AuthorsView: Soccer is Everything and more
By Tasha Wilson
As one of the first nurse practitioners in Stanislaus County since 1977, author, Kathleen Leatherbarrow has lived an exciting life. Even as a mother of five, she attended the UC Davis Nurse Practitioner Program, and is still working part-time at our county Opiate Addiction Clinic. Clearly, she is no stranger to hard work. However, along with her hard work, comes a deep love and compassion for others.
Her love for others reaches outside of the United States and extends into Africa. There, her brother started an orphanage in Malawi. Through the years, Kathleen’s love for others has also led her to volunteer at some of the clinics in Mexico. Her time spent there inspired her to write the following children’s books: Soccer Is Everything and Her Soccer Story. Kathleen and her husband coached the first coed soccer teams here in Modesto and they believe strongly that sports are a necessity for both the mind and body. Even more so, she believes that when it comes to children and their well-being, sports are of the utmost importance.
Kathleen wrote Soccer Is Everything, after pondering deeply about the fact that most American children have all the amenities they need if there should ever come a time when they would like to play a sport. Here in the United States, it is easy for kids to find the needed equipment, a place to play, and plenty of support within our community. Unfortunately, the luxuries we receive here, are not as easy to come by in other countries. “I watched the children kicking balls made of rags and scraps with determination and bare feet,” she said.
In front of Kathleen’s home sits a free library. You know, the ones you see around town lately? They look like little houses filled with books inside, and they are so cute. The one in front of her home is there in honor of the daughter her family lost. The little house of books allows the family to continue sharing their daughter’s love by giving back to our community, (even though she is gone). The free library has been there since March and so far, it remains active.
I asked Kathleen if she had any advice for those interested in having a book published? She replied, “Amazon has great instruction for self-publishing. YouTube has good instructions also. There are so many books on Amazon that promotion can be as difficult, if not more difficult, than the writing. My best advice: Write, if it gives you joy. Stop, if it is a burden. Life is short and writing should bring you pleasure, whether read or not!”
Finally, when I asked our signature question, “Beatles or Rolling Stones?” Kathleen said, “The Beatles for sure. They sound good on my Ukulele.”
If you would like to order a few books from Kathleen Leatherbarrow, you can find them on Amazon via her first and last name, or the following link: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=kathleen+leatherbarrow&i=instant-video&ref=nb_sb_noss. Happy reading Positive Peeps!
