ST. LOUIS - Legendary soccer player, coach, and youth mentor Carl Rose will be celebrated next month at a book signing of "A Resilient Spirit," a biography that documents his extraordinary life and impact on the St. Louis community.
A Resilient Spirit is a memoir of passion, discipline, and transformation. Carl Rose was at the top of his game as an Olympian and professional soccer player with the St. Louis Steamers when a tragic accident derailed his dreams. Rather than fade, Rose turned his pain into purpose and embarked on what would become a 35-year youth coaching career. His book provides a mix of personal anecdotes, insights from coaching, and advice on how to find the inner strength to stay in the game when life circumstances push you to the sidelines.
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“I always loved playing the game, but I didn’t know I’d fall in love with coaching and have the opportunity to lead these teams for decades. I’ve faced some challenges, but I believe resilience is a choice,” said Carl Rose. “Soccer taught me discipline and how to persevere through the hard times, and I always tried to pass that on to young people. As their coach, it was my job to motivate the kids, but I gained more from them than they’ll ever know. Bringing the old teams back together again for this book to tell stories from back in the day and hear about their own families and success in life is the icing on the cake. My players are now my friends.”
BOOK SIGNING EVENTS WITH CARL ROSE
FRIDAY, MAY 9
5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
St. Louis Soccer Park
#1 Soccer Park Road - Fenton, MO
SATURDAY, MAY 10
4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Lou Fusz Plaza, Energizer Park
“As a kid, I used to watch Carl Rose play and was fortunate later to have him as a youth coach,” said Tim Leonard, an original member of Carl Rose’s first youth soccer team (The Grants Farm Flyers, later named the Busch Soccer Club.) Leonard went on to play professional soccer in the USL and NPSL and now serves as Saint Louis Scott Gallagher U13/14 MLS Director. “Carl injected humility and passion into all of us and remains such a meaningful part of our lives. Carl Rose is a positive force and a model St. Louisan we should all emulate, and I can’t thank him enough for the influence he had on my life.”
“There are only a few people in my life who have changed the way I look at the world. Carl Rose is at the top of that list,” said Matt Zimmer, another member of Rose’s first team and now Global Head of Investment Banking at William Blair & Company in Chicago. “In only the five years I spent playing for Carl, I gained a lifetime of inspiration. He had this unique ability to identify the best in everyone and make us stronger, more confident, and committed. Decades later, in the professional world, I still think to myself, ‘what would Carl do?' when considering ways to motivate and support my team. I can’t overstate the profound and generational impact this one man has had on so many lives.”
ABOUT CARL ROSE
Born in London in 1952 to Jamaican parents, Carl Rose discovered soccer at a young age. After moving to Canada as a teenager, he pursued his dream of becoming a professional player, rising to the top of North American soccer. Carl’s journey took him to the Olympics, the Canadian National Team, and professional clubs like the New York Arrows and St. Louis Steamers, where he became a three-time All-Star.
Just as he reached the peak of his career, a tragic accident forced him to reconsider his path and rebuild his life. Turning pain into purpose, Carl discovered a new calling in youth coaching, mentoring generations of players and leaving a lasting impact on his community. Over the course of his 30+ year coaching career, he touched the lives of thousands of youth players, their parents, and fellow coaches.
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