Soccer for Girls: An Introductory, Step by Step Guide

Rating:
Summary: A must for coaches and players of youth soccer.
Review: Whether scanning a list of titles at amazon.com or shelves of volumes at the local bookstore, selecting a book on soccer that will add to or round out your knowledge of the game is difficult at best. Ramsay's Soccer for Girls is an unassumingly thin (80 page) volume that is absolutely full of essential information for coaches and players alike. The book is divided into three parts: (1) rules, (2) skills and techniques, and (3) tactics. The pages are filled with photos, diagrams of plays (tactics), drawings of players performing various techniques, and most importantly, gems of wisdom. All the basics are here, yet this is more than a beginner's book on soccer. The rules of the game and the techniques are the same whether the players are just starting out or playing for the World Cup. As Pele once said, soccer is "The beautiful game." It is also a simple game. The basics remain constant; it's the tactics and the skills of the players that make the difference. As you're reading this book you can imagine how what you're reading can be and is applied across the spectrum of ages and abilities. Ramsay does an excellent job of covering the topics with his clear narrative and level of detail. Anyone who has coached youth soccer (AYSO) knows that the time available to impart knowledge to players in practice is precious. Players want to play, they don't want their time taken up at practice sessions listening to the coach describing and demonstrating various techniques and performing endless drills. Everyone coach should make this book required reading for their players. It would be great to be able to give a copy of this book to each player on the team. Practice sessions would be more fun, more fruitful, and less chaotic for both players and coaches. So, if you're a new coach and just starting to learn the game, or looking to round-out or refresh your knowledge, get this book, apply what you learn and "Play!"