THE EMPTY LOT: A Soccer Chapter Book for Boys Ages 9–14 | From Street Football to a Real Team | Middle Grade Sports Fiction (First Eleven)

He didn't have a team. He didn't have boots.
He had a wall, and he used it every single day.

Marco Rivera grew up playing alone on a cracked parking lot in East LA, practicing with a plastic bottle against a concrete wall until the day he spotted a real team training on the other side of the fence. Four days he stood there and watched. On the fifth day, he walked through the gate.

What happened next will change everything.

From street football to his first tryout, from the moment Coach Ray noticed the kid who read the game like no one he'd ever seen, this is the story of a boy who refused to wait for permission to belong.

For parents: If your son loves soccer but says he hates reading, this series is designed to motivate reluctant readers with short chapters, a fast pace, and a main character who thinks like young players. Boys who haven't finished a book in years finish this one in a week. Then ask for Book 2.

The Empty Lot is Book 1 of the First Eleven series, a soccer chapter book series for boys ages 9–14 that follows Marco Rivera from the streets of East LA all the way to FC Porto across six books. Each book is a complete story. No cliffhangers. No frustration. Just a kid and a game, and the next room he hasn't walked into yet.

Fast, short chapters, perfect soccer book for boys who don't sit still

Authentic street-to-academy journey, real tactics, and real emotions make this series a genuine soccer experience for young readers.

Themes of resilience, belonging, and what it means to earn your place are woven into every story, inspiring boys to see their own potential and feel connected.

The #1 starting point for the complete kids soccer book series

A perfect gift for youth soccer players ages 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14

Beloved by reluctant readers, parents call it the book that finally worked.

Once Marco steps through that gate, there's no going back.

Book 1 of the First Eleven series — soccer books for boys ages 9–14. Start here.