Outcasts United: The Story of a Refugee Soccer Team That Changed a Town Adapted for Young People

by Warren St. John

American-educated Jordanian Luma Mufleh founds a youth soccer team comprised of children from Liberia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Balkan states, and elsewhere in the refugee settlement town of Clarkston, Georgia, bringing the children together to discover their common bonds as they adjust to life in a new homeland.

Adaptation of the adult title, Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference (Spiegel & Grau, 2009)

Genres: Young Adult, Sports, Middle Grade

228 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Warren St. John is a former reporter for the The New York Times. He also has written extensively for The New Yorker, the New York Observer, and "Wired." He attended Columbia University and now lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize that I was reading the youth version of this book until I was done - I guess that's why it was such a fast read. I really enjoyed the story and learned alot about why people came from various parts of the world as refugees. Interesting to hear how they all ended up in a small town in Georgia!

After going through so much trauma, these boys gathered and did an amazing job playing soccer the best they could. Along the way they became a supportive international community. That was great to see.

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm glad I read this book - I learned a lot. I think I'll be taking it out of my 5/6 classroom, though, for these reasons:
1. I don't think 10-12 yr. olds would enjoy it - it seems written for an adult audience, even though this is the adaptation.
2. The author clearly is writing from a white normative attitude, and I don't mean this as a criticism so much as an observation. White people should have, but didn't, start thinking about these kinds of issues until very recently, so even in 2012, when this was published, there are still some things that made me flinch. For instance: the title. Why "outcasts"? Are refugees outcasts? Whether someone thinks they are or not, is it respectful to call them that?
3. As a coach myself, I don't love Luma's coaching methods. She clearly loves the kids and wants the best for them, but for instance, the haircutting policy might be seen today as a racist policy. And she seems to coach with disapproval and anger, and that's so far away from my style (and what I would want for my kids). Maybe it was effective, in a sense, but not something I'd necessarily want to hold up as a model.

Oh well!

[Noah DeDomenico · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outcasts United takes place in Clarkston Georgia in the 1990’s, which is a small town just about 10 miles outside of Atlanta. It is a true story based on Luma al Mufleh’s journey to find her passion away from home. One day Luma stumbled across a group of boys playing soccer and a light bulb lit up in her head. She knew she had to host tryouts for the boys of Clarkston. What she did not realize was that coaching this team would be a full time job on and off the field. Luma found that Clarkston was mostly a home to refugees from Africa, Asia, and Europe. Through thick and thin Luma stuck with her team and faced discrimination from other teams and her players. Luma and her team were able to demonstrate the quality of teamwork and coordination to overcome this challenge. The way Luma was able to take kids from many different harsh backgrounds, and not just make a great soccer team out of them, but also bond friendships between them is truly amazing. Warren St. John did a spectacular job building up the plot of the story by individually explaining each refugees backstory through his omniscient point of view. His methods create a bond between the reader and the team by demonstrating the theme of friendship and family. Personally I thought the book was very well written, and I loved how the narrator portrayed the thoughts and feelings of the characters. I would definitely recommend this book to those looking for inspiration and a heartwarming novel.

[Kristal Romero · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book did start off a bit slow but then towards the remaining parts of the story, it was really cohesive. I liked how it explained the backgrounds of the players and the reason they were refugees since you get to know more background context. Although I wanted to see a resolution for prince story , I understand how this is based on a real story and how more complex people are in real life. Really interesting reading about how a person’s idea helped spark a movement that improved the life’s of the young boys which by now all of them are adults. Overall interesting story about soccer and the impact that sports have between people who are different.

[Marlathemom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this novel knowing I’d be teaching it for summer school, so I was focused on what my lesson plans would look like, but the heart-wrenching story of a refugee soccer team who overcomes innumerable obstacles under the guidance of their tough coach is uplifting and inspiring.

[Darian Sooudi]

I chose to read Outcasts United by Warren St. John because I'm interested in stories about immigration and how sports can bring people together. I was expecting a simple underdog story, but the book proved to be more emotional and complex than I had anticipated. Even though I've never experienced being a refugee like the boys on the Fugees team, some parts reminded me of when my own parents fled Iran after the revolution and had to start a new life: adapting to the language, culture, and beliefs.

What stood out most to me was the theme of belonging. St. John illustrates how the boys and their families struggle to rebuild their lives in Clarkson, Georgia, and how Coach Luma becomes a mentor and a steady force for them. What I like is how the author connects the boys' day-to-day struggles with the bigger issues they're dealing with as refugees, so the book becomes way more than about soccer.

I recommend this book to readers who like true stories about community, social issues, or youth sports. Teachers and coaches might especially relate to it. For readers who are looking for a light or feel-good sports book, they should know this one deals with heavier topics, like trauma and poverty.

[Madeline Torres · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read and annotate this book for school which kind of killed me inside because there is no way I could ever write in a book. It was very slow so it took a long time to get to the climax which still is debated among my classmates. I wouldn't really consider it to middle schoolers because its empty compared to other books out there about refugees.
If you are like me and have to write a book report on this, there are little to no packed quotes to analyze. I would like to see what the unadapted version is and how different it could be from this one. Honestly this didn't seem totally YA because it involved shooting and gang violence so it would be interesting to see how much 'rougher' it could be for adults.

[Alexis Blanco · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting because the luma the coach was a private coach for youth soccer one day she was driving and got lost and she ended up in Clarkston, Georgia she came across a kid barefoot in the street and she was watching the kids play soccer and she release that the kid was playing good and was thinking about quitting her job and she did to start a soccer team and coach the kid and the kid name was zubaid he didn't trust luma yet tell they become closer and release that luna was a great coach and started to let luma coach him. At first, she was pushy telling him that she was just trying to improve himself she did that to the rest of them, and they won a game in the end they started a new soccer academy.

[Danielle Booey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outcasts United is the story of Luma Mufleh and the soccer community she built in Clarkston, Georgia for resettled refugees. The Fugees as they came to be known are made up of boys from all over Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. Boys who have survived horrors, lived through traumas, and are now doing their best to adapt to life in a new country while learning an entirely new language and culture.

It is a story of hope and perseverance of three teams of boys U-13s, U-15s, and U17s over one season and the woman who refused to quit.

I really enjoyed this young reader's adaptation and will probably need to pick up the adult version as well.

[Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story takes place in 2004, when refugees from all over Africa make their way to Charlestown, seeking asylum. In this inspiring story, Coach Luma gathers kids from all over Charlestown and creates a soccer club. All these kids have very different backstories, and different prejudices against each other. Yet, they still learn to accept each other, and end up successful in their later careers, thanks to a small soccer club. I really hope the story of the Fugees are spread, and hope people are inspired by the Fugees.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My son was reading this for school so I decided to read it, too. He told me some of it was boring because it was about soccer and I have to agree. I liked the parts about Luma and the boys - their relationships, their struggles, their triumphs. The parts detailing what was happening in the games, kick by kick, was dull. And really didn't add anything to the story.

My son told me that in the adult version of the book you learn that Luma is a lesbian. He was disappointed that that part was "censored" out of the kids version. Interesting choice.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luma, an immigrant herself, becomes the coach of an all refugee soccer team in Georgia. She must help the kids to overcome and cope with the struggles they deal with as refugees from all around the world.

NC MBOB 2020/2021 selection. Good read. Luma and her work with refugee kids and families is inspiring. There were some loose ends I'd have liked to have seen tied up though.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the Fugees was both heartbreaking and inspiring. It's clear the author had to cut out some details to make this version appropriate for young readers, but he kept enough to keep the story impactful. My only critique is that some of the game descriptions felt a bit long. I guess it's a book about a soccer team, but reading a play-by-play is much more boring than watching a game.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent nonfiction account of Luma's success with the refugee soccer team, although this is NOT a great YA-adapted book for middle schoolers, especially struggling readers. The advanced vocabulary makes this book appropriately challenging for high school.

[Lanica · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the story is interesting and the topic is important, the writing was not fun to read. He is a journalist...and this was a very long article. There was a ton of facts, but little human connection.

I still recommend it...it's important.

[Kimberly B · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I read this for my Teachers as Readers book club. This is a really interesting story. I liked how many of the kids stories were described, but this is written for young readers and as a result lacking some depth.

[steven]

outcasts united is a book about a coach that sees these kids playing outside their apartment complexes and they go to play as a team with a few mishaps but in the end its all good. the thing i love about it is you don't get bored while reading it.

[CJ Ericson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book because it was very different from me so it was very interesting to learn how one may overcome a challenge that I would probably not have to face. It could have had a little more excitement to it but it was still interesting.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just ok which was a bummer because I was really looking forward to reading it. Really good story about someone paying attention and helping the child refugee situation but it was really choppy with a ton of names which took away from the story

[Lyra Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting and uplifting story, but it felt a little all over the place and disconnected at times. I liked the story and got invested in the team, but sometimes the way the added historical information was presented felt jarring.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love soccer and helping people so this book was just for me. I loved it!

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great stories, not the easiest read--very disjointed, not the greatest adaptation that I've read before

[Jonathan Choi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book as it showed the story of many refugees from many different places come together through their love of soccer.

[Ashton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was definitely hard to get through some chapters but over all the book was a intriguing good read. I'm glad I picked it. It really shows how much I have compared to others.

[Landon Herron · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the book because the coach taught the coaches how to play and didnt give up on them. But i dont like the book because it is not my favorite and not my type

[Seeta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read with my freshman student for summer Reading work. Enjoyed learning about Luma and her life story and the boys she helped shape but at times, story was choppy and all over the place.

[Andrew Lusty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its a good book, mainly because I like football / soccer and fount it entertaining

[Alec Ferre · Rating 5 out of 5]

very interesing

[Katherine Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This didn’t really read for a U13 or U15 reader, but better suited for U17. It’s a great read for that high school player.

[Flor Romero · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, didn’t expect it to be this good. So many different stories to learn about and connect to the central idea of the whole book.