{"product_id":"finding-the-game-three-years-twenty-five-countries-and-the-search-for-pickup-soccer-hardcover","title":"Finding the Game: Three Years, Twenty-Five Countries, and the Search for Pickup Soccer - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eGwendolyn Oxenham\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eAcross two dozen countries--from back alleys to remote beaches to the roofs of skyscrapers--an eye-opening journey into the heart of soccer\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eEvery country has a different term for it: In the United States it's pickup. In Trinidad it's taking a sweat. In Brazil it's pelada (literally naked). It's the other side of soccer, those spontaneous matches played away from the bright lights and manicured fields--the game for anyone, anywhere. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAt sixteen, Gwendolyn Oxenham was the youngest Division I athlete in NCAA history, a starter and leading goal-scorer for Duke. At twenty, she graduated, the women's professional soccer league folded, and her career was over. In \u003ci\u003eFinding the Game, \u003c\/i\u003e Oxenham, along with her boyfriend and two friends, chases the part of the game that outlasts a career. They bribe their way into a Bolivian prison, bet shillings on a game with moonshine brewers in Kenya, play with women in hijab on a court in Tehran--and discover what the world looks like when you wander down side streets, holding on to a ball. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAn entertaining, heartfelt look at the soul of a sport and a thrilling travel narrative, this book is proof that on the field and in life, some things need no translation.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGWENDOLYN OXENHAM received an MFA in creative writing from the University of Notre Dame, where she was awarded the Nicholas Sparks post-graduate fellowship. A Duke University soccer alum, she played professionally for Santos FC in Brazil in 2005. She teaches English and plays in pickup games in Southern California.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 304\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.2 x 9.3 x 6.6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 19, 2012\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42739187253311,"sku":"9781250002044","price":44.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0105\/8226\/1823\/files\/6390159151c58adc4165df4efa103aca.webp?v=1765155809","url":"https:\/\/dhlswag.com\/products\/finding-the-game-three-years-twenty-five-countries-and-the-search-for-pickup-soccer-hardcover","provider":"BBB","version":"1.0","type":"link"}