Get inspired to be your best—in sports and in life—with this uplifting memoir from star soccer player and Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan that includes eight pages of full-color photos as well as book jacket that doubles as a poster! As a talented and successful female athlete, Alex Morgan is a role model to thousands of girls who want to be their best, not just in soccer, but in other sports and in life. The story of her path to success, from playing in the 2011 Women’s World Cup, to winning gold in the 2012 London Olympics, to ranking as one of the National Team’s top scorers, will inspire everyone who reads it. From her beginnings with the American Youth Soccer Organization to her key role in the 2015 Women’s World Cup, Alex shares the details that made her who she is today: a fantastic role model and athlete who proudly rocks a pink headband. Gr 7 Up—This inspirational memoir from a soccer champion and Olympic gold medalist will appeal to sports fans and nonathletes alike. Morgan adeptly shares how she achieved her goals of becoming a renowned professional soccer player and the important lessons she learned along the way. As a young girl, she played softball, but at age eight, she realized that her dream was to play professional soccer. With her family's support, she trained with the American Youth Soccer Organization, played on her hometown's soccer club team, and joined the Olympic Development Program, as well as the under-17 and under-20 national World Cup teams. Morgan went on to accomplish her biggest achievements: playing in the World Cup and the Olympics. In addition to detailing her triumphs on the field, she also describes other elements of her life, such as a long-term long-distance relationship, the chronic sports injuries she suffered, and her strong performance at college. The writing is accessible, personal, and down-to-earth. In each chapter, Morgan provides helpful advice on fulfilling one's objectives, accepting failure, and staying positive and focused, as well as the importance of a good support network and the value of being competitive. While readers might not share her aspirations, they will appreciate her story and benefit from her counsel. VERDICT A great addition to memoir and sports collections in public and high school libraries.—Jess Gafkowitz, New York Public Library "This inspirational memoir from a soccer champion and Olympic gold medalist will appeal to sports fans and nonathletes alike...A great addition to memoir and sports collections in public and high school libraries." ― School Library Journal Alex Morgan became the youngest member of the US women’s national soccer team in 2009 and competed in the 2011 FIFA World Cup. She was the first overall pick in the 2011 Women’s Professional Soccer draft and landed a spot on the US Olympic women’s soccer team in 2012. At the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, held in London, Morgan won her first Olympic medal, a gold, with the American team. In 2015, she achieved her lifelong goal of winning a World Cup trophy, in the most-watched soccer match in US history. She now plays for the Orlando Pride in Orlando, Florida. Breakaway CHAPTER 1 I was doing things my own way even before I was born. After having two girls, my parents wanted a boy. Not that having a third girl is a bad thing; they just wanted something different. But I had my own set of plans, and when I was born on July 2, 1989, there I was: a little baby girl. With each child my parents had had an agreement. If they had a boy, my dad would choose the name, and if they had a girl, my mom would have the honor. My mom settled on the name Alexandra for me. I can only guess that’s because my dad had chosen the “boy name” Alexander, and my mom decided to allow him just the smallest bit of influence. What’s so funny is that even though my dad doted on his girls, he had a real vision of how he would have raised his son, if he’d had one. He once said that since I was the third girl, “he was going to make a boy out of me somehow.” He was joking, of course—he loves having three girls and wouldn’t trade us for anything—but I think he had certain hopes as a father. My dad grew up playing baseball, and he dreamed of a son playing it, living out what he’d loved most as a little boy. I’m getting ahead of myself, though. Way before my dad helped introduce me to athletics, I was just a little kid growing up in Diamond Bar, California, about twenty-five miles east of Los Angeles. Diamond Bar is a nice suburban community—quiet, sunny, and generally happy. I liked it there. Mostly everyone knew one another, and I was able to walk to elementary and middle school. But there wasn’t very much going on in Diamond Bar. It was a huge deal when we got a Target, and we didn’t even have a chain restaurant until I was fifteen or so. It’s the kind of place that you’re happy to grow up in but also happy to get out of once you come of age. I think so much of my youth revolved around sports prec