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All Heart: My Dedication and Determination to Become One of Soccer's Best – The Inspiring Story of FIFA World Player Carli Lloyd for Kids
Two-time FIFA Player of the Year Carli Lloyd tells her inspirational story of going from nearly quitting soccer to the number one player in the world in this young reader’s edition of her memoir When Nobody Was Watching, now available in paperback.
There was a time when Carli Lloyd almost quit soccer. Then she met James Galanis, a trainer who believed in her and saw her as a player with rare talent and skill who needed to work on her weaknesses. He offered to help her, but only if she made soccer her number one priority. Carli said yes.
In her own words, Carli Lloyd, the two-time recipient of the FIFA World Player of the Year award, tells her inspirational story of going from near defeat to the ultimate goal. All Heart is for players, fans, coaches, dreamers, and anyone who has ever thought about giving up.
There was a time when Carli Lloyd almost quit soccer. Then she met James Galanis, a trainer who believed in her and saw her as a player with rare talent and skill who needed to work on her weaknesses. He offered to help her, but only if she made soccer her number one priority. Carli said yes.
In her own words, Carli Lloyd, the two-time recipient of the FIFA World Player of the Year award, tells her inspirational story of going from near defeat to the ultimate goal. All Heart is for players, fans, coaches, dreamers, and anyone who has ever thought about giving up.
320 pages, Paperback
First published December 6, 2016
23 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
March 27, 2019
This book is about Carli Lloyd and her soccer journey throughout her life. The main theme for this book is ‘if you work hard and push yourself as hard as you can, good things will come.’ This is shown by Carli practicing and training almost everyday including Christmas. After all of this work she finally wins a World Cup in 2016.
August 4, 2022
3.5, it was interesting and pretty motivational but idk if i’m the biggest fan of carli’s personality?
May 29, 2018
This book overall was really interesting because Carli Lloyd talked about her journey of soccer. In the book specifically she talked about her difficulties she had to be at the she in. Also it covered the best moments in her career. I would recommend this book to people that like soccer especially girls.
September 24, 2018
My English teacher makes us do a reading journal so she can see our commitment, not necessarily the style of writing. So sorry about the poor writing (like I said, it's just a free write).
Anyway, I really loved this story and I totally recommend it and... it's all below:
Summary: Carli Lloyd always dreamed of being the best in the world, and although she was cut from a national team, she trained physically and mentally at very hard level to get back at the national level. She battled family drama, problems in relationships, low confidence and doubts, to become the best female player in the world. There will always be obstacles and challenges in reaching goals, but it is those who work and push themselves the hardest and believe the most that will really succeed.
Take-away: "This isn't about me, though. It's about a group of women who fought hard and gave every morsel of energy and skill they had to offer. It's about sacrifice and belief and never giving in, or giving up. It's about character - one of the Five Pillars James talked to me about from the start" (184). I really liked this line that Carli wrote because it's about the whole community of her team working together towards protecting their Olympic gold, and not just the best player on the team. It shows that to win, the whole team has to work their hardest, and never have doubts. This also relates to my experiences with my volleyball team and basketball team.
Bottom Line: I really liked All Heart and would recommend it to all readers (young adults and adults), especially athletes. Carli Lloyd isn't the best writer and there is a lot of repetition. I felt like the same ideas were kept being said, but in different ways. However, the messages she sends out (you have to work extremely hard and give it your all, pushing yourself to high standards will get you to be the best, you have to believe, etc) are very important messages. As I am an athlete, I really took those messages and now am trying to focus even harder on sports. She also talked about how she fought doubts and low confidence, which is something that I often get. People planning to be writers, mathematicians, dancers, singers or any other profession can also take this message and learn from it. Carli's soccer stories (about her interesting games, wins, losses, fun times, etc) are really interesting and so are her stories about family drama, and her relationship with who is now her husband. I learned a lot from reading this book, and I hope others can too.
Anyway, I really loved this story and I totally recommend it and... it's all below:
Summary: Carli Lloyd always dreamed of being the best in the world, and although she was cut from a national team, she trained physically and mentally at very hard level to get back at the national level. She battled family drama, problems in relationships, low confidence and doubts, to become the best female player in the world. There will always be obstacles and challenges in reaching goals, but it is those who work and push themselves the hardest and believe the most that will really succeed.
Take-away: "This isn't about me, though. It's about a group of women who fought hard and gave every morsel of energy and skill they had to offer. It's about sacrifice and belief and never giving in, or giving up. It's about character - one of the Five Pillars James talked to me about from the start" (184). I really liked this line that Carli wrote because it's about the whole community of her team working together towards protecting their Olympic gold, and not just the best player on the team. It shows that to win, the whole team has to work their hardest, and never have doubts. This also relates to my experiences with my volleyball team and basketball team.
Bottom Line: I really liked All Heart and would recommend it to all readers (young adults and adults), especially athletes. Carli Lloyd isn't the best writer and there is a lot of repetition. I felt like the same ideas were kept being said, but in different ways. However, the messages she sends out (you have to work extremely hard and give it your all, pushing yourself to high standards will get you to be the best, you have to believe, etc) are very important messages. As I am an athlete, I really took those messages and now am trying to focus even harder on sports. She also talked about how she fought doubts and low confidence, which is something that I often get. People planning to be writers, mathematicians, dancers, singers or any other profession can also take this message and learn from it. Carli's soccer stories (about her interesting games, wins, losses, fun times, etc) are really interesting and so are her stories about family drama, and her relationship with who is now her husband. I learned a lot from reading this book, and I hope others can too.
January 4, 2018
All Heart: My Dedication and Determination to Become One of Soccer’s Best
By Carli Lloyd with Wayne Coffey
All Heart: My Dedication and Determination to Become One of Soccer’s Best is a biography by Carli Lloyd with Wayne Coffey describes Carli’s life experiences that led her to play at the highest level of soccer. The story talks about the challenges Carli had to face in her effort to become the best soccer player she could be. She begins telling about her soccer life as a young child and how at one level she was considered the best, but as she challenged herself to move up, she realized other players were better than her. “When I am 12 years old, I have what feels like a colossal setback.” ... “I do not make [the elite team].” (Lloyd 10, 12) Even though this was a tough lesson, it didn’t stop her from trying to improve. Carli shares more stories with her fans and readers of the hard work and determination it took for her to live her lifelong dream by overcoming obstacles. When she reaches her greatest achievement, she feels grateful. “It truly is an honor. This has been a dream of mine ever since I started my journey with the national team.” (Lloyd 266)
Carli and Wayne engage the readers, soccer fans or not, as they tell about Carli’s experience. They help the reader understand the hard work required and the sacrifices athletes make when they commit to being successful. I like how she encourages young athletes to keep going, even when things feel impossible and you’d like to give up. “You must be able to see I happening in your mind before it can happen on the field.” (Lloyd 87) The gold medals and the games are a token of the hard work put in, but the personal pride is the ultimate prize. Carli’s story is an inspiration. “ You need to keep believing in what you van do.” (Lloyd 90)
I would give this book a 4 out of 5. I gave it a 4 because the book is relatable and inspirational. I like how, throughout the book, Carli brought you along her journey. You get a clear picture of what she has gone through to be where she is now.
By Carli Lloyd with Wayne Coffey
All Heart: My Dedication and Determination to Become One of Soccer’s Best is a biography by Carli Lloyd with Wayne Coffey describes Carli’s life experiences that led her to play at the highest level of soccer. The story talks about the challenges Carli had to face in her effort to become the best soccer player she could be. She begins telling about her soccer life as a young child and how at one level she was considered the best, but as she challenged herself to move up, she realized other players were better than her. “When I am 12 years old, I have what feels like a colossal setback.” ... “I do not make [the elite team].” (Lloyd 10, 12) Even though this was a tough lesson, it didn’t stop her from trying to improve. Carli shares more stories with her fans and readers of the hard work and determination it took for her to live her lifelong dream by overcoming obstacles. When she reaches her greatest achievement, she feels grateful. “It truly is an honor. This has been a dream of mine ever since I started my journey with the national team.” (Lloyd 266)
Carli and Wayne engage the readers, soccer fans or not, as they tell about Carli’s experience. They help the reader understand the hard work required and the sacrifices athletes make when they commit to being successful. I like how she encourages young athletes to keep going, even when things feel impossible and you’d like to give up. “You must be able to see I happening in your mind before it can happen on the field.” (Lloyd 87) The gold medals and the games are a token of the hard work put in, but the personal pride is the ultimate prize. Carli’s story is an inspiration. “ You need to keep believing in what you van do.” (Lloyd 90)
I would give this book a 4 out of 5. I gave it a 4 because the book is relatable and inspirational. I like how, throughout the book, Carli brought you along her journey. You get a clear picture of what she has gone through to be where she is now.
May 18, 2018
If you’re looking for a great sports book that’s full of action I would definitely recommend All Heart. It’s about Carli Lloyd’s journey to becoming what I believe to be the best Women’s player and teammate.
Some evidence showing this is simply that she won player of the game the last four games of the 2015 World Cup. She won these titles because she was hustling and scoring goals all throughout the tournament. She ended up scoring two goals in the final game against Japan.
Lloyd always stayed inside visualizing and getting ready instead of partying. The night before one of her games her trainor James Galanis told her to visualize the game, after her phone call she said, “So I start visualizing more intently than I ever have in my life.” She never took breaks, she practiced on the holidays. She said this on Christmas 2014, “I spend Christmas 2014 at Brian’s sister Lisa’s house, but before I go, I head out to Laurel Acres to run the hill for my workout.” This is a good example of her spending her holidays working.
Another reason that Carli could be considered the best player is that she had to play even when she had a ton of serious family problems. Right before she left for her 2nd Olympic Games she was kicked out of her parents house because she “never wanted to hear it” according to her dad. She was never able to have her family or loved ones at her soccer games because they made her worry to much about if they’re okay. Possibly the hardest hit she had to take was after her 3rd Olympics her immediate family only sent her a card to congratulate her.
Overall, Carli Lloyd is the best player because she had so many struggles to work through and she never gave up or stopped working. Although some people could argue that she had many critical mistakes she worked it out and made up for it. I would highly recommend reading All Heart if you want to learn more about U.S. soccer players or are just looking for a good action packed book.
Some evidence showing this is simply that she won player of the game the last four games of the 2015 World Cup. She won these titles because she was hustling and scoring goals all throughout the tournament. She ended up scoring two goals in the final game against Japan.
Lloyd always stayed inside visualizing and getting ready instead of partying. The night before one of her games her trainor James Galanis told her to visualize the game, after her phone call she said, “So I start visualizing more intently than I ever have in my life.” She never took breaks, she practiced on the holidays. She said this on Christmas 2014, “I spend Christmas 2014 at Brian’s sister Lisa’s house, but before I go, I head out to Laurel Acres to run the hill for my workout.” This is a good example of her spending her holidays working.
Another reason that Carli could be considered the best player is that she had to play even when she had a ton of serious family problems. Right before she left for her 2nd Olympic Games she was kicked out of her parents house because she “never wanted to hear it” according to her dad. She was never able to have her family or loved ones at her soccer games because they made her worry to much about if they’re okay. Possibly the hardest hit she had to take was after her 3rd Olympics her immediate family only sent her a card to congratulate her.
Overall, Carli Lloyd is the best player because she had so many struggles to work through and she never gave up or stopped working. Although some people could argue that she had many critical mistakes she worked it out and made up for it. I would highly recommend reading All Heart if you want to learn more about U.S. soccer players or are just looking for a good action packed book.
January 11, 2017
Carli Lloyd is well-known for her success as a member of the US Women's National Team. She was a valuable part of the team's wins in both the World Cup and the Olympics. In this memoir, Lloyd shares her love of the game, the events (both good and bad) that led her to the team, and bits of inside information on the workings of professional and international soccer.
As with many sports memoirs, there's plenty of action on the pitch with lots of details of training, injuries, and goals scored and missed. Also, as with many sports memoirs, Lloyd comes across as overly confident, mistreated, misunderstood, and sometimes even bratty. I wanted a bit more about her personal life, although she does talk about issues with her parents. I was also looking for more inspiration for young soccer players. Although she does emphasize the hard work and drive it takes to play at a high level, I wanted her to reflect more of the "heart" she references in the title. Still recommended for soccer fans.
As with many sports memoirs, there's plenty of action on the pitch with lots of details of training, injuries, and goals scored and missed. Also, as with many sports memoirs, Lloyd comes across as overly confident, mistreated, misunderstood, and sometimes even bratty. I wanted a bit more about her personal life, although she does talk about issues with her parents. I was also looking for more inspiration for young soccer players. Although she does emphasize the hard work and drive it takes to play at a high level, I wanted her to reflect more of the "heart" she references in the title. Still recommended for soccer fans.
July 21, 2019
This is a good memoir for soccer fans. Carli Lloyd has been involved in top level soccer since the early 2000s. In 2003 she was cut from the U-21 team. Her coach told her she was not national team material. Carli, a perfectionist, could not let this go. Instead, she buckled down with a trainer named James Galanis, and got into perfect form. She eventually made the national team and went on to win two Olympic golds and a World Cup championship. Through it all she had many low points. She had to deal with a difficult coach, team infighting, team cuts, and a battle with her parents. She thrived when the stakes were down, getting back up and throwing every ounce of herself into training. Today she is still on the US National team.
I enjoyed this book, but I feel like it's oversaturated with the details of every major game she played. I would have liked this kind of detail about her life off the field, like Hope Solo's memoir. It's definitely uplifting and full of good messages.
I enjoyed this book, but I feel like it's oversaturated with the details of every major game she played. I would have liked this kind of detail about her life off the field, like Hope Solo's memoir. It's definitely uplifting and full of good messages.
July 20, 2020
This is the Young Reader's version of Lloyd's story, so it was an easy read for an adult.
Lloyd details her rise as a soccer player – from playing as a kid in New Jersey, through college teams, the U-21 National Team, and the full Women’s National Team. While the text was pretty straight-forward, I will say that she does not spend any time explaining soccer terms to the reader. If you don’t know the basics of the game, be ready to Google.
The vibe of this book is motivational, especially to young people or athletes who like to train hard.
Overall, an uplifting and breezy read for a hot, quick soccer season!
Full review at: https://readingourshelves.com/2020/07...
Lloyd details her rise as a soccer player – from playing as a kid in New Jersey, through college teams, the U-21 National Team, and the full Women’s National Team. While the text was pretty straight-forward, I will say that she does not spend any time explaining soccer terms to the reader. If you don’t know the basics of the game, be ready to Google.
The vibe of this book is motivational, especially to young people or athletes who like to train hard.
Overall, an uplifting and breezy read for a hot, quick soccer season!
Full review at: https://readingourshelves.com/2020/07...
September 17, 2019
I liked how Carli grew out of her struggles and doubts and eventually became a soccer star. I also liked how when Chris Petrucelli the u21 coach told Carli that she was not good enough but know when she sees him she tells him that he was the guy who helped save her career. When I tried out for the soccer team this year I did not make it. The coach told me that I did not make the team and that I did not meet certain tests. I ate nothing that night. The next day I told myself that I had two choices either to give up or try harder so next year I would make the team. Till today I still practice my soccer skills in the hope that one year I will make the team.
October 4, 2017
Carli Lloyd is known for her soccer prowess, but most people don't know that she almost quit soccer when she got cut from a U-21 team. She tells her story about her love of the sport from the time she was a young girl to the woman she is now. She talks about her hard work and determination, her struggles and her successes. She is also very frank about the issues she faced with teammates and coaches as well as with her own family. The writing is not the best, but those with a passion for soccer will enjoy it.
8 pages of full color photographs
8 pages of full color photographs
September 11, 2021
I love Carli as a player and give her all the props for her amazing career that is now coming to end. Unfortunately did not love the book. It is a play-by-play of the games up til 2016 written in present tense, and while I played soccer through high school myself, I did not enjoy this style. I wanted her to delve into more of her personal life and background. There's a mysterious fight with her parents that she does not flesh out and it is just confusing for readers. It took me a long time to finish because I just could not get into it.
May 9, 2017
All Heart written by Carli Lloyd, is a excellence and inspiring book. Carli's dedication and determination to become one of the best soccer players is described throughout the book. She faces many obstacles in her path, but that didn't stop her. I recommend this book to people who are motivated and like reading autobiographies. Overall the story itself is interesting and exciting to read. Carli has now played with the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team and has won a FIFA championship.
March 17, 2020
This autobiography by Carli Lloyd was amazing. Carli tells about her life and her journey to making it to the USWNT. She included pictures of herself which added to the autobiography to show her soccer journey. I would give this autobiography 5 stars. I would recommend this book to people who love sports especially soccer and autobiography books. I would also recommend this books to students in grades 8-10.
October 25, 2020
Listened as it was on my shelf from Ivy. Amazing player and cool to learn if her incredible drive and dedication. Narrator was AWFUL - sounded like she was reading actuarial tables. Read this on the page if you’re gonna.
April 9, 2021
Carli Lloyd, a US Woman’s soccer player and two time player FIFA of the year. This is all about her journey of almost quitting to being one of the best players in the world. Very inspiring book, I enjoyed it very much.
September 5, 2021
I might've liked this book a bit more if I was, you know, an actual soccer player. And also I know this sounds crazy and maybe the slightest bit weird, but this book was oddly ~aggressive~ to me. I honestly don't know where I got this idea from, but hey I wrote it.
July 19, 2022
I love Carli Lloyd, but I was not enthralled reading this book. I enjoyed learning about Carli's success and struggles throughout her life, but the writing did not keep me entertained, nor wanting to continue.
January 28, 2025
I loved it so much! As someone who only played soccer for 1 season, i loved the message. I love this book for anyone with any self-doubt and lacks self confidence because Carli is truly an amazing role-modle.
July 27, 2017
Very inspirational. There was a very strong message of never giving up and always giving 100 %.
September 25, 2017
Great biography of a person determined to be the best player possible.
November 19, 2017
It did take me a bit to finish this, but I felt like a quick read. I have never felt so inspired about soccer and life at all! I totally recommend!
September 25, 2020
I recommend this book because it teaches the amazing lesson to always give your all and to never stop trying to be the best. It teaches to never leave something knowing you could've given more effort
November 19, 2020
I loved this book! It has a great theme of perseverance. I love Carli Lloyd and the USWNT.
Read
January 6, 2021I loved it! It really inspired me as a soccer player, and would some day love to play at that level.
July 26, 2021
Great book 📚
Want to read
February 26, 2022I really like this book because I like soccer and sports.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2024
I LOVE CARLI AND HER JOURNEY 💗
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February 23, 2017All Heart is about Carli Lloyd and how she won 2 Olympic gold medals and 1 World Cup title. The story begins with her playing for her hometown team in New Jersey. She makes the ODP (Olympic Development Program). Also, in the beginning it talks about how she made the US National team and went through 3 different coaching changes. The first was Greg, a guy who hated Carli and Carli hated him. He even said that she was one of those people who didn't care about the team. Then it talks about Pia, the coach who was coaching while they won the 2 Olympic gold medals. Then it was a coach from Australia who Carli liked but he didn't win anything with the team. Last, it was Jill who is still the coach of the team today. Jill was Pia's assistant coach. In fact, Jill brought back the World Cup title to the United States.
I would really recommend All Heart by Carli Lloyd because it is a great book and I had so much fun reading it. At some points I couldn't even put the book down. It also has real photos of Carli playing soccer and I thought that that was cool. If you love soccer you would definitely love this book. You should definitely read it.
-Lilly
I would really recommend All Heart by Carli Lloyd because it is a great book and I had so much fun reading it. At some points I couldn't even put the book down. It also has real photos of Carli playing soccer and I thought that that was cool. If you love soccer you would definitely love this book. You should definitely read it.
-Lilly
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. It showed me the journey from a young athlete into and olympic champion and it gave me motivation that I can be anything I want to be as long as I set my mind to it. I think if Carli hadn’t worked as hard as she did she wouldn’t be the same person she is today.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews