Books to Read After Watching LFG, the Women’s Soccer Documentary

This book tells the story of the USWNT from the 1980s through today, discussing soccer leagues, the impact of the women’s team on the larger sport, the question of equal pay, FIFA and U.S. Soccer, and the National Women’s Soccer League. It’s an engrossing look that takes the reader into the locker rooms and negotiating rooms — if you’re a soccer fan, you won’t want to miss this.

Data is data, right? Well…not quite. Perez looks at how gender gaps in data actually perpetuate bias and put women at multiple disadvantages. Men are treated as the default and women are atypical, so the system is biased form the start. This is an eye-opening look at just how much this can affect women’s lives in a variety of ways.

I included this book because just like the USWNT, this book is badass. It’s a whip-smart collection of essays that span women’s friendships, pop culture, sexual violence, politics, and much more. Gay examines and dismantles pieces of our culture, and puts them back together in a way that allows us to see them in ways we never had before.

Rapinoe is perhaps one of the most well-known players on the USWNT right now, and she’s outspoken about what she believes in, whether that’s equal pay, LGBTQ+ issues, or racial justice. In this memoir, she writes about growing up in her family, finding her way to activism, and meeting her fiancé Sue Bird. It’s a fun read that gives you an inside look at not only Rapinoe the soccer star, but Rapinoe the person.

The struggle for women’s rights is nothing new: this has been happening forever, in different ways. Kendall and D’Amico have created this engrossing graphic history of the ongoing fight for women’s rights. It spans centuries, including abolition, suffrage, labor, civil rights, reproductive rights, and more. It’s an inclusive and accessible primer to important history.

How does this one fit on the list? UNC has consistently been a powerhouse in women’s soccer, with Tar Heel alumnae on the national team and on various professional teams. You know their names: Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, Ashlyn Harris, Tobin Heath, Jessica McDonald — do I have to go on? If you’ve ever wondered what goes on in that college soccer program, this book is a good start.

If anyone knows about taking a stand and affecting change, it’s Stacey Abrams. Written for outsiders — anyone outside the white male traditional power structure — this book examines multiple aspects of leadership, outlines practical strategies, and is full of personal stories that illustrate her points.

This is an older book (almost 20 years old) and looks at the team that won the 1999 World Cup: Mia Hamm, Brandy Chastain, Kristine Lilly, and more. That was the year that I remember people started to really wake up to the USWNT, and this book examines that — the societal expectations and stereotypes the team players faced, race and class on the team, and the discrepancies between men’s soccer and women’s soccer. Despite its age, much of the book still rings true today.

In this book, Su looks at leadership: being the leader you want to be, as the title says. But she focuses on five specific elements of leadership to increase your impact. There’s no doubt the USWNT are leaders, on and off the field. They’re an inspiration to everyone, and if you’re looking for more reading on leadership, make sure to pick this one up.

This book is based on her commencement speech to Barnard College from 2018. Women aren’t Little Red Riding Hood; we never have been — we’re the wolves. Wambach writes about letting go of old rules that don’t serve us and only serve to minimize our power and separate us, and instead join forces and recognize what we can do to change our communities and our world.