Book Log 2007 #34: Just Kick It by Mark St. Amant

I'd read this a while ago, and am not sure how it didn't come up in turn, but I suppose it's a more fitting mention this time of year. St. Amant, a writer with less than pleasant memories of his scholastic soccer career, finds himself drawn back into competitive sports when he becomes the kicker for the Boston Panthers, a semi-pro team made up primarily of players from Roxbury and surrounding neighborhoods. This not only makes St. Amant a fish out of water physically - being smallish and more years removed from sports than his teammates - but in social and emotional ways as well, as being white and college-educated puts him in the minority for once.

There's a danger that this sort of story could veer into sociological territory that tries to draw conclusions from too small a sample size, but that doesn't happen here. The story that is told is funny, inspiring, at times sad and frustrating, but it's always told well. It also helps to demonstrate how sports can, with its focus on teamwork, help people come together when normally they wouldn't.

Very highly recommended, one of the best books I've read this year.