Meet the Women of American Soccer: An Inside Look at America's Team

Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 043908654X, Paperback)

The women of American soccer come to life in this snappy, photo-rich, magazine-style book for young readers. The first women's soccer gold-medal game in Olympic history was held in Athens, Georgia, in 1996. Before that, "people didn't know women even played soccer," said star U.S. midfielder Kristine Lilly. "You'd tell them, 'I play for the U.S. National Team,' and they'd say 'What's that?'" Today, there are more than 7 million women and girls playing soccer in the United States. The players featured in this book--from Miah Hamm to Briana Scurry to Julie Foudy--formed the core of the 1999 Women's World Cup team, and make up the team that will compete in the 2000 Summer Olympic Games. Team members are profiled with sports photographer Michael Stahlschmidt's abundant, full-color pictures and with a brief essay describing their backgrounds, challenges, philosophies, and hobbies. Soccer fans will be inspired by the successes of the strong women athletes introduced in this light, accessible scrapbook. (Ages 8 and older)