It's Not About the Bra : Play Hard, Play Fair, and Put the Fun Back Into Competitive Sports

Rating:
Summary: Good!
Review: I was impressed with the book. It was a good read - I read it in one night. There was good life advice in it - but what I probably liked more were the stories about things that had happened to Brandi or to her teammates and the other anecdotes. I also liked the pictures and wished there were more. The guest essays by Mia, Lily, Shannon Boxx etc. were great.

Rating:
Summary: learning about the game and life
Review: Its Not About the Bra: How to Play Hard, Play Fair and Put the Fun Back into Competitive Sports by Brandi Chastain.

If you want to learn how to deal with pain, struggle, heartache and how to love life or love a sport you play this is the book for you! Its Not About the Bra is an autobiography of Brandi Chastains Life. Brandi Chastain is a member of the Womens National Soccer Team and has been a member for over a decade. Shes won Gold medals; World Cups and still has the want to play the game she loves. Its Not About the Bra demonstrates why soccer and sports, in general, are good for both girls and boys to play sports because they are able to interact with others and it teaches them to be a better person, even though you may not think so. Soccer or any other sports, but soccer in this book, is a way to teach you life lessons and ways to help you through life tragedies. This book also taught you if for some reason you lose the love of the game, give it time and if you truly love it, you will have the need to play sooner or later, hopefully sooner. A few important aspects of this book were to be a team player, sportsmanship versus gamesmanship and that you must try your hardest and be able to inspire to your dreams!

Its Not About the Bra was a great book to read because it taught me about how to deal with curve balls that are thrown at you both in life and in soccer. From learning to decide if you should play with the boys, or how have better sportsmanship, learning how to deal with all the distractions that occur while playing on the field, learning the love the game and learning to play aggressively but not too aggressively and everything you would ever want to learn. Its Not About the Bra made me think more before stepping onto the field and just doing what I usually do, rather to do the same routine because it makes you play better and to learn how to help people but to not be mean or criticize them. The book taught me that if challenges or road blocks to your path are given to you to become a better person you must be able to work around them. Brandi got hurt and had to have multiple surgeries on her knee and she still would not stop playing soccer, she worked through the pain, the heartache and the depression. She worked very hard at training and trying to practice and even being the great sport she is cheered her teammates on no matter what, even though she was not able to play. That shows heart and I wish I would be able to do that! To be a great leader you may think you have to be loud, like Julie Foudy, who is the captain of the womens national team or you could lead by example, like Joy Fawcett, who is the assistant captain. Being a leader or a captain comes from within, but can also come from desire or striving to do your best and helping others on your team and Its Not About the Bra taught me that!

If you are interested in sports, especially soccer or are a young female athlete that would like to be able to learn a lot from a book you need to read this book! This book is also a must read for parents who want only the best for their child because they might push the child too far and make the child hate playing soccer. I would also recommend this book for any youth coaches or soccer or other sports because it shows the coaches that they need to help everyone and not try to be the perfect coach because it is unrealistic. Overall I would recommend anyone who has ever played sports, watched their children grow up with sports and want to learn more about what the children go through or just any sports fanatic, especially a soccer fanatic!