We All Wore Blue
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
We All Wore Blue: The Inspiring True Story of a Youth Soccer Team's Journey from Underdogs to Champions.
By Emerson Robbins
Winner of the 2021 Readers Favorite Books Contest & 2021 Indie Reader Discovery Awards Winner
A truly inspirational story for our country and world that any fan of the "beautiful game" or just those who enjoy reading inspirational stories are sure to love.
Our story begins with a young recreational team, the veritable "Bad News Bears" of soccer. This hapless team of nine-year-olds hadn't won a single game for three straight years until a new coach to the area is asked to take over.
One day, the new coach spots a young African boy sitting in the park jealously watching the boys his same age practice. The coach kindly invites him over, discovering that the boy, Jamal has only recently come to the US, having spent much of his childhood in a Kenya refugee camp. Jamal, a decent player, but clearly no super-star, is soon invited to join the team. The boy's younger brother, Yaqub also joins the team a few practices later. The two brothers, having great fun on their new team, begin talking up their experience to friends in their ESL class. Soon, a boy from Nepal joins the team, then a boy from Gambia, then from Fiji, from China, Holland and more…
Over the next seasons, the team is progressively transformed from its genesis as a typical white suburban team to instead representing a melting pot of players from a myriad of different countries, races and religions. With the training, support, encouragement, plus some tough love from their coach, the team continues to metamorphose from possibly the worst team in the State to eventually becoming two-time State Champions.
However, the real story is how these boys and their families unite and embrace one another in spite of their differences.
Customer Reviews
A Real Gem!
This book turned out to be a surprise treasure among my collection of readings. It tells the tale of Skip, a man gifted with compassion and a unique ability to discern the strengths, flaws, and potential in individuals. With such attributes, he succeeds in forming one of the best youth soccer teams. The narrative takes off, detailing his aspiration to back his son's soccer squad as an extension of his fatherly duties. Later, this fatherly role transforms into a coaching position as his distinctive coaching methods and dedication to understanding the sport for the team's growth draw players who crave a sense of belonging.
Skip eventually finds himself at the helm of a team consisting of young members from different corners of the globe -- Ethiopia, Eritrea, Germany, China, Nepal, you name it -- displaced and deemed ‘other' in a foreign land. They deeply resonate with Skip's sincere and dedicated approach to their success. Rather than focusing solely on a win-lose mentality, Skip uses soccer as a tool for personal development for his eclectic squad. “Winning is not really something any one player can control [...] All anyone can really control is their own effort and thoughts [...] I suggested they needed to just focus on their own effort and advised the team to never be afraid to fail, that failure is only a temporary condition” (Robins, p.47).
It is a story of immense character development, generosity, cultural appreciation, and authenticity presented in a way that feels refreshing and much needed. I’d definitely recommend giving it a read.