Welcome to the Sporting Her Book Club! The Book Club is our new monthly series where we highlight books written about female or gender diverse athletes, administrators, and others involved in women’s sport. Our aim is to promote and create discussions about the many wonderful stories about women’s sport. These stories are plentiful and incredible, but much like the women’s sports industry as a whole, far too few people know they exist. We would love for you to get involved – read along, leave comments, and recommend books.
February’s book club features Lioness – My Journey to Glory, by Arsenal and England powerhouse Beth Mead. Mead wrote Lioness in the aftermath of winning the 2022 European Championships and being nominated for the Ballon D’Or. Mead’s autobiography chronicles her journey from playing with boys at her local club to creating history with the Lionesses at Euro 2022.
Lioness – My Journey to Glory
Lioness shines when Beth Mead discusses her internal struggles with believing in herself. Mead was identified early as an exceptional talent, though someone who was being held back by not believing in herself. This theme crops up often – from her time in England’s youth set up, to the pep talk Phil Neville gives her when Mead isn’t selected for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Mead was also very open about the impacts of events in her personal life. Losing your dog days after being in a serious car accident is tough for anyone to deal with. To deal with this while commuting an hour and quarter each for training and matches, and still perform to high standards, epitomises Beth Mead’s strength of character. This also came to the fore when Mead discussed her mum’s cancer diagnosis. The way she channelled this into her football is admirable and impressive on so many fronts.
Arsenal’s handling of this period in Beth Mead’s life also reveals a common lesson from Lioness and Straight Up. It would’ve been easy for Arsenal to make Beth Mead stay in London while dealing with the news about her mum. However, they allowed her to head home and spend time with her family. By treating athletes as humans rather than just a commodity, you empower them to become the best they can be.
One of the most interesting parts of Lioness is Mead’s recounting of being told Sunderland were reverting to a part-time model due to the men’s team’s impending relegation. Beth Mead calls it an “injustice”, and honestly that feels generous. The women’s team were performing well. However, the biggest threat to their livelihoods turned out to be the performance of the men’s team. The worrying feeling is that this sort of situation could still occur today.
Our Verdict
Overall, Lioness is a worthwhile read. Beth Mead impressively covers a lot of ground in this autobiography, and it is engaging from beginning to end. This book thoroughly inspects the steps Beth Mead took to reach the heights she has in her career, and is brave enough to honestly reflect on her possible self-sabotage.
Lioness – My Journey to Glory is available worldwide at bookstores, and on Amazon including Kindle. I If you want to join in the discussion, check out our social media platforms below. Find Sporting Her on social media by searching @SportingHer – Instagram // Twitter // TikTok.
The next book in this series is going to be The Bodyline Fix: How women saved cricket by Marion Stell. Get reading, and we look forward to seeing you here for the next Sporting Her Book Club.
