Women Football

Clarkston, Georgia, was a typical Southern town until it was designated a refugee settlement center in the 1990s, becoming the first American home for scores of families in flight from the world's war zones; from Liberia and Sudan to Iraq and Afghanistan. Suddenly Clarkston's streets were filled with women wearing the hijab, the smells of cumin and curry, and kids of all colors playing soccer in any open space they could find.

Telling the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team's story in expert prose, Pride of a Nation is a lavish tribute to one of the most beloved teams in sports, revisiting their historic four World Cup titles and four Olympic gold medals, as well as unforgettable players across the generations, such as Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain, Abby Wambach, Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd, Briana Scurry, Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, Sophia Smith, Rose Lavelle, Catarina Macario, Mallory Pugh, and more.

Sam Kerr is widely considered to be one of the best female footballers of all time. She is famous worldwide for her skills on the soccer pitch – but before she was Matildas captain and leading goal scorer for Chelsea, she was just an average Aussie kid who wanted to play AFL. This is her incredible football journey to the 2023 FIFA World Cup and beyond, from making the switch to soccer to becoming one of the best female strikers in the world. Sam gives us insights into what keeps her motivated, how she handles the pressures of life and what she believes is really important in life.

Set against the backdrop of an American town that without its consent had become a vast social experiment, Outcasts United follows a pivotal season in the life of the Fugees and their charismatic coach. Warren St. John documents the lives of a diverse group of young people as they miraculously coalesce into a band of brothers, while also drawing a fascinating portrait of a fading American town struggling to accommodate its new arrivals.

Against the backdrop of the call to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, the National Women’s Football League was founded as something of a gimmick. However, their star team, the Toledo Troopers, emerged to challenge traditional gender roles and amass a win-loss record never before or since achieved in American football. The players were housewives, factory workers, hairdressers, former nuns, high school teachers, bartenders, mail carriers, pilots, and would-be drill sergeants. Most of all, they were athletes who had been denied the opportunity to play a game they were born to play.

Life is hard in Barrow, Alaska. Football mom Cathy Parker first caught a glimpse of this reality from the comfort of her Jacksonville, Florida, living room while watching a 2006 ESPN report on the Barrow Whalers, a high school football team consisting mostly of Alaskan Inupiat Eskimo natives playing in the most difficult of conditions. These players found themselves playing on a gravel field. And while the community of Barrow felt a strong pride for their boys, many felt football was not worth the investment. That is, until Cathy Parker became involved.

Laura, once destined to be a famous singer, now waitresses tables at a diner. Shaken when a surprise text from her former best friend turns things upside down, she tries to avoid a reunion that is more complicated than anyone could understand. Blaine, a professional football star, drags himself away from his latest fling to head home for his sister's wedding. Little did he know, it was a trip that would alter his future forever.

Narrated by the daughter of one of the team members, Janice Barton, with unprecedented access to the secrets and insights of the first ever woman's team, this is a multi-generational story celebrating the power of a group of women who refused to accept the status quo - revealing how the events of 1971 shaped mother and daughter's lives both personally and professionally.

I’ve fought my way to the captaincy of Calderdale Ladies, and it means everything to me. So when my toxic boyfriend breaks my heart, I bottle it up. The team comes first. Dr Reece Forster is supposed to be getting the team in the right head space for victory, not counselling me through heartache, but I can’t help opening up to him. The hot doc is off limits, but the chemistry between us is off the charts…

The exciting story of one of the fastest growing sports in the world, played by over 30 million girls and women. Over 25 million people tuned in for the Americans' 2015 Women's World Cup final victory - the most-watched football match in United States history. The Making of the Women's World Cup details the most incredible tales from previous Women's World Cups.

Out of all the football stadiums in the world, why did Roxanne “The Ballbuster” Benson have to plow through mine? Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for women playing professional football. But what I’m not for is The Ballbuster waltzing onto my field, trying to take over my position as the Wildcats’ starting kicker. The woman dislocated my knee with her freaking Jeep, for chrissake, and yet all of my teammates love her! So what if Roxy’s...gorgeous and sweet and loves football more than anyone in the world? This is my team.

In a small Alabama town in Zion County, life is finally looking up for 20-year-old Donnette Sullivan. Having just inherited her aunt's old house and beauty shop, she's taken over the business, and her husband Tim, recently crippled in an accident, is beginning to cope not just with his disabilities but also with the loss of his dreams. Once a promising artist who gave up art for sports, Tim paints a sign for Donnette's shop, Making Waves. The raising of the sign causes ripples through the town.

Lou Prescott loves college life. The friends, the parties, the hot guys...not to mention her undisputed position as the reigning queen of the business school. But when her dad becomes head coach of the Mountain State Mustangs in the wake of a scandal, it seems like he expects to coach her life too. And keep her the same little girl she was when her mother died. Lou is determined she's not going to let her dad cramp her style. Only now, none of the football players are brave enough to date Coach’s daughter ... not even West Sawyer, the sexy-as-hell first string quarterback.

In Choose to Matter, Julie Foudy, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and former captain of the US National team, takes you on a journey to discover your authentic self. This book is a roadmap to unleash that courageous you and have you singing your dreams out loud. Along with sharing stories from her playing days and personal experiences, Julie taps into the wisdom of other incredible female leaders.

In All Heart, adapted from When Nobody Was Watching specifically for younger listeners, Carli tells the full inspiring story of her journey to the top of the soccer world - an honest, action-packed account that takes listeners inside the mind of a hardworking athlete.

What is a bravey? For Alexi Pappas, it means to chase the goals that seem scary. She has not shied away from the challenge. In this honest and hopeful memoir written especially for young listeners, Alexi Pappas details key moments that had profound effects on her life, including the loss of her mother when she was just four years old, to her formative years at school where she felt different from her peers, and into her young adult life, including the incredible year she experienced in 2016 when she made her Olympic debut as a distance runner.

Mustangs wide receiver Ben Mayhew has been running for two years—away from the accident that tore his world apart, away from his aristocratic parents who don't understand him, and from the friends who sold him out to the tabloids. He's shielded his broken heart with arrogance and a bad attitude, and he's perfectly happy that way ... until he meets Nara Robinson. She finds the cracks in his armor, and for the first time in years, the future doesn't look miserable. But when his family threatens to disown him and strip him of his title, will he choose love or safety?

Football player Stephen Harrison has hit rock bottom - he's fresh out of rehab, lost too much weight to be an effective offensive lineman, and has no support system in place. The Bobcats staff suggests that he get a life coach to keep him sober and get him back into playing shape, but Stephen says that his girlfriend will help. Too bad he doesn't have one.... Luckily for Stephen, he does have a housekeeper.

"Work hard, and don't look for excuses", C. Vivian Stringer's parents told her, "and you can achieve anything." But her faith and perseverance would be tested many times. A gifted athlete, she had to fight for a place on an all-White cheerleading squad in the 60s. In 1981, just as her coaching career was taking off, her 14-month-old daughter, Nina, was stricken with spinal meningitis. Yet Stringer brought a small, poor, historically Black college to the national championships.

Aileen is a sports reporter trying to make a name for herself without relying on her looks, and what better way to do that than to break a scandal about one of the fastest rising stars on the Santa Fe Bobcats? Killian seems too good to be true, so she knows that he must be hiding something. It's hard enough breaking into the NFL - even more so when you're a single dad. Killian isn't proud that he's keeping his son a secret, but his ex has a reputation that could tarnish his squeaky-clean image for good.