Raising Tomorrow’s Champions: A New Book by Legend Joanna Lohman

Many socceristas got into the game because of the USWNT. They saw stars like Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan, and Megan Rapinoe light up their TV screens with magnificent skill, power, and determination. The USWNT is, without doubt, an inspiration to young soccer players everywhere. Their won’t-lose attitude sets them apart from the rest of the world. Whether they play soccer or not, young girls look to them and wonder: “how can I be just like them?” Joanna Lohman, former USWNT and NWSL player, provides the answer in her new book, Raising Tomorrow’s Champions.

Joanna Lohman’s book is unique because it combines life lessons from roughly 100 significant women’s soccer figures. How did this come to be? With Lohman at the helm, it’s not hard to see why.

There are few players in the game like Lohman, who’ve been around since the early 2000s and have stayed with the game into the modern era. Like Crystal Dunn and Morgan Brian after her, Lohman was a star of the college game. She was courted by some of the biggest names in NCAA soccer, including college soccer juggernaut University of North Carolina. Though, she ultimately landed at Penn State. By the time she finished her college career, Lohman had landed herself on several record lists, including the record for most game-winning goals all-time. In 2002, Lohman was even Mac Hermann Trophy finalist.

After college, Lohman featured in professional leagues all over the world, including Spain, Sweden, and even a training spell in Tokyo. However, Lohman will always be known as a constant figure in the United States’ various professional women’s soccer leagues. When you think journey-woman, you think Lohman. She retired after four years with the Washington Spirit in 2019. The team honored her contributions to the organization, and the woman’s game at large, by retiring her signature #15 jersey.

Lohman’s career and accolades speak for themselves, but her career took place over an interesting women’s soccer era. Lohman’s college career began in 2000, just a year after the much-heralded 1999 Women’s World Cup. She then played professionally through the early 2000s and 2010s, when women’s professional soccer was tumultuous at best and non-existent at worst, and she finished her career during a time when the women’s game has never been more stable. Suffice to say, Lohman has been an integral part of the women’s game for so long, and her experience has made her the perfect person to bring together so many women’s soccer stars in one place for the book. She may not be the biggest star, but she is universally loved and respected. And not just for her power on the field, but in the community too. Her moniker as the Rainbow Warrior could not be more fitting. She partners with organizations around the world to advocate for the LGBTQ community and has never tried to hide who she is as an out and proud professional athlete. For girls struggling with their own sexuality, she is a figure of assurance and inspiration. It doesn’t end there. She’s worked with organizations like the Human Rights Campaign,  and even as a Sports Diplomat with the Department of State! Her drive to help  is in her DNA, and now that her life is not consumed with soccer on the field, she will definitely be someone to use her platform to stand up for undeserved communities be a force for “good trouble”, whether it be LGBTQ community, racial justice or women’s rights.

Here’s a short clip from the interview GSN’s founder, Jennifer Gruskoff, did with Lohman, where she talks about how women’s soccer is really making a difference in the world.

Lohman’s book is a can’t-miss for players and parents alike. For players, Raising Tomorrow’s Champions gives an inside look into how your favorite players got to where they are today. And for parents, the stories found here are invaluable lessons to teach your children – no matter what sports they play. Here are some of our favorite parts:

Can’t-Miss Stories from Raising Tomorrow’s Champions

• Michelle Akers challenging gender stereotypes when she was just a young girl in a Seattle suburb
• Why parents should encourage their kids to play more than just one sport
• What happened when Alex Morgan was cut from one of the first club teams she ever tried out for
• Shannon Boxx’s battle with an autoimmune disease on her way to becoming one of the oldest players to debut for the USWNT
• Joanna Lohman’s experience choosing a college
• Rose Lavelle’s keys to success

Narrowing this list down to just a few stories was no easy task. Raising Tomorrow’s Champions is unlike any other soccer book we’ve read before. It’s a must-read for young soccer stars (or athletes of any sport) feeling out their future with the sport, parents wondering looking for methods to raise their sports-obsessed kids, or women’s soccer fans looking to learn everything they can about the game they love.

Raising Tomorrow’s Champions is available now through Amazon and rtcsoccer.com. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to support charitable causes important to the women’s soccer community.

Featured Image Courtesy of Joanna Lohman

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