Alex (12), protagonist of Christie Matheson's Select, loves playing soccer. She's been on a team since she was 5 1/2. In the intervening years she's amasses some pretty impressive skills.
One day after a game Alex sees her mother talking to a stranger. He's the coach of Sanfrancisco Select, a prestigious soccer club. He wants her to join, dangling the possibility of a college soccer scholarship. Alex wants to go to college. She knows that her mother, raising two daughters on a low income job, can't make that happen.
When Alex quits her rec league soccer team to become a select her coach tells her not to forget why she loves soccer. On her new team she quickly discovers the reason for this reminder. Playing brings a lot of stress and little pleasure. Her new coach is a sexist who is extremely verbally abusive, not only to his team, bur to woman coaches and referees. And he's never satisfied with his team's performance. Even winning every game they're not good enough. They should have crushed the other team.
Then one day he goes too far.
Unfortunately Select is all too relevant. In today's big money high stakes youth sports world too many coaches forget that their players are children or teens and deserve a developmentally appropriate and enriching experience.
Sports loving kids will enjoy this lively narrative while being reminded of a very important right.
On a purrrsonal note, Maine Day went off really well even though inclement weather drove it inside. The fun activities were conveniently located in the Union.
A great big shout to all who worked so hard to give UMaine students a Maine Day to remember.
Jules Hathaway
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