Summer Reading Pick! ‘Raised A Warrior’ By Susie Petruccelli

July 15, 2021
By Jennifer Gruskoff

Raised A Warrior is a “coming of athlete” story told by Susie Petruccelli, who was growing up right around the time (women’s) soccer was getting some traction here in the United States. The book is a love letter to the beautiful game and a roadmap on how it can shape one’s personal development through hard work, perseverance, and teamwork. It’s also a historical look at what was going on in women’s soccer culture at the time and how that impacted the roadmap of Susie’s life.

From a girl growing up in southern California to becoming the captain of Harvard’s Women’s Soccer Team, Susie’s path is well told. As the daughter of Stanford athletes, she was raised in the kind of competitive home that either ignites sporty ambition or kills it. Her twin sister was also a soccer player, so the pressure to compete and achieve was a natural extension of her life.

The soccer part of the book – Susie’s journey as a talented club player to the eventual captain of Harvard’s women’s soccer team is riddled with obstacles many young athletes face. Her health and injuries were a big challenge for her, which almost took the joy out of the sport entirely. We can feel her pain and frustration as she struggles to understand how to cope with the setbacks.

Eventually, Susie not only succeeds but finds her voice as a leader. She helps lead Harvard to another Ivy League title, but is that her greatest soccer achievement? On the field, yes. But it’s the awareness of what is happening off the field, in women’s soccer and sports, that defines the effect the game had on her. Becoming aware of the inequities in the women’s game and how women are discriminated against is the real takeaway of her soccer career. It shows how the power of the sport can transcend the on-field battle. For Susie and so many women who have played, it propels them into a kind of activism that provides a deeper meaning and purpose to life. They understand the game’s true potential; it’s not just a sport; it’s a movement.