2009-2010 discussion

What do you as readers think of Luma as a coach and a person?I luv how she can be stern and in control while at the same kind and helpful.She sacrifices her time and life to not only coach the soccer team she created, but she also takes care of the refugees and their family.I would luv to meet her in real life as well as see her team play.How about you?

I think her methods are somtimes are over the top but she gets the job done. Leaving her business was a bit much but I lover her dedaction and how she cares so much for her team. I personally had to meet her and I actually talk to her she seems like a real nice lady, she is a n exceellent coach but I times I think her methods are bit to much but she gets her teams to win on a consistent basis.

In the book Luma makes her boys cut her hair In order to stay on the team.Me personally I feel that this taking the rules a bit to far.Do you feel that her decision to have the boys cut their own a good decision?

I understand what you mean about going over the top but its results showed.Thats great that you met her in real life.Wish I could.I get what she saying about cutting their hair because she wanted them to look nice and presentable.Most teams of any sport do keep their hair short so i do agree with her on that topic.

In Chapter Eleven Luma decides to test the boys by not coaching them throught the wholegame testing their ability to play without a coach and to see what they would do. I love the fact that she is so dedicated she is one of the best coaches I have read about or seen few people would have gave up their job just to coach a youth leauge soccer team wihtout pay and not much help from the city of Clarkston. I love her devtion and wish that all coaches took does drastic measures to ensure their team will succeded not onlyon the feild but in the classroom, she even goes as far to find a tutor to help her soccer team in their class work.

Im soccer player myself and I dont find my self bieng very intersted in this book. I kno this book isnt all about soccer i still cant really relate to this book. All i can apply to is my coach bieng as good as luma.

Christianl wrote: "Im soccer player myself and I dont find my self bieng very intersted in this book. I kno this book isnt all about soccer i still cant really relate to this book. All i can apply to is my coach bien..."
I can understand why at times this book may seem boring it does drag on and sometimes gives us to much information on some of the cracthers lives that i feel is not worth talkling about

I also luv how devoted Luma is to her team.I find this book being an awesome read and i dont even play soccer so maybe thats why since its not jus about soccer.I can look at the whole community and listen to their lives.

Keon wrote: "I also luv how devoted Luma is to her team.I find this book being an awesome read and i dont even play soccer so maybe thats why since its not jus about soccer.I can look at the whole community and..." I unerstand wht your saying to keon i am really intrested in the book. and how luma gets the kids to interact with each other and how she gts the kids to play as a team as a unit. She a ery good coach--which are to find especially in amateaur athletics.

I have a new question.What does everyone think of the background of Luma and her team?Some of them come from poverty and broken homes and i wonder if that affects the intensity of their love for soccer.Also i loved the chapter about Luma's childhood.

I'm sure that there backgrounds interfer with their discipline and ability to focus all of their attention on the game. The book even talks about how Luma has to control some of the tension between some of the boys who come from rivalry backgrounds, especially when you are dealing with such a diverse team.

I like the chapter where luma sets up a game between the u15 and the u17 team to see how the u15 team would react to the other bieng superior to them as they perpared for there games left to play..

Yeah, I agree. She is a very wise coach in that she knows how to get information out of her players that they wouldn't just tell here about. Instead of just telling the under 15s that they react to the under 17s being superior, she lets them figure it out on their own.

I am really impressed at Luma coaching style. She does not scream alot during game time, she lets the boys plat through time of adversity.It is rare to find a coach who isn't always hollering from the sideline when his team makes a mistake. She always reamins cool calm and collected during times of adversity.

i think coach luma is a good harsh coach :) ... she makes her boys hustle eveygame. she thinks about the players not just on the field but off the field too.

Very true, she is amazingly patient, yet she lets her players know that she is there for business. I really liked the part when Luma let her under 15s play the game, against all of the rich white kids, by themselves.

Keon wrote: "I also luv how devoted Luma is to her team.I find this book being an awesome read and i dont even play soccer so maybe thats why since its not jus about soccer.I can look at the whole community and..."

Agreed, and I also love how the setting for this book is right here in Atlanta. It makes the story a little more relatable.

I have a question about this book. why was luma so harsh on her players even way back when she coached a girls team for the ymca.