DEEP POSITION: A Soccer Novel for Boys Ages 9–14 | Tactics, Teamwork and Finding Your Place | Middle Grade Sports Fiction (First Eleven)

Getting on the team was the hardest thing Marco Rivera ever did.
Until Coach Ray tells him to disappear.

Marco finally has his teammates, his jersey, and his place on the field. Now Coach Ray wants him to master the one role most players never even notice, running the entire game from the deepest position on the pitch. Invisible. Essential. Always two seconds ahead of everyone else.

Then Lucas Vega arrives. Top prospect. Same position as Marco. The same coach is watching both of them at every session.

At the same time, a rival club starts circling the Eagles, and a stranger begins watching their training from behind the fence. Suddenly, leadership isn’t about making the perfect pass. It’s about what you do when someone is coming for the people you care about.

Marco has to decide what kind of player he really wants to be: the star everyone sees, or the quiet center who holds the whole team together, inspiring parents’ pride and confidence in their child’s character development.

For parents: Book 2 goes deeper than Book 1 – into tactics, team dynamics, and what real leadership looks like at 13, helping boys see their own potential and feel empowered.

The Deep Position is Book 2 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 to FC Porto across six unforgettable books.

Perfect for boys who think tactically about the game, this series offers authentic middle-grade soccer stories with real academy-level strategy that challenge and engage young sports fans.

Authentic middle-grade soccer novel with real academy-level strategy, making boys feel engaged and inspired by genuine gameplay.

Themes of leadership, loyalty, and quiet confidence

Ideal for youth soccer players ages 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14

Part of the complete kids soccer book series, best read after Book 1

A great gift for boys who love soccer and team dynamics

For every player who ever made someone else better and never got the credit.

Book 2 of the First Eleven series — soccer books for boys ages 9–14. Best enjoyed after Book 1: The Empty Lot.

From the Publisher

The Deepest Position Sees Everything.

Coach Ray wants Marco to run the game from the bottom of the field. Not the star role. Not the easy role. The hardest one, the position that makes everyone else better.

Marco has to learn that leadership isn’t about scoring. The player who sees everything scores nothing. And changes everything.

It’s about seeing.

There’s a New Player. Same Position.

Lucas Vega is the best player on every team he’s ever been on. Now he’s an Eagle.

Same position as Marco. Same coach watching both of them.

Two players. One role. The team needs both of them to figure it out — before the tournament starts.

The Book Your Kid Won’t Want to Put Down

For Kids Who “Don’t Like Reading”

Short chapters. Fast pace. A story that reads like a game — it doesn’t slow down long enough to lose them. Boys who haven’t finished a book in years finish this one in a week. Then ask for Book 2.

For Kids Who Live for the Game

Marco doesn’t just play soccer, he thinks it. The tactics, the reads, the moments before the ball moves. Kids who play recognize it immediately. This is the game they know, written the way it actually feels from the inside.

The Gift That Actually Gets Read

Each book is a complete story — no cliffhangers, no frustration. Start anywhere. But most kids start at Book 1 and don’t stop until Book 6. Makes the perfect birthday, holiday, or end-of-season gift for any soccer kid ages 9–14.

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Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars 26

5.0 out of 5 stars 4

5.0 out of 5 stars 2

5.0 out of 5 stars 1

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Price

$13.99$13.99 $13.99$13.99 $13.99$13.99 $13.99$13.99 $13.99$13.99 $13.99$13.99

Series order
Start here 2 of 6 3 of 6 4 of 6 5 of 6 6 of 6

Marco’s journey
Street kid → first tryout New player → new role Eagles captain On trial for his future Academy recruit FC Porto first team

Key theme
Starting from zero Learning to read the game Friendship & loyalty Performing under pressure Elite environment Europe & identity

Best for readers who love…
Underdog stories Tactics & teamwork Coming-of-age High-stakes moments Academy life International football

The lesson
The wall always gives back The deepest position sees everything The work belongs to you, not the place Don’t play their game — play yours What got you here won’t develop you further The reading works in every language

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0GW8KX79R
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 6, 2026
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 144 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8255074297
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 – 14 years
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.33 x 9 inches
Book 2 of 6 ‏ : ‎ First Eleven
Best Sellers Rank: #36,593 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #31 in Children’s Soccer Books (Books) #46 in Soccer (Books)
Customer Reviews: 5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars (4) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });