Girls with Goals:
An Evening with Clelia Castro-Malaspina
Date
Time
Location
Moderator
Monday, November 17, 2025
5:30-7:00 PM
Islander Middle School, Mercer Island
Lauren Martin, Former EFC Player, coach and EFC Parent
Format
An engaging evening featuring a moderated conversation with Clelia Castro-Malaspina, audience interaction, and opportunities for book sales and signing. Open to players, parents, and community members.
Join us for a powerful evening that celebrates the rise of women’s soccer and the spirit of female athletes everywhere. Girls with Goals brings to life the untold stories of determination, teamwork, and triumph that changed the game forever. Whether you’re a player, parent, or lifelong fan, this event will remind you why the lessons learned on the field — courage, resilience, and community — matter far beyond the game.
About the Book
Girls with Goals tells the fascinating, twisty, and triumphant rise of women’s football — one of the most compelling stories in sports and women’s history.
From the sport’s earliest days in 19th-century England, girls and women have always found ways to play — and to keep playing — in spite of bans, barriers, and backward-looking attitudes. Fast forward to today, and women’s football has become a global powerhouse: the most popular women’s sport in the world, with millions of players, supporters, and viewers.
Through stunning storytelling and rich historical and modern imagery, Girls with Goals traces the journey of women’s soccer from its working-class English origins to its worldwide prominence. It shines a light on the trailblazers who fought to play the sport they loved and honors the athletes who paved the way for the next generation of girls in all sports.
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A love letter to women’s soccer, this is a must-have for every young soccer lover’s shelf.
About the Author
Clelia Castro-Malaspina is the author of books for teens and children, including Your Freedom, Your Power: A Kid’s Guide to the First Amendment. Kirkus described the book as “current, insightful and savvy,” while Booklist (in its starred review) called it “empowering.”
A former attorney and literary agent, Clelia now runs Mossy Pines Creative, her children’s book editorial business. She lives on Mercer Island, Washington, with her husband and two daughters.