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.

From the Publisher

One Boy. One Wall. No Team. No Boots. No Promise

Marco Rivera didn’t have a club. He had a plastic bottle, a cracked parking lot on Cesar Chavez Avenue, and a concrete wall that always gave the ball back.

Every evening. Same wall. Same dream.

Until one afternoon, he noticed a park across the street. A real team. A coach in a gray cap. And an open gate.

All he had to do was walk through it.

Through the Fence

For four days, Marco stood at the chain-link fence and watched.

He counted the players. He read the drills. He memorized the coach’s movements.

The gate was open the whole time.

Walking through it was the hardest thing he’d ever done.

Some doors don’t have locks. They just require courage.

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 ‏ : ‎ B0GW3LWJPX
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 3, 2026
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 141 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8254874454
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 – 14 years
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.32 x 9 inches
Book 1 of 6 ‏ : ‎ First Eleven
Best Sellers Rank: #7,646 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #2 in Teen & Young Adult Soccer Fiction #4 in Teen & Young Adult Soccer #11 in Soccer (Books)
Customer Reviews: 4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars (26) 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); } }); });