SIDELINES by Karen Viggers

Sidelines features football (soccer) at its core, but the essence of the novel translates easily to all sports and, indeed, to life in general, particularly life as a teenager or as a parent of a teenager. I expect it will be a popular read in schools, where it may spark debate about winning and its associated pressures.

One of the things I enjoyed about Sidelines is how it grounds The World Game so firmly in Australian surrounds: cockatoos screeching in pine trees, seaweed and sunscreen beach days, rainbow lorikeets squabbling, gum tree aromas, and football tryouts in the scorching heat.

From the Blurb:

“When a violent brawl erupts at a suburban junior soccer game, some onlookers are shocked. But others saw it coming. Rivalry, parental pressure, coaching bias, inequity, and many other factors have played a part in turning Saturday mornings into a pressure cooker.”