CA)                                        Ho’okahi Soccer Club (HI)

      St. Louis Soccer Club (MO)                                          Bricktown S.A. Thunder (NJ)

      Fuller Soccer Club (MN)                                               Point Pleasant Stingrays (NJ)

      Vernon Zephyrs (NJ)                                                    Lumberton U11 Storm (NJ

      Long Valley Soccer Club (NJ)                                       Fergie’s Soccer Academy (MN)

      Manlapan Strickers (NJ)                                               MLU Blast (NJ)

      Chatham Bobcats (NJ)

Good luck meeting your fundraising goals!

Natasha Kai, who grew up in Hawaii, admits that school and studying were never strong suits for her. “I was the class clown,” she admits. “My parents stressed school, and I did try. I tried to be serious, because I know it’s important. But I was always interested more in soccer. Let’s say that in school I just got by.

She says that one huge challenge to her sixth grade education was that her mother was her spelling teacher. “I had a hard time not calling her Mom instead of Mrs. Kai,” she says. ” And when I did forget, all the other kids would call her Mom, too, just to be funny.”

That year, she had done very well in most of her subjects. “In fact,” she says,” I almost had straight A’s. I even had an A in math, which I hated. But my mom had given me a C in spelling. I thought it was a joke, but it wasn’t. She told me, ‘You’re my daughter, but you’re one of my students. In class you’re a student. You’re not good in spelling, so I gave you a C.’”