Launched

Day 1 and done. Publication Day began with a handful of radio interviews, a screening of the TODAY show piece about Blue Devils soccer, the airing of my interview with Todd Zwillich on NPR's The Takeaway, and a seriously fantastic turnout at the book's official launch at Barnes & Noble in Eastchester.

People's embrace of this story -- of the players and their families, the coaches and the games -- is heartening.

Last night, looking at the some 100-plus faces sitting at the book's first read, I saw students, past and present; colleagues; family; friends and neighbors; the mayor of New Rochelle; news folk like Erica Hill and Bruce Beck; and strangers.

But most exciting? The kids. So many kids, some wearing soccer jerseys, sitting there listening, learning, and even asking a brave question or two. U.S. Youth Soccer is the largest sporting organization in the country, with some 3 million kids hitting the pitch each week. For them, the story of ONE GOAL is thrilling -- they asked about the team, the players, and -- of course -- the action.

In so many ways in the United States right now, kids are making themselves heard, ensuring that "the children are the future" isn't just a cliche statement to make, but something to take seriously. I hope we are listening.