The Real Victory Is That We Exist: A Chronicle of Four Seasons With Soccer's Most Important Least Important Team

The Real Victory Is That We Exist is an irreverent, heartfelt, and unexpectedly profound four-season chronicle of the Athens High School JVB girls soccer team — a team that defies expectations, conventions, and sometimes even the basic rules of soccer.Told through vivid game-day narratives, personal tributes, and sharply funny storytelling, this memoir captures the chaotic magic of a team built not on trophies, but on identity, friendship, and joyful rebellion.Across multiple seasons, longtime coach Adam Burns reflects on an ever-changing cast of young women: Lo, the reluctant goalie whose self-awareness makes her “completely JVB”; Maddie, whose rough-and-tumble style gives the team its physical and comedic edge; Jules, whose brain bleed becomes both myth and motivation; and MVT, the beating heart of the program who leads through hilarious lows and improbable highs.Through injury, chaos, and unbelievable moments — from car-crash comebacks to 10-player miracle wins in freezing rain — the team builds its own mythology. Wins are rare. The stories are legendary.But beneath the humor and absurdity lies something deeper.At its core, The Real Victory Is That We Exist is a story about mentorship, leadership, and what it means to coach young women in a world that often measures value by wins and statistics. It is about building culture instead of chasing prestige. About protecting individuality instead of enforcing conformity. About showing up — especially when you don’t fit the mold.JVB becomes more than a team. It becomes a refuge. A proving ground. A laboratory for identity and resilience.A hilarious, tender, and deeply human sports memoir, this book is a love letter to the misfits and late bloomers — and a reminder that the most meaningful victories happen far from the scoreboard. Read more