How Soccer Built Community in the United States
Played by both migrants and native-born Americans, soccer created communities across the United States. Brian D. Bunk ranges from Pawtucket to Honolulu as he illuminates the deep and diverse origins of the American sport.Soccer took root as immigration, urbanization, and industrialization triggered immense changes across society. Matches built local pride as teams battled rival neighborhoods and towns. Teammates and supporters shared meals, raised money for fallen players, and attended each other’s weddings and funerals. If sometimes damaged by economic depression or shattered by war, clubs often bounced back to provide a steadying, resilient force in their towns. Bunk follows the story from the 1880s through World War I by profiling the struggles and joys of players while also tracing the overlooked impact of people of African, Chinese, Hawaiian, Jewish, and Filipino descent on American soccer culture.
Engaging and rich in detail, Beyond the Field draws on extensive original research to expand our idea of the people and places that formed the American game.
Praise for Beyond the Field
“Regardless of how one chooses to read Beyond the Field, it is unquestionably another important study into the early history of soccer in the United States.”–idrottsforum
“This book brings to life the experiences of ordinary people in creating a modern culture of soccer in the United States. Well-written and painstakingly researched by a leading scholar of U.S. soccer history, it shows how Scots, Irish, Welsh, English, Italian, African Americans, and Chinese forged a sense of self and community through their multifaceted involvement in the game. Beyond the Field should appeal to serious fans, practitioners, and specialists alike. I am adding it to my Global Soccer syllabus!”–Peter Alegi, author of African Soccerscapes: How a Continent Changed the World’s Game.