Tim Bascom is the author of two prize-winning memoirs, Chameleon Days and Running to the Fire; two essay collections, The Comfort Trap and Climbing Lessons; a collection of short stories, Continental Drift; and the novel Squatters’ Rites. He is the Executive Director of the Kansas Book Festival.

• Preface: Hmmm. Should You Read This Book?1. First TackleDid You Know? Historical Origins of the Game2. On Using One’s Head3. One for the AgesDid You Know? How the Ball Evolved4. Stress, Soccer, and Relief!5. Up in the AirDid you Know? How Soccer Got Its Goals6. Soccer at All Costs?7. A Toast to the Toughest!Did You Know? Why Al the Goal-Scoring Hullabaloo?8. ¿Hablas EspaÑol? ¿Hablas FÚtbol?9. One Game but Many Points of ViewDid you Know? Just How University Is This Game?10. Offsides! Yankee Fans in a Premier Palace11. Pride vs. SpiritDid You Know? Pioneers of Women’s Soccer12. Why I Can’s Stop Playing13. Religion vs. SoccerDid You Know? Even Bob Marley Played!14. Coaching Chaos15. Wonder GirlDid You Know? How Referees Took Charge16. No Ball? No Problem!17. Out in the OpenDid You Know? How Indoor Soccer Began18. A United Nations of Soccer—in Kansas?19. The Darker SideDid You Know? A Homeless World Cup20. Mr. Soccer—Oumar Seck21. Football to FÚtbolDid You Know? Why International Games are Called Caps22. Building Soccer Bridges23. A Family AffairDid You Know? War, Soccer, and a Surprising Truce24. Bishops with Balls25. Reasons We WatchDid You Know? Random (but Fun) Facts26. Camaraderie27. No Matter What!Did You Know? Who Outlasted All the Others?28. The Old Man and the KneeAcknowledgments

"Through a life spent playing soccer, Tim Bascom captures the global and personal nature of the game. He shares experiences from around the world, taking readers from dusty African streets to sweltering Kansas fields. His passion for the game will resonate with anyone who loves sport."—Paul Carr, ESPN & FOX World Cup researcher"Equal parts touching memoir and fascinating history, The Boundless Game reminds readers of the power of sport to provide connection in an increasingly fragmented world. Through poignant personal vignettes and watershed moments, soccer is presented as a passport that allows even the casual participant the opportunity to fit the globe into the length of a pitch, if only for a short game. From eastern Africa to rural Kansas, soccer enthusiasts and non-sports fans alike will find much to discover in the people, places, and matches Bascom has curated in this book."—Peter Jasso, director of From Football to Futbol"This warm-hearted set of essays shows how the global game connects worlds from Kansas to Kenya to Korea and beyond. Written with a generous midwestern sensibility, these stories of lived experience reveal how soccer can animate people and places. Reading it makes for a lovely complement, or perhaps even alternative, to the cynical business of modern commercial sport."—Andrew M. Guest, author of Soccer in Mind: A Thinking Fan’s Guide to the Global Game"Tim Bascom weaves together stories of how soccer can become a transformative pedagogy of human connection across cultures and conflicts. Spanning the globe and different eras, Bascom shows that the beautiful game isn’t just about who we are—it’s about who we could become."—Vasilis Kostakis, author of Beyond the Final Whistle: Soccer for a Better World" A must-read for those that love soccer, are starting to love soccer, and those still deciding how they view the game."—Bill Murray, author of The World’s Game: A History of Soccer