1 of 10

Slide Notes

The Autobiography I read recently was The Keeper by Tim Howard. This book focuses on the life of Tim, who plays goalkeeper for Everton Football Club and the U.S. men’s national soccer team. Although most of his life revolves around playing the sport he loves, this book takes a deep look into his personal life and the struggles he has faced throughout his life.
DownloadGo Live

The Keeper

Published on Nov 27, 2015

No Description

PRESENTATION OUTLINE

The Keeper

Book by Tim Howard, presentation by Alex Palensky
The Autobiography I read recently was The Keeper by Tim Howard. This book focuses on the life of Tim, who plays goalkeeper for Everton Football Club and the U.S. men’s national soccer team. Although most of his life revolves around playing the sport he loves, this book takes a deep look into his personal life and the struggles he has faced throughout his life.

He found his escape in the form of soccer

Tim Howard was diagnosed with OCD and Tourette Syndrome when he was only in the sixth grade. These disorders would be the biggest struggle he had to overcome as a child and teenager. In school he could never sit still, and he would often experience uncontrollable movements due to the Tourette syndrome, which further distracted him from learning. He found his escape in the form of soccer, where he played well and developed a sense of control on the field that he could not experience elsewhere.
Photo by Socceraholic

“Let’s go pro.”

Tim was a natural at soccer and he honed his skills to the point where he was one of the top teen soccer players in the nation. As high school came to an end, Tim had to make a decision: whether he was going to continue school or bypass college and go straight to following his passion of soccer. When his coach, Mulch, asked what his decision would be, Tim knew the answer. “I didn’t even hesitate. I wanted to give soccer everything I had. I turned to Mulch. “Let’s go pro.”,” Tim replied confidently.
Photo by abdallahh

He signed a contract to play

Tim knew he would struggle with more school. He also knew that what he wanted to do in life was play soccer. College is typically seen as a platform for launching successful sports careers, but Tim wisely evaluated himself to know that wasn’t an option. He decided that if he gave all of his possible effort, he would be able to have a successful life, as measured by his dream job. And so, he signed a contract to play.
Photo by 24oranges.nl

If anyone could make him happy for the rest of his life, it would be her

As Tim’s career evolved, he began networking with other players. This is how he eventually met his wife, Laura. Tim knew immediately that if anyone could make him happy for the rest of his life, it would be her. Things were great for them for a while. They had two children that Tim loved so much. But Tim’s soccer career came between his marriage. He wanted to love his wife, but he lived his live first and foremost for soccer.
Photo by 19melissa68

“Relentless striving
comes with a price. For me, the price was
my marriage.”

He sums up the culmination of the dilemma when he says “Relentless striving comes with a price. For me, the price was my marriage.” (215). Tim and Laura got divorced, and their kids stayed with their mother. It was a messy affair that Tim came to loathe. What he wanted was to be playing with his team, not spending time in court.
Photo by jeffdjevdet

Pretending to be someone that he was not

He recognized that he still had the same excitement for the sport as he had always had. He was working harder and harder, committed to becoming a better player. He strove to reach his full potential on the field. The fact that he had fallen out of love with his wife, meant that outside of work, he was distracted, pretending to be someone that he was not. When he got divorced, it allowed him to release the discontent he had with his home life and just be the man he wanted to be.
Photo by pedrosimoes7

“I’ve had plenty of injuries in my career....This was different."

Tim at this point is getting old. He already had his 30th birthday, which signaled the end of a career for most soccer players. But Tim was still at the top of his game. Everton was playing for a tournament cup, and they had the personnel to win. They were destined to win. But then, at the end of one of their first games, an opposing player collided with Tim. Tim collapsed to the ground, and only later talk about the extent of his injury. “I’ve had plenty of injuries in my career. I’ve been bumped and bruised and kicked and elbowed and knocked down again and again. This was different. I tried to roll over, but I kept getting a sharp, shooting pain.” (252) he recalled.
Photo by joncandy

He was able to come back as strong as ever

At possibly the best point in his career, he received the worst news. He would have to sit out for several weeks. At 34 years old, missing games due to injury meant that you may never regain your old playing form, or another player might permanently take your playing time anyway. This is what older players always feared. Tim knew this, and he did everything necessary to bounce back from the bad turn of events. He went through the healing process and gave full effort into getting back in playing form. Through his hard work, he was able to come back as strong as ever. What drove him to get back to peak form was his intense drive to continue playing the sport he loved.

Work relentlessly to achieve your goals

This book was a great read and really written well. The writing style presented Tim’s story as if it were his thoughts happening as the events unfolded. As I was reading, it felt like I was experiencing the same emotions that Tim displayed himself as having. The way Tim dealt with everything that came his way reveals that despite the obstacles and the setbacks he faced, perseverance and refusal to back down, allowed him to achieve what it is he most wanted. This is the essence of the human condition. If you work relentlessly to achieve your goals, you will be able to overcome the obstacles you face to achieve what it is you want.
Photo by Daniel Y. Go