Soccerhead: An Accidental Journey into the Heart of the American Game | 
 enlarge | Author: Jim Haner
Publisher: North Point Press
Category: Book
List Price: $14.00
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Avg. Customer Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 652939
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.9
ISBN: 0865477337
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.334
EAN: 9780865477339
ASIN: 0865477337
Publication Date: April 3, 2007
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
A YOUTH SOCCER COACH'S INVESTIGATION INTO THE ORIGINS OF SOCCERMANIA Before his son enlisted for a season of Youth Soccer at the neighborhood Boys and Girls Club in College Park, Maryland, Jim Haner was just your typical white, middle-class, suburban father. And as an award-winning journalist for The Sun (Baltimore), he was more likely to write about scoundrels than soccer. But his son caught the bug, and before long, Haner was giving pep talks to nine-year-olds in shin guards and cleats and the game had become an all-consuming obsession. Digging deep into the historical record, Haner sets out to document the soccer craze from the bottom up, tracing the rises and falls in the game’s popularity in the decades since “Mob Ball” fever was spread by the influx of immigrants on our shores, up to the current wave of “soccermania.” The result is a rollicking and timely read. “[Haner’s] enthusiasm and good humor is infectious, the history is genuinely interesting, and anyone who doubts that soccer games between nine-year-olds can be chronicled with the same verve and intensity of professional or collegiate sports need look no further . . . Belongs with Franklin Foer’s How Soccer Explains the World (2004) as a must-read for people puzzled by soccer’s popularity.” — Booklist (starred review)
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| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 Impressively, and Obsessively Written December 21, 2007
A great parallel narrative, jointly tracking the familiar tales of youth soccer's takeover by the mania of club systems (along with a shrewd critique of parents' naive assumptions about soccer as a 'democratic,' 'non-contact,' or 'safely suburban 'sport), with alternating sections that narrate some of the less familiar chapters of American soccer in the 20th century (outdrawing pro football at stadiums between WWI and WWII). Amused at his concscription as parent-coach into the chaos of contemporary youth soccer, Haner demonstrates his award-winning journalistic expertise and his comic touch in equal, engaging parts. A great book to pass among teammates -- and parents -- on the sidelines!
 Promising start and consistent quality January 14, 2007
Basically this is an excellent description of a novice to the soccer world learning its vaules and benefits. The author well documents his passage from novice to becoming a "soccer nut" whom goes overboard like many before him with his passion for this sport. His primary experience is in the recreational levels of the game, but his professional experience allows him to get a unexpected glimpse into the history of the sport in America.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the game itself at any level. His enjoyment of youth sports and their demands upon its paritcipants is an accurate reflection of how many youth sports become a passion, not just an interest.
It is a positive journey about a sport which its fans give their hearts to and will follow throughout their lives.
Good book for coaches, parents, soccer lovers September 29, 2006
2 out of 6 found this review helpful
Wow. I am thoroughly impressed with this book. I have played soccer since I was 12, and at 30 am now starting to coach and referee. This book does a great job mixing up stories, advice for coaching kids (and parents) and a little history lesson. I wrote down some of its suggestions for my team. I definitely have caught soccer fever and would recommend this book to others who love soccer or have kids interested in soccer.
 You've read this one before September 16, 2006
5 out of 8 found this review helpful
The problem with Jim Haner's Soccerhead is that he may be writing about a sport that's new to Americans, but he's using it to tell an old story in an old way. A middle class white guy finally leaves his prolonged adolescence through watching (and in this case coaching) his child play sports. As America changes to accept soccer and becomes a richer nation for doing so, so has his life become better, more adult (part of the subtext within the book is that soccer with its nuances and chess-like strategy is much like modern life) for the experience.
Haner has adopted that rhythmic sing songy ping pong-y format for writing creative non fiction that plagues so much of the genre today - there's a section for the interesting historical facts about the subject, then a section of soul searching personal introspection about the subject, the some historical tidbits and then an amusing personal anecdote. While some may find this comforting, for me, familiarity breeds contempt.
Along the way he attempts to convince us (ala McManus' Positively Fifth Street) that he is (or was) a he-man hell raiser who finds freedom from the chaffing collar of suburbia in...coaching youth soccer. To quote Syrania, ". . . there are a lot of lambs out there trying to be wolves..."
Haner's vast experience as a journalist has gifted him with tightly wrought prose and enviable research skills, as well as the chops to juggle multiple characters in a clear, concise way, but to anyone who doesn't own a gas grill, mortgage, and receding hairline, Soccerhead comes off as more than little self-indulgent.
Good start for the aspiring youth soccer coach. August 12, 2006
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Nice job blending the fun and frustrations of coaching with the history of soccer in this country - which is a much richer history then I would have guessed. Bogs down a bit in the middle, but definitely worth the time.
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