“The people and cars below us were like ants scurrying around their little anthills, and as the Detroit skyscrapers grew smaller and smaller, the city began to resemble a drawing in a sketch book, bigger than I had ever imagined. I had known this in my head, but seeing it from ten thousand feet was different.”

Leo comes from a small town in Ohio. Seeing Detroit for the first time prepares him for the even larger city of London. He comes to love being in the city for all of its hustle and bustle in comparison with his quieter hometown. Leo’s view of the world getting bigger and bigger from the plane window foreshadows how his time in London will expand not only his soccer technique but also his worldview.

“I, on the other hand, felt a little bit like I was dreaming, and that maybe a mistake had been made.”

Leo tries to hide his self-doubt and fear of failure at the Academy, but he’s especially aware of it when he arrives in a brand-new country to compete for the chance of a lifetime. It isn’t until he makes it through the first round of cuts that he begins to feel more confident.

“Were you at lunch? You could hear a pin drop. Everybody’s shell-shocked by all the talent. They’re used to being the best player on their club team, probably in their own city.”

Leo feels like he is the only one surprised by how talented the other players are, but he slowly recognizes that every kid is just as nervous as he is, and they just show it differently. The lunchtime silence reminds him that he is not alone in feeling that the Academy summer camp is going to be the biggest challenge a player has faced yet, suggesting that the fear of failure is something shared by many of the players.

“So many players and styles. I forgot about myself and marveled at all the talent.”

Leo loves soccer, and throughout his time at the Academy camp, he has to remind himself to appreciate the game. When he steps outside of the competition to rest, he recognizes how much talent is around him and how wide-ranging that talent is, a fact that is both intimidating and exhilarating.

“Let the game come to you. Ease into the flow. Be one with the chem—what is it called? Chemistry? No—the alchemy.”

Robbie’s advice doesn’t make sense to Leo, but his roommate is alluding to how Leo has game intelligence. He is able to sense the flow of the game and suggest strategies for his team to score, something that makes him stand out from the other players.

“It was the opposite of how I liked to play. I preferred to pick my battles and wait for the ball to come near me, then strike like a cobra.”

Much of Leo’s development as a player has to do with how he strategizes on the field. At first, he is focused on himself as a center forward who makes most, if not all, of the plays happen. However, by the end, he is thinking of the bigger picture and utilizing his team’s strengths and opponent’s weaknesses, setting him up for his eventual spot in the number 10 position.

“When it comes to football, or any skill, repetition is the key to success. Knowledge is, too. There’s a right way and a wrong way to do things.”

Samantha’s warning to her squad foreshadows how Leo, when not able to perform a skill at a high level, reverts back to how he has always done it. However, this does not leave room for him to improve because he is relying on his natural talent.

“Could I still be myself and do what it took to succeed?”

Leo has to find a balance between his typical approach to soccer and the skills that he is learning at the Academy. When he is able to do that, he is able to build on his innate skill that has been refined through practice. He has to trust himself, putting him on a journey of Overcoming a Fear of Failure.

“Who knew throw-ins had actual techniques beyond planting your feet and heaving it as far as you could?”

Leo learns that there is so much more nuance to the game he already loves through his time training with Samantha, Tig, and the Iguanas. He is able to develop as a player by doing what is taught and becoming a more precise player with the ball.

“My tired legs had given me trouble all week, I had let a bully push me around, and I was so afraid of failure I had failed to play with abandon and take risks on the field.”

Camp is testing Leo physically and emotionally, and fearing failure is the top obstacle that Leo faces while at the summer camp. It holds him back from the risks that he would have taken without thought back home. Eventually, he understands that part of improving his basic skills means trusting himself and his instincts and letting his body take over trying to execute them.

“I had never wanted anything so much in my life.”

While Leo is afraid of failure, he knows that the Academy is a life-changing opportunity. He wants to play soccer, and he feels like this is his shot at doing so professionally.

“I didn’t want this magical ride to be over, I didn’t want to disappoint my friends, I didn’t want to tell my dad we had missed out on fifty thousand dollars because I wasn’t good enough to make the team.”

Leo feels a lot of pressure to perform well at the summer camp because he thinks that he can bring home the money his father needs to keep their house. At the same time, the phrase “magical ride” speaks to how much Leo is learning at the Academy and how much he values this opportunity.

“As the bus left Central London, I turned to stare at the lights of the city for as long as I could, realizing I would never look at life in the same way again.”

Leo is forever changed by being in London. His adventures at the summer camp have brought him to a whole new world, and even if he doesn’t make the team, he knows that he is different as a person.

“What sets the best apart is fitness, athleticism, the proper mindset, and game intelligence. You have to want it, Leo, and you have to put in the time.”

Because Leo has been the best in his YMCA league, he’s never had to demonstrate how much he wanted to be the best at soccer. However, the Academy summer camp teaches him that he needs to be disciplined because his greatness in Ohio doesn’t automatically translate into greatness at the Academy.

“No one had ever taught me to shoot with proper form. I had no idea so many mechanics were in play. It was awkward to shoot the way they taught me, even after practicing over and over.”

Tig and Samantha are important mentors for Leo and help him with Finding a Community Away from Home. They help him sharpen his skills so that he can compete with the other players. Their mentorship means the world to Leo, and he tries to repay them by helping to repair their relationship at the end of the novel.

“But this was different. Joining the Academy was something I truly, desperately wanted—and I realized that to have a chance at reaching my goals, I had to change my ways.”

Leo’s character development sees him shed his reliance on his natural talent. He embraces the discipline that comes with desiring to play a sport professionally, which means he has to relearn some of the skills and techniques he had not properly learned.

“There was nothing I could except play my best. My next goal was making the World Cup, and to do that, I would have to work harder than I ever had.”

Leo takes control of his own skill on his journey to the World Cup. By concentrating on himself and his skills, he sharpens his focus on a singular aim, which he accomplishes. Not only that, but he scores the game-winning goal.

“Half the camp had been cut, but the smaller numbers only seemed to reinforce how talented all the remaining players were.”

The summer camp constantly intimidates Leo. The other players are so talented, and like him, they also continue to hone their skills over the week. He is constantly comparing himself to Diego, the best center forward at the camp, but he ultimately learns how to focus on himself and his strengths and not compare himself to others.

“No one was more surprised than I was by Brock’s outburst.”

After their showdown on the field, Brock shocks Leo by showing his respect for him and complimenting his defense. While Leo suspects that they won’t be friends, Brock’s actions at least confirm a new understanding between the two players, the resolution of Leo’s Dealing with Bullies and Finding a Better Solution.

“Great midfielders had a knack for understanding the flow of the game. When to press forward and when to pull back. I was still learning the position, and felt more like a headless chicken running blindly around the field.”

It takes Leo a long time to settle into his new position. However, his comment here foreshadows the role he will play as a number 10 in which he serves as a conduit between offense and defense. He borrows a well-known analogy here, that of the headless chicken, which is synonymous with confusion and lack of focus.

“What did they do to you? If you’re not having fun, you’ll never unlock your potential.”

Tig prompts Leo to remember that he plays soccer because he loves it and the fun it provides. He doesn’t want the younger player to lose the spark that makes him care about the game because that spark is a key to his success.

“You have to work hard and play your best, that’s true. There aren’t any shortcuts, not in soccer and not in life. You have the skills now, though. Unleash yourself. Have fun again.”

Tig’s mentorship of Leo is a constant throughout the Academy. He never gives up on him, and his training is crucial for Leo’s growth into the player that appears in the World Cup. Like Samantha, Tig is part of Leo’s community away from home.

“They underestimated you from the beginning, Leo. Go home and prove them wrong. Keep training and working hard, and I know you’ll have a bright future.”

Samantha’s words to Leo are difficult for him to hear in the moment, but they represent her unfailing belief in him as a player. When other coaches wanted to cut him, Samantha always advocated for Leo, even while also pushing him to be better.