Mia Hamm

This was an excellent book. Not only does it encourage playing soccer, but it gives readers ideas for how to be the best players. Part of the book is broken down into different tactics of soccer and how to do them. One should be into soccer before tackling this book because it goes into minute details of the game. I am an avid soccer fan, although I just watch and don’t play, but I learned so much from this book and shall be looking more closely in the future as to what the individual show more players on my team (Go DC United!) are really doing out there on the pitch!

The principles that Mia Hamm spoke about in soccer she was applying to members of her own team years ago. That was before my great love of soccer began, but now I can see her ideas being fulfilled through our latest USWNT who just won Olympic gold! Therefore…this book makes a fabulous contemporary read even though it was first published in 1999. show less

In my opinion, this is a really good book. The characters were well developed and the plot was full of suspension. As I was reading, I did not know if Mia Hamm was going to join her soccer team again since she quit because she couldn't score a goal. It was nice to see that she joined her team at the end and she didn't care about winning. This story was very believable and so were the characters. I also really enjoyed how the book was written by Mia Hamm, but you don't find that out until the show more story is over. This book makes readers think about tough issues they have had when being on a team and broadens their perspectives. The message from this story is that, even though things get tough sometimes, people should never give up and follow their dreams. The important thing to remember is that it is not about winning the game, but being on a team of people who love you even when you make mistakes. show less

Winners Never Quit is a story about a girl, Mia, who loves playing soccer but actually hates if she is not winning. Mia loves when people cheer for her after she makes a goal, but she has been having some difficulties in scoring and that does not make her happy. This book teaches a lot about good sportsmanship, and determination, and I think that is one of the main reasons I liked it. For example, at one point in the story, Mia could not score a goal, but she convinced herself to keep going show more and not give up. “Mia still hating losing. But she didn't hate losing as much as she loved soccer”. The second reason I liked this book was because of the illustrations. The illustrator, Carol Thompson, did a wonderful job with the small details in the pictures. For example, when Mia was losing and was ready to quit, by looking at the illustration on that page, we could see her grumpy face as she crossed her arms, then stomped away upset. It helps the reader understand how the character truly felt. The last reason I liked this book was because of the author’s note included at the end, as well as actual photos of the author growing up to play professional soccer. The author’s note allowed me as a reader to connect with her in a way and understand that even though she quit a couple of times, once she kept that determination and perseverance, she was able to make it to the professional soccer league. show less

I really enjoyed this book because as a little girl playing soccer, Mia Hamm was my idol. She shares her story about her frustration due to her lack of scoring goals. She discovered the importance of being part of a team and that sports and life isn't always about winning and losing but about the relationships you make. I would use this in my classroom because it brings up the idea of teamwork and friendship, along with life lessons and focusing on improvement.