So You Want To Be A Professional Athlete (So You Want To Be A...)

"So You Want to Be a Professional Athlete, by Linda Soules, pulls back the curtain on a job kids usually meet through highlights. Part of a wider 'what you might become' series for curious tweens, it takes ambition seriously and still refuses to sell the path as simple or painless.

If you have ever sat beside a child who thinks pros mostly 'play,' this is the reality check you needed. Soules maps the hidden ninety percent: recovery, nutrition, film, travel, and mental training next to the grunt work in the gym. She does not soft-pedal injury, public failure, or how strange life feels when the sport stops being your whole address. Moments like Derek Redmond's finish with his father land hard, and the margin between medal and fourth still stings in a good way. She nudges kids toward multi-sport curiosity, loving movement, and losing with honest questions. It feels like straight talk from someone who respects your intelligence.

The prose is clear and reads well at the kitchen table, with short sentences that steady the talk when sleep, anxiety, or money show up. The weave of science, career craft, and biography suits curious browsers more than kids who want one unbroken story. Now and then the detail stack runs deep. Through it all the voice stays respectful and never talks down.

For parents raising a practice-obsessed ten- or twelve-year-old, this guide is a strong shelf mate: honest about cost, generous with dignity, and clear that 'professional' begins long before anyone in the stands knows your name."

So You Want To Be A Professional Athlete by Linda Soules is a well-written book that will inspire children aspiring to be athletes with the necessary information about what the profession entails. Linda begins by describing who a professional athlete is and what they do outside of the field, court, or track. The bulk of a professional athlete's job is built on routines that train their body to do what the human body won't ordinarily do. These routines include physical maintenance, such as proper sleep, eating with the precision of a scientist to enhance performance and recovery, training, and more. Linda further shares what a day in the life of a professional athlete is like, starting from 6:30 AM, while also highlighting the most important qualities of a professional athlete.

I enjoyed every aspect of this book from start to finish because it was both informative and educational. While it is good for children to dream big about becoming professional athletes, it is also important that they understand the reality of achieving success in any competition, which Linda brilliantly discusses in this book. I was inspired by the stories of famous professional athletes, some of whom I got to know from this book. The fun facts, colorful pages, and brilliant illustrations make reading more engaging for children. The writing is concise, well-paced, and organized. Themes featured include fitness, hard work, and teamwork, among others. I recommend So You Want To Be A Professional Athlete by Linda Soules to all young readers, sports fans, and anyone aspiring to become a professional athlete.

"So You Want To Be A Professional Athlete by Linda Soules is a smart and encouraging nonfiction guide for kids who dream about playing sports at the highest level. Instead of focusing only on fame, trophies, and big game moments, this book shows what being a professional athlete really looks like behind the scenes. Soules makes it clear that talent matters, but it is only the beginning. The real work comes through practice, discipline, training, recovery, and learning how to handle pressure.

One of the best parts of this children's book is how honest it is without being discouraging. Young readers learn about strength training, nutrition, sleep, film study, mental toughness, and the team of coaches, trainers, nutritionists, and sports psychologists who help athletes perform their best. The book also explains the less glamorous parts of the job, like injuries, early mornings, strict routines, public failure, and the fact that an athletic career does not last forever. That honesty makes the book feel useful, especially for kids who may think professional athletes mostly just show up and play.

The writing is clear, casual, and easy for kids to follow, while still treating them like serious readers. Soules doesn't talk down to her audience, and she gives enough detail to make the world of elite sports feel real. The colorful illustrations, fun facts, real athlete stories, glossary, and 'day in the life' sections help keep the book engaging. Some parts are packed with information, so it may appeal most to curious readers who enjoy learning how things work, but sports-loving kids will find plenty here to keep their attention. I also liked how it mentions that 'The mental dimension is as demanding as the physical.' I don't think many children's book go into this aspect enough, and I was happy to see this book tackle that side of sports.

So You Want To Be A Professional Athlete is a great choice for young athletes, sports fans, families, teachers, and coaches. It gives kids a realistic look at the hard work behind greatness while still encouraging them to dream big. More than anything, it shows that being 'professional' starts long before the crowd cheers your name, it starts with the choices you make when no one is watching."

"Informative and short read about what a career as a professional athlete actually looks like. The author shows all aspects of the life of an athlete and encourages curious kids to try for themselves."

"At some point over the last year I’ve heard my son and his friends say they want to be a professional athlete. They all think it’s just going to practice and playing a few games – seems very glamorous to them. This book helped my son understand the mental toughness needed to be a professional athlete. I loved that it broke down a day in the life of an athlete and highlighted the tough parts of the job in addition to the fun parts. I also appreciated the variety of genders and races in the illustrations."

"A wonderful read for kids who want to be great in athletics. I love the illustrations in this book. They're very detailed and make sure to drive home a lot of the most important themes. This book goes from the first thought you have about becoming a professional, during, and even after becoming a professional athlete. It covers how you have to train your body, nutrition, the absolute whole hearted dedication, and even the whole team you have that is dedicated to you and your body during your career. It also makes sure to talk about how important it is to be a part of a team that understands what your life is like and even how so many lessons translate to jobs later in life."

"Great book for young athletes! It shows that becoming a professional athlete takes hard work, discipline, and dedication—not just talent. The examples and visuals make it engaging and inspiring. Highly recommend!"

"This was a very well written book outlining the dedication and hard work involved becoming an athlete."

"This is a great book to introduce all the aspects of a professional athlete's world to an aspiring athlete. It explains and sheds light on the behind the scenes requirements that are hidden from public view... While everyone sees how fun the competition is, few understand what all goes into being a professional athlete."

"It's hard work! Not just for the body but mentally too. I loved that this book mentions flow state... It's effortless and the world around me disappears... I think that's really important when finding your passion in life."

"A fantastic read for aspiring young athletes! This book emphasizes that success in professional sports stems from commitment, perseverance, and discipline—not simply talent. The real-life examples and eye-catching visuals keep readers motivated and engaged throughout. I loved it!"

"Very informative yet quick book. This book does a great job at realistically depicting how becoming a professional athlete takes a lot of hard work and dedication, not just talent. The book was interesting and motivating, and it made me understand how important practice, teamwork, and never giving up are if you want to achieve your goals. I feel this would be great for high school student who are considering colleges geared towards athletics."

"Linda Soules has developed another book in the 'So You Want To Be A…' series! In this edition, she delves into the world of professional sports. A competitive and cut-throat occupation in the real world, children often only see the romanticized series of events as the ball swishes through the net, the runner slices through the ribbon with their final strides, or the Olympian swimmer receives their first gold medal. Soules explains, with kindness and encouragement, the training, diet, and recovery each of these athletes must focus on to optimize success, even when they don’t always win first place. This book is perfect for the middle school athlete in your life, and it encourages the dedication and reality check required for such a competitive career goal."

"It gives detailed information about everything involved in becoming and being an athlete. It goes through what is expected to become an athlete, what tools are needed for the sport, and how to maintain. My son enjoyed it as well because it helped him to better understand sports and what he needs to do to strive to accomplish being an athlete for school as well as in the future."

"This book taught me how much training goes on behind the scenes. I had no idea how much sleep and diet affected the athlete’s ability. This book had great fun facts and was rather inspiring."

"I found every aspect of this book to be helpful and interesting. The information was factual and intriguing. The pictures were colorful and enticing. The most important qualities were inspirational. The glossary, authors note, about this series filled in all the gaps to the questions I had. I read this to my children who are on the verge of getting into competitive sports more seriously and they enjoyed it too."

"What a great and informative read. For me especially as a professional athlete, I identify with the message of the book and would love for all kids to read. Very resourceful and speaks on knowledge that can be understood by young ages."

"This book breaks down all aspects of a pro athlete, life, and the sports science behind how to be an elite performer – bio mechanics, nutrition, sleep, and what it takes to make sure you can perform always at your highest level. There are real life, examples and eye-catching visuals to help the young reader, staying engaged and motivated. As a former teacher, I would definitely recommend this to my student athletes."

"I really enjoyed reading 'So You Want to Be a Professional Athlete' by Linda Soules. It was an easy and fun book to read, but it also had a lot of useful information in it. The book explains what it really takes to become a professional athlete, not just the exciting parts people usually think about. It talks about hard work, practice, dedication, and how important it is to stay focused both in sports and in school. I liked that the author didn’t make becoming a pro athlete sound easy, but she still made it feel possible for kids who are willing to work hard.

One thing I liked most was how the book was written in a way kids can actually understand and enjoy. It keeps your attention and doesn’t feel boring or too serious. I read this book with my kids, and we had a lot of good conversations while reading it together. My kids especially liked learning about the different paths athletes take and the sacrifices they make to reach their goals. It inspired them to think more about teamwork, responsibility, and following their dreams.

Like most of Linda Soules’ books, this one is a great read for kids. She has a way of teaching important lessons while still making the book entertaining. I would definitely recommend this book to families, teachers, and young readers who love sports or dream about becoming athletes someday. It’s encouraging, informative, and enjoyable from beginning to end."

"This was an excellent book. The focus is on the important life skills a professional athlete needs rather than on winning and glory. Children who read this can gain a realistic sense of the amount of work it takes to be professional, and even apply it to other work when they are older."

"I loved this book! I have a daughter who plays elite soccer, so a lot of the things in this book hit home. Good information about the behind the scenes...the work that really goes into what makes an exceptional athlete. A good read for anyone seriously playing a sport."

"Another great addition to the "So You Want To Be..." series! As a school teacher, I cannot tell you the number of students in elementary school the aspire to be a professional athlete when they grow up and this book does an amazing job of explaining in kid friendly vocabulary what it means to be and what it takes to be a professional athlete. I think this book is especially important for kids wanting to be a professional athlete to read because, like others in the series, it goes through what it means to be a professional athlete, where they work, tools they use, and the best and hardest parts of this job, but what I think kids need to hear is that it is not just about going out and playing the sport they enjoy, it takes a lot of hard work both physically and mentally. Too often I have students that think it is just practice some, show up, play and then you get paid, but it truly is a job that takes a great deal of work and perseverance. This book does a wonderful job of making sure kids understand that as they go forward towards wanting to be a professional athlete. I would recommend this book to anyone and would happily include it in my own classroom."

"Great read for kids that are trying to decide what they want to do with their future. The book is broken down into every aspect in the life of a pro-athlete and even goes over some terms and challenges that readers might not think of in the beginning!"

"I have now read a few in this series and my goal is to read them all. This is a great overview of what it really takes to become a professional athlete. I think as a parent this is a great read because it helps provide grounded input on what the chances are and how much work it takes. This also gives readers an overview of the qualities and attributes than many professionals have. Like the other books in this series I think the best place for this is in a classroom and guidance counselor office. This book could be read for all ages but really is around middle school aged readership."

"As a first-grade teacher, I am always looking for books that help children connect their interests to future possibilities, and So You Want to Be a Professional Athlete by Linda Soules does exactly that.

Many of my students dream about becoming professional athletes, but they often only see the exciting parts; the trophies, fame, and big games. This book does a wonderful job of showing the dedication, hard work, and perseverance that happen behind the scenes. It opens the door for meaningful conversations about setting goals, practicing skills, and learning from challenges.

What I appreciated most was how approachable and engaging the information was for young readers. The writing keeps students interested while introducing them to the realities of a career in sports. It encourages children to think beyond simply playing a game and helps them understand the commitment required to reach that level.

I also love that the book promotes important life skills such as determination, discipline, teamwork, and resilience; qualities that are valuable whether a child becomes a professional athlete or chooses a completely different path. Several of my students would easily see themselves reflected in these pages, which makes the book both inspiring and relatable.

Linda Soules has created another excellent career exploration book that sparks curiosity and motivates young readers to dream big while understanding the effort needed to achieve those dreams. This is a great addition to any classroom, school library, or home collection for children who love sports and are beginning to think about their future."

"One thing that stuck out to me is rather than only highlighting the fame and success that comes alone, Soules explains the hard work that happens behind the scenes. That includes the long hours of practice, physical conditioning, overcoming setbacks, and the mental aspect of it all. It helps give us a better understanding that talent alone is not enough to succeed in professional sports.

Overall, I find the book is an excellent resource for sports enthusiasts of all ages, especially the younger generation. She gave insight on the challenges and rewards of being a professional athlete. It explores what it really takes to be a professional athlete, focusing on dedication, training, discipline, and mental toughness required to achieve and maintain that status."

"Got this for my 9 year old who wants to play in the MLB. It was enlightening for both of us to really learn all that goes into being a professional athlete. The book did a great job of highlighting the fun aspects but also pushed the facts of hard work and the behind the scenes stuff that you don't see or hear about regarding professional sports. It also mentioned things that would be helpful to know such as business knowledge for contracts, which my 9 year old was not expecting."

"'Talent gets you to the starting line. Discipline gets you to the finish.' Wow! This book is a great introduction to the dedication necessary to become a professional athlete. It goes into every part of the cycle, even recovery and mental health. I love that the imagery is so female-focused! Professional athletes aren't just men after all! I'm also glad the book included a real life example of a career ending injury, which is a serious risk of this profession. As always, the day in the life portions of this series are incredibly valuable!"

"This is a fantastic book for kids who dream of becoming professional athletes! It does a great job explaining the hard work, dedication, training, and perseverance it takes to succeed in sports. The information is engaging, easy to understand, and inspiring, making it a great read for young readers who love athletics. Highly recommended for future champions!"

"A very good, thoughtful overview of everything one would need to become a trained athlete. Taught me a few things even I didn’t know or think about. 5 stars!!!"

"So You Want To Be a Professional Athlete is a a book for children aged 10 to 14. It educates children about training outside of the field to normal. It informs them that they not only have to train, sleep, have a good nutrition but have good recovery for them to be able to have good muscle strength, energy and maximum performance well as athletes. It gives a small description of what to except in the everyday life of an athlete. This book can inspire children who would love to become professional athletes and people who are sports fans. I recommend this book to sports lovers."

"This book is good for any child or teen who aspires to be an athlete. It is very informative but written well enough that even a younger child 7-8 could follow it. I love that it talks about the physical demands that come along with being an athlete. I will definitely be buying this book for the aspiring athletes in my life as well as recommending it to other parents."

"This book clearly and concisely explains all that is needed to pursue the dream of becoming a pro athlete. A quick and highly educational read that would help a young athlete determine if they have what it takes to pursue a pro career, not just chase a dream."

"My kids love these books. My son especially loved this one as a soccer fan. Great pictures and lots of information. The fun facts were helpful. Very educational and entertaining."

"This is a great book for kids who are interested in sports and may want to pursue an athletic career. The behind the scenes work, determination, and conditioning is something kids don't always get to see."

"I wish I would have had this book when my sons were younger. It does a great job explaining what it takes to be a professional athlete. It talks about the training including mind and body. It talks about healthy food choices and sleeping habits. It also talks about injury and recovery. It does this in an easy simple way that young children can understand. The pictures were also very detailed."