Finding the Game: Three Years, Twenty-five Countries, and the Search for Pickup Soccer by Gwendolyn Oxenham

Finding the Game: Three Years, Twenty-five Countries, and the Search for Pickup Soccer Reviews

• 
  Beau

  Definitely not a substitute for her breathtaking film "Pelada," but a worthy companion piece. For a while, the book repeats much of the documentary, but we get a peek behind the scenes of the film. We learn more about her and her relationship with Luke, but we also meet the other two filmmakers and how they worked together to make the film.
  
  It's not written in the same style as your typical soccer book -- most of us aren't grad students in creative writing! Sometimes her ornate style seems like overkill, but it sometimes gives us details we couldn't pick up in the film.
  
  Fans of The Beautiful Game won't be disappointed.
• 
  Colleen

  This book makes me want to see more of the world. And play soccer. Every day.
• 
  Jaz

  This is a story about football, but not the polished, highly-paid, global version of the game that we see so much of on television. This is football played in the alleyways, car parks, fields and favelas by friends, co-workers and neighbours as part of their daily life; between whole villages, during the day or in the dark... it talks of football at the heart of the lives of ordinary people; as participants rather than fans. I enjoyed the book so much I'm trying to find a copy of 'Pelada', the film that the author and her friends made about their quest to find 'pickup' football around the world.
• 
  C.I. DeMann

  Oxenham's a wonderful writer. Both this and her other book -- Under the Lights -- should be required reading for any soccer fan.
• 
  Michael Kitchen

  This is about pick-up soccer and an American soccer player's search to find it in twenty-five countries, and documenting the adventure. The film, "Pelada" is now something I need to search out to see the visual results of the adventure.
  
  It is also about Ms. Oxenham's relation to the game, going from the youngest Division I athlete in the NCAA at age sixteen, leading Duke's women's soccer team, to when the soccer life after the spotlight is gone.
  
  I enjoyed following her journey, and the interesting places where she and her crew were able to find pick-up games around the world and in some unexpected places, like in Iran and a prison in Bolivia.
• 
  Abner

  A really delightful read, particularly for a soccer fan. I thought the section about playing in Iran was very powerful and showed the dual side of that country.
• 
  Ryan

  This book was a number of things. It was a story about making a movie - the travels involved in visiting 25 countries to film pick-up soccer games. I loved the first part, where they were working on a grant and traveling through South America, sleeping on floors and playing lots and lots of soccer.
  
  It was also the story of a changing relationship - the one between the author and soccer. This game had been and continued to be her passion, her identity, and yet she was growing older, finding other loves (writing, Luke). How can something be your passion, your gift and yet not your life? Plus, soccer was changing too - at the time, there was no professional US team for her, she'd done the pro team in Brazil...there wasn't a career track, so much. Maybe it was also a three-year therapy session - at least for the author - to help her adjust to the change. As therapy sessions go, it was pretty awesome.
  
  There were so many descriptions of poverty and horrible living conditions, yet out of the worst places often came the best, most gifted and passionate players, that it was also a story of hope. And of passion - these people worked hard all day, but couldn't NOT go play soccer. They needed it to live.
  
  I preferred the parts where they had begged and borrowed funds, where there weren't hotel rooms - when they had a sponsor, it wasn't as interesting. The book was easy and enjoyable to read, though easy to put down. I did end up buying the dvd because I really wanted to SEE the soccer games described. Good sports writing, worth reading.
  
  
• 
  MacK

  I spent many a teenage summer day with nothing but my older brother, a ball, a vaguely defined goal in our back yard hedge, and a little brother who was willing to be goalkeeper. As far as Montana felt from the rest of the world, in that spirit we were right there with everyone else.
  
  That's the spirit that inspired author, filmmaker and former collegiate soccer star Gwendolyn Oxenham to take off on an around the world trek to see and play the game in as many countries as possible. With her boyfriend and a pair of college mates in tow, she went to the caribbean, South America, Africa, Europe, East Asia and finally the West Asia. Along they way she encounters criminals and kids, prodigies and faded stars, immigrants finding their way and nationalists defending their turf.
  
  It's easy to see Oxenham's intelligence and style (her academic chops are impeccable), and her honest fan/athlete perspective is refreshing--even though it does have a hint of the "How-I-Spent-My-Summer-Vacation-Tone" she openly dreads. But the power of her writing is in the lived perspective, not a dry analysis or a historian or an observer, someone who lives the game, and who loves living that way. When sports suffuses your blood stream, you can't help but feel that, as a friend/player/writer in Italy puts it "the game gives you more than you will ever give it."
• 
  Julie

  Oxenham played soccer at Duke and hoped to play professionally, but she graduated just when the WUSA (women’s professional soccer league) folded. A couple of years afterwards, along with her boyfriend and two college friends, she set out to make a documentary film about informal pick-up soccer games in other countries. I’ve heard good things about “Pelada” and hope to see it soon; I’m interested to see how they wove a narrative from what (in the book) end up being unconnected serial episodes. Despite the choppiness and repetitiveness (they arrive in a country, find a game, play, and talk to the players), there are wonderful moments of shared love for the game, and the ending is a genuinely felt rumination about what soccer means to those who play it. As Oxenham says, it’s not what we do for soccer – it’s what it does for us.
• 
  Katie Johnson

  A good read about how to take your love of something and use it to see the world. The story is about a couple of accomplished soccer players, the games they found and the people they met traveling around with a soccer ball, all while shooting a documentary, "Pelada".
  It's definitely from a woman's perspective as she continually verbalizes her insecurities, which may be annoying to a man, but I can appreciate. If you can relate to any universal passion; music, climbing, kayaking, food, etc., you may like this book. If your passion is soccer you'll probably love it.
  Also, the whole family watched "Pelada" after I finished the book. It was so entertaining that we've cleared out the living room for spontaneous soccer matches.
• 
  Kay Mcgriff

  Oxenham and three friends travel the world in search of pickup soccer games. They hope–and find–that soccer opens doors and creates connections with people around the world. I have learned to enjoy watching soccer as my daughter played through the years. I knew soccer was popular around the world, but I had no idea of the allure this game has in other countries and for the people who love it. Everywhere they go (so far South America, Europe and the Middle East), they find new friends by jumping into pickup games found in city slums and country villages. I can’t wait to see where they go next.
• 
  Colby

  I like/love pick-up soccer, and this book was all about that all over the world. The ending had the most resonance for me when she wrote (after not getting taken for the women's pro league) that in the end she was playing soccer for her and not anyone else. i can relate. still like to kick some ass however. The writing was good, not great, and there was a bit too much of her diary-esque part about her falling in love and boyfriend, but rest was fun.
• 
  Melyssa

  I read this book because it was the common read for the college where I work. I'm only a casual soccer fan so it got a little repetitive for me, but I liked the idea of going around the world and finding common ground. The most interesting chapter for me was the visit to Iran, and I also liked David Beckham's cameo toward the end.
• 
  Cole Alpaugh

  Came across the book long after I'd watched the documentary. Both are brilliant. Ms. Oxenham's passion for the beautiful game translates well to her writing and I look forward to her next book. Highly recommend.
• 
  Steven Walker

  Great writing. Fascinating concept ( a travelogue built around the sport of soccer). You don't have to love soccer to enjoy the book, but you will appreciate it all the more if you are a fan of the beautiful game.
• 
  Dheerja

  Great book, even better movie. Must see Pelada, absolutely amazing story of pickup soccer around the world.
• 
  Kara

  Great book written by a Duke grad with an appreciation for soccer, culture, travel, and life!
• 
  Jimmy Laroue

  A terrific read where soccer and travel intersect to make for a compelling narrative.
• 
  Malika

  Passionate and poetic narrative about 4 friends traveling the world in search of pick up games. Their adventures kept me on the edge of my seat. A great read, regardless of your interest in soccer.
• 
  Dean Burrier Sanchis

  Particularly enjoyed reading about so many different places I would love to travel to in the future. It is also worth noting the journey and growth of the author as a writer. Highly recommend.
• 
  Chuck Adams

  I haven't seen the film, but I want to now.
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  Andrew Klimkowski

  Loved it! Perfect book for traveling or put you in the mood for traveling. :)
• 
  Matthew

  A joy to read. Going all over the world in search of pickup soccer games gives much insight to the various cultures.