sports journalism Jules Boykoff soccer book sports memoir Portland Timbers soccer culture sports sociology Kicking book soccer analysis soccer history

Jules Boykoff has always loved soccer—not just the sport, but the quiet, collective moments that define it. He cherishes the feel of the ball at his feet, the roar of the crowd at Providence Park as he cheers on the Portland Timbers, and the unspoken understanding in a stadium when a player executes a flawless, understated play. “It's a collective recognition of the tiny acts of soccer intelligence that make the game glow,” he writes in his new book, Kicking. “If you know, you know.”

Yet Boykoff’s love for soccer is matched by his honesty about its flaws. As a poet and political scientist, he has spent much of his career examining the sport through both academic and journalistic lenses. His journey into political science began after a formative experience: a “frosty reception” while playing for the U.S. under-23 national team in France in 1990.

Kicking is the culmination of Boykoff’s life and work—a memoir that intertwines his personal story, shaped by soccer, with a broader exploration of the game as a sociopolitical force. The book reflects on how soccer has touched his life and, in turn, how the world has shaped the sport.

Source: Defector
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