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.