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Chasing a Legend: A Kavanagh Legends Novel
by Sarah RobinsonThe most soulful Kavanagh brother tackles the challenge of a lifetime—with a little help from the girl of his dreams. “Fans of Lori Foster’s SBC Fighters series will love the MMA atmosphere of [Sarah] Robinson’s Legends.”—Library Journal A topnotch manager and agent, Quinn Kavanagh pictures a life outside of his family’s renowned MMA gym. Beneath his sleek exterior, Quinn has a secret passion for sculpting. But after a nearly fatal motorcycle accident, he’s struggling just to walk again, let alone get back to the studio—and it doesn’t help that the doctor in charge of his physical therapy is his childhood crush. Quinn’s always ready for a fight, but the bittersweet sting of unrequited love has him begging for mercy. Dr. Kiera Finley is determined to make her medical residency a success. Six years ago, she gave in and shared a single passionate night with Quinn. Now she’s just hoping the cocky lover from her past doesn’t derail her plans for the future. Little by little, though, Kiera gets to know another side of Quinn. She knew he was a family man, devoted to his parents and brothers, but he’s also a free spirit trapped in a cage—and only she has the key. To heal both Quinn’s body and soul, Kiera’s tempted to give him a special kind of medicine. With their own heartwarming HEAs, Sarah Robinson’s Kavanagh Legends novels can be read together or separately: BREAKING A LEGEND SAVING A LEGEND BECOMING A LEGEND CHASING A LEGEND “One of my favorite MMA books to date.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken, on Breaking a Legend “Those Kavanaghs really know how to make a girl swoon.”—New York Times bestselling author Katy Evans This ebook includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
Chasing Bears: A Canoe Country Adventure
by Earl FleckA rite-of-passage adventure set in the lakes country bordering northern Minnesota and Canada for a father and his two teenage sons.
Chasing Excellence: The Remarkable Life and Inspiring Vigilosophy of Coach Joe I. Vigil
by Pat Joseph MelgaresWinner, Best Sports Book, International Latino Book Awards; Best Biography, Independent Book Publishers Association Dr. Joe I. Vigil—known simply as "Coach" to virtually everybody he has ever met—rose from poverty to become a towering figure in the running world. Coach has won 19 national championships and coached 425 All-Americans, 22 Olympians...and an army of "Vigilantes" who seek to emulate his unique blend of compassion, competitive spirit, and commitment to others. In this long-overdue biography about America's preeminent distance-running coach, author and Vigilante Pat Melgares shares Coach Vigil's tale not just through the consummate storyteller's own words but also through those of more than 50 family members, friends, former runners, and foes who have been shaped by his presence over a lifetime. Coach Vigil is driven by a persistent desire to learn, a deep faith in people, and an unwavering loyalty to his hometown of Alamosa, Colorado. His life is an American dream—a must-read for anyone who loves an underdog or seeks to understand the timeless qualities that forge a leader. "Chasing Excellence" has been Coach Vigil's mantra for decades, for himself and those he teaches. Now in his 90s, he's as relentless as ever in that quest. "If you are a teacher, a coach, an administrator . . . or anyone in a leadership role . . . read this book! If you are an athlete or anyone in pursuit of achieving excellence in your field . . . read this book! – Ryun G., verified purchaser
Chasing Fire: Danger in Canoe Country
by Earl Fleck'Fire Danger High' reads the sign at the US Forest Service ranger station as thirteen-year-old Danny Forester returns to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for another family canoe trip adventure. He is a year older, taller, and more skilled. Still, the unpredictable events of the trail test his courage and endurance. Early on, he helps his family rescue another family, the Tuckers from Ohio, who have swamped on huge windswept Lake Lac La Coix. Then, on a risky night paddle, the Foresters leave the Tuckers, including thirteen-year-old Julie Tucker, to a Canadian ranger station for emergency medical evaluation. Despite the exhausting rescue and increasing fire danger, Danny and his family are still able to follow their planned route through canoe country. They discover an enormous beaver dam and lodge, spot a bull moose feeding, sight a bald eagle, and hear loons singing through the night. Danny's younger sister, Rachel, photographs nature, tape-records birdsongs and teases her brother about the attention he has paid to Julie Tucker. Danny's older brother, Mike, is off fighting forest fires, protecting the BWCAW, when he meets up with his family. Danny tests his skill and courage by camping out "solo" on Bear Island on the last night of the trip. In the dramatic conclusion, Danny draws upon great reserves of inner strength to face the danger of a raging forest fire and save his family. Chapter illustrations by the author convey the essence of this exciting story. Earl Fleck has camped for over thirty years in the BWCAW and Quetico wilderness regions. A psychologist in private practice and an investigator for the Minnesota State Attorney General's Office, he lives with his family near Minneapolis, Minnesota. Also Available by Earl Fleck 'Chasing Bears: A Canoe Country Adventure' TP $12. 95, 0-930100-90-5 - CUSA
Chasing Fog: Finding Enchantment in a Cloud
by Laura PashbyAt first, I didn&’t find fog – fog found me. Liminal, transformative and increasingly elusive – far from a simple cloud of water droplets, fog is a state of mind. As mist drifted through a copse of trees, turning a familiar place strange and otherworldly, Laura Pashby snapped a photograph and an obsession began. Pashby hunts for fog, walks and swims in it, explores its often pivotal role in literature, mythology and history, as well as its environmental significance. There has been a 50 per cent drop in 'fog events' in the past fifty years, fog is drifting away without us noticing and the ecological impact could be calamitous. As she journeys to the foggiest places she can find, Pashby immerses herself in Dartmoor&’s dangerous fog, searches for the Scottish haar, experiences Venice&’s magical mist, tell us the myths behind the River Severn&’s fog and the shipwrecks it hides. It&’s easy to get lost in fog, but sometimes it&’s where imperceptible things can be found, including in ourselves. Chasing Fog is a captivating meditation on fog and mist, a love song to weather and nature&’s power to transform.
Chasing Grace: What the Quarter Mile Has Taught Me about God and Life
by Sanya Richards-Ross“For as long as I can remember, life has been measured in seconds. The fewer, the better.”Most people equate success with having more, but Sanya’s quest was always for less. She started running track as a little girl in Jamaica and began competing when she was only seven. At 31 she’s had a career’s worth of conditioning to run a 400-meter race in 50 seconds, hopefully 49, or even better, 48.When she started training with her coach, Clyde Hart, they divided her race into four phases: push, pace, position, poise, and with the inherent prayer. For years Sanya worked to hone every phase in practice so that when it came time to race, her body would respond as her mind instinctively transitioned from one phase to the next. As she got older and embraced a life that measures more than just a number on the time clock, she has realized the genius of this strategy for not just racing the 400 meters, but for living her best life.Sanya shares triumphant as well as heartbreaking stories as she reveals her journey to becoming a world-class runner. From her childhood in Jamaica to Athens, Beijing and London Olympics, readers will find themselves inspired by the unique insights she’s gained through her victories and losses, including her devastating injury during the 2016 Olympic Trials forcing career retirement just weeks before Rio. Sanya demonstrates how even this devastating loss brought her closer to the ultimate goal of becoming all God created her to be.”Sometimes you think you are chasing a gold medal, but that’s not what you are chasing. You’re racing to become the best version of yourself.”
Chasing Greatness
by Adam LazarusThe unforgettable story of the 1973 U. S. Open-and the unknown young golfer who astonished the world. . . In 1973, a Who's Who of golf's greats gathered at the Oakmont Country Club for the U. S. Open. Among those favored to win were Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. Instead, Johnny Miller-a 26-year-old onetime phenom from San Francisco-astonished the golfing world by edging out the legends and crafting a record-setting 63 to win by a single stroke. Featuring extensive archival and video research and candid interviews with leading golfers of the era, Chasing Greatnessbeautifully captures one of the unlikeliest victories and dramatic sports triumphs of the past half century. Authors Adam Lazarus and Steve Schlossman also chronicle the careers and the lives of six extraordinary figures during golf's modern-day golden era: Miller, Palmer, Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Weiskopf, and John Schlee.
Chasing The Hunter's Dream: 1,001 of the World's Best Duck Marshes, Deer Runs, Elk Meadows, Pheasant Fields, Bear Woods, Safaris, and Extraordinary Hunts
by Jeffrey Engel James A. SwanUnder the guiding philosophy of "The Honorable Pursuit of Fish and Game," Jeff and Sherol Engel and James A. Swan present their expert advice on the most enjoyable and affordable places to hunt both big and small game throughout North America, Mexico, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Down Under. Organized by location, Chasing the Hunter's Dream covers the best hunting spots and possible game as well as outfitters, guides, and lodges. This book also serves up some tasty wild game recipes and shares inspiring stories of extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime "dream hunts." The authors provide information on preparing for each hunt and how to get a trophy home, and they share wonderful hunting camp remembrances. Chasing the Hunter's Dream is for the modern hunter and those others who may wish to join them in enjoying the passion and the pleasure of hunting. Informative and inspiring, this is the one book that all hunters must own.
Chasing Indiana's Game: The Hoosier Hardwood Project
by Chris Smith Michael E. KeatingHoosiers have always loved basketball! Long before Larry Bird carried Indiana State University to the 1979 NCAA National Championship or Bobby Knight walked the sidelines at Indiana University, basketball fostered community identity across the Hoosier state. From Indiana's tiniest towns to its biggest cities, high school basketball is a source of pride, unifying communities with different races, religions, and social and economic status.First drawn simply to documenting the architecture of Indiana's high school buildings and basketball courts, Chris Smith and Michael Keating quickly discovered that the real story was about more than just brick and mortar, maple and shellac. Told repeatedly by locals how important these places were to their communities, they began to embrace the "game on Saturday, church on Sunday" mantra that is found in many towns through Indiana, watching countless hours of basketball and becoming a part of the Hoosier tradition themselves. With over 150 color photographs and unforgettable stories from high school basketball and beyond, Chasing Indiana's Game: The Hoosier Hardwood Project is a tribute to the Hoosier state and all who love basketball.
Chasing Jillian
by Julie BrannaghScore a touchdown with Julie Brannagh's latest Love and Football novel--about discovering who you are and finding love along the way.Jillian Miller likes her job working in the front office for the Seattle Sharks, but lately being surrounded by a constant parade of perfection only seems to make her own imperfections all the more obvious. She needs a change, which takes her into foreign territory: the Sharks' workout facility after hours. The last thing she expects is a hot, grumbly god among men to be there as witness.Star linebacker Seth Taylor has had a bad day--well, a series of them recently. When he hits the Sharks' gym to work out his frustration, he's startled to find someone there--and even more surprised that it's Jillian, the team owner's administrative assistant. When he learns of her mission to revamp her lifestyle, he finds himself volunteering to help. Something about Jillian's beautiful smile and quick wit makes him want to stick around. She may not be like the swimsuit models he usually has on his arm, but the more time Seth spends with her, the harder he falls.And as Jillian discovers that the new her is about so much more than she sees in the mirror, can she discover that happiness and love are oh-so-much better than perfect?
Chasing Lance: The 2005 Tour de France and Lance Armstrong's Ride of a Lifetime
by Martin DugardIn Chasing Lance, acclaimed journalist and bestselling author Martin Dugard tells the extraordinary story of Lance Armstrong's final race, guiding us on a 2,240-mile journey through the French countryside, up the rugged peaks of the Pyrenees, all the way to one final ride down the Champs-Elysées. Never before has the Tour de France been captured so fully and vividly. We are there among the rabid fans as they cheer riders on; in the frenzied media room, where journalists plot to score an interview with the fiercely private Armstrong; and deep inside the heart of the peloton as the Discovery team's top lieutenants sacrifice themselves to protect their leader. Dugard was granted the most exclusive press credential offered by the Tour's organizers, so he had total access to the riders, their teams, the courses, and the back rooms. As a result it's all here: the daring breakaways and heartbreaking crashes, the mind games and the intense competition, the strategy and the courage. We see Lance Armstrong's fearsome drive, his jubilation when his most loyal teammate wins a stage, and his rocky relationships with young, up-and-coming American riders. But Chasing Lance is not just an account of Armstrong's triumph. Dugard gives us the full Tour, from the yellow jersey up front to the strugglers who finish last; from the quiet countryside to the Paris pavement; from the lavender fields of Provence to the fields of drunken tourists who have come not only to see if Lance can win one last time, but to consume as much fine wine and cheese as possible-an endurance contest of a different sort. A gripping portrait of a champion at sunset, an illuminating exploration of what it means to persevere-on the road and in life-and a vibrant journey through France, Chasing Lance takes us to the Tour, and inside the mind of Lance Armstrong, like no other book ever has.
Chasing Lost Times: A Father and Son Reconciled Through Running
by Geoffrey Beattie Ben BeattieGeoffrey Beattie is an extremely successful academic and celebrity psychologist. He was perhaps a less successful father. His obsession with his career and his driving passion for running when he was at home almost destroyed his relationship with his son, but, ironically, it is running that has brought them back together.Chasing Lost Times is the emotional story of a father and son trying to repair a relationship through a shared activity that depends on sheer physical effort, the kind of physical effort that may once have been the source of commonality between father and son in all previous generations but which seems to be absent in the modern world.
Chasing October
by David PlautFrom the first pitch of April until the final out in October, the 1962 Dodgers and Giants staged a furious pennant fight that was every bit the equal of the fractious feuds waged during the rivalry's New York heyday of bench-clearing brawls.Set in what many call "the last year of American innocence," the 1962 National League pennant race was in a new context-a 10-team league including Houston and the Mets, a 162-game schedule, and the new Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. But it also had plenty of tradition. Names like Snider and Mays, Durocher and Dark were still in uniform 11 years after the celebrated Giants-Dodgers playoff decided by Bobby Thompson's homer in the ninth in 1951. The move west in 1958 had not mellowed any memories-Candlestick Park and Dodger Stadium replaced the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field, but the intensity of mutual dislike was the same. Add to this the uncanny resemblance of the Dodger-Giant standings going into the 1962 playoffs to that of their 1951 ranking, and you have a season-ending script that stands as one of the most memorable and amazing in the game's history.In CHASING OCTOBER, David Plaut captures in fascinating detail all the great moments, raw emotion, and nail-biting suspense of the unforgettable fight to the finish. Each team finished the regular season with imposing 101-61 records. Each had its heroes: Orlando Cepeda, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Felipe Alou, and Jack Sanford were Bay Area favorites. In Los Angeles, Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Maury Wills, Tommy Davis, and Frank Howard were as recognizable as the Hollywood celebrities who turned out nightly at Chavez Ravine to cheer them on. Each team had their own pressures as well. Younger Dodgers supported manager Walt Alston, others openly preferred coach Leo Derocher. On the Giants, minority players were not always enamored of their manager, Alvin Dark. Just as in 1951, the playoff featured rallies, drama, and tactical blunders that sent the action into the ninth inning of the final game before being decided.With updates and a new preface, this 50th Anniversary Edition of CHASING OCTOBER is a must not only for the fans of these two exciting franchises, but for any lover of baseball. In capturing the exhilarating spirit of the intense rivalry between the Dodgers and Giants, Plaut gets to the essence of baseball's hold on the imagination.
Chasing Perfect
by Bob HurleyThe inspiring story of the most famous high school basketball coach in America.In 40 seasons as the head coach of St. Anthony High School, a private parochial school in Jersey City, New Jersey, Bob Hurley has established a standard of excellence and achievement without peer, and remarkably, he has done this at a high school with a total student body enrollment of about 230, with no gymnasium, and with an operating deficit that threatens to shut the place down each year. Hurley himself sweeps the floor before each home game. Despite the long odds against them, Hurley's teams have captured 26 state titles and four consensus national championships, all behind an astonishing career winning percentage of .905. In Chasing Perfect, Hurley opens up his tool box and shares some of the championship strategies he's developed to help lift his players up and out of Jersey City. The narrative centerpiece will be each of St. Anthony's seven undefeated seasons, with sketch profiles of some of the most memorable players, making some of the most memorable plays in St. Anthony history. Along the way, he'll offer empowering insights to help coaches and players to elevate their games, while empowering the rest of us to walk a more purposeful path. Part memoir, part coach's notebook and part reflection on the St. Anthony players it has been Hurley's privilege to coach, Chasing Perfect will stand as a compelling barometer of life in and around the hardscrabble streets of Jersey City, set against the backdrop of one of the most enduringly competitive high school basketball programs in the country.
Chasing Perfection: A Behind-the-scenes Look At The High-stakes Game Of Creating An Nba Champion
by Andy GlocknerIn Moneyball, Billy Beane famously acquired assets undervalued by the system, and baseball's individualist format allowed for greater team success. <P><P> In modern-day basketball, the development system now generates more undervalued assets, and teams do a better job of identifying them. Perfected explores the relentless, high-stakes quest to find and shape what author Andy Glockner calls "perfected players. " It also shares what happens to them at the highest levels. While basketball has been around for well over a century, the last few years have seen a massive change in the amount of money, technology, and techniques used to find and evaluate players. Where do perfected players come from? How are NBA teams using big data? Perfected answers these and other questions about the fast-paced and fast-changing sport, including the top ten current perfected players and the most perfected player of all time.
Chasing Records: An Angler's Quest
by Robert CunninghamFor most anglers, catching a world-record fish is something they can only fantasize about. "Maybe," the angler thinks, "I'll get lucky." But if the reason you fish is to catch world-record fish, then luck is only a very small part of it, as Robert Cunningham has learned in the course of a long quest during which he has caught fifty-seven world-record fish, as certified by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA). Cunningham's pursuit of record fish began on the remote and austere Chandeleur Islands off the Louisiana coast, which he reached flying his own seaplane, and where he chased and landed several world-record redfish. Cunningham then moved offshore, where he took record cobia and dolphin on both conventional tackle with a fly rod, and set an astonishing eleven world records in one year. Cunningham has caught record fish in the sloughs of the Mobile River Delta, the interior lakes of the Bahamas, and along tide rips more than one hundred miles offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. He has fought potential world-record fish for eight hours, only to lose them at boatside, and then gone back for more, and along the way, learned all manner of angling skills as well as the ability to shake off the (literal) bad breaks. His account of one angler's obsession is full of humor, disappointment, and triumph.
Chasing Rumor: A Season Fly Fishing in Patagonia
by Cameron ChambersEvery November, when the North American rivers turn icy and the grass turns brown, fly fishermen retreat to the fishing holes of their imaginations. Some wander to the banks of the legendary rivers of Patagonia, where the mythical browns measure 20 inches or more and invariably present the fight that every angler lives for. Chasing Rumor is the chronicle of one young angler's attempt to experience the fishing utopia he had created in his mind's eye. In some ways, as with rumors and the imagination, his journey fell short of expectations. But in others, the Patagonian highlight reel he'd created could not possibly prepare him for the adventures of this captivating and mysterious fisherman's mecca in a unique, pristine part of the world. In between catching some amazing trout, Chambers experiences the culture of fishing in Patagonia, one still being carved by both the physical forces of nature and the political, social, and economic forces of man. From John Titcomb, who introduced the fish to the area at the turn of the 19th century, to a business mogul turned B&B owner who popularized guided fishing, from a guide determined to save his local trout population to the anglers themselves and their myriad expectations of each fishing trip, Chasing Rumor takes a circuitous route through history and personality. Along the way, like any reflective fisherman, the author grapples with the environmental contradiction inherent in the origins of this angler's playground, where introduced trout have thrived. How much should man be allowed to alter nature to increase enjoyment of a sport? It is, in fact, a dilemma at the very core of many outdoor endeavors. In the end, Chasing Rumor finds its way back to the fish, however, and how they inspire anglers' commitment to protection of the water. For this reason, the book remains where it belongs, in the great tradition of fishing literature, a world obsessed with the possibility of a ten-pound brown trout.
Chasing Space: An Astronaut's Story of Grit, Grace, and Second Chances
by Leland MelvinIn this revelatory and moving memoir, a former NASA astronaut and NFL wide receiver shares his personal journey from the gridiron to the stars, examining the intersecting roles of community, perseverance and grace that align to create the opportunities for success. <p><p> Leland Melvin is the only person in human history to catch a pass in the National Football League and in space. Though his path to the heavens was riddled with setbacks and injury, Leland persevered to reach the stars. <p><p> While training with NASA, Melvin suffered a severe injury that left him deaf. Leland was relegated to earthbound assignments, but chose to remain and support his astronaut family. His loyalty paid off. Recovering partial hearing, he earned his eligibility for space travel. He served as mission specialist for two flights aboard the shuttle Atlantis, working on the International Space Station. <p><p> In this uplifting memoir, the former NASA astronaut and professional athlete offers an examination of the intersecting role of community, determination, and grace that align to shape our opportunities and outcomes. Chasing Space is not the story of one man, but the story of many men, women, scientists, and mentors who helped him defy the odds and live out an uncommon destiny. <p><p> As a chemist, athlete, engineer and space traveler, Leland’s life story is a study in the science of achievement. His personal insights illuminate how grit and grace, are the keys to overcoming adversity and rising to success.
Chasing Spring Presents: Ray Eye's Turkey Hunter's Bible
by Ray EyeLegendary turkey hunter Ray Eye provides all of the information you need to know to successfully hunt wild turkeys across the country: how to scout, how and when to call, special tactics for the early season, how to hunt pressured turkeys, how to hunt heavy timber or open fields, and much, much more. Told in Ray's down-home, folksy manner, the book not only informs, but entertains as well. There's also a bonus storytelling section that will have you laughing in stitches as you read of some of Ray's more ponderous exploits.
Chasing the Bear: How Bear Bryant and Nick Saban Made Alabama the Greatest College Football Program of All Time
by Lars AndersonA dual biography of two coaching legends -- Bear Bryant and Nick Saban -- who built the Alabama Crimson Tide into a true football dynasty. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px} Both Bear Bryant and Nick Saban are undeniable kings of college football, two coaches at Alabama who have each won more national championships-six apiece-than anyone else in the history of the game. Chasing the Bear examines how they did it, revealing along the way their similarities in style, background, football philosophy, and recruiting methods, while providing readers a rare inside look at two of the greatest leaders in the history of sports. Bear Bryant and Nick Saban never met, but they have more in common than either of them realize. Both grew up in small towns-Bryant in Moro Bottom, Arkansas, a dot on the map, and Saban from Monongah, West Virginia, population five hundred. As a child, Saban pumped gas at his father's service station, washing and waxing cars and doing anything he could to help the business. Bryant's father suffered from multiple physical ailments, which forced Bryant to work to keep the family farm going. Both men knew the value of hard work from the time they were young boys, and both understood that there were no shortcuts to success. But both dreamed of escaping their hometowns, and both used football as the means to do so. Separated by two generations, Bear Bryant and Nick Saban are mythic figures linked by a school, a town, and a barroom debate centering on one question: Which is the greatest college coach of all time?
Chasing the Big Leagues: A Novel (Break Away Bks.)
by Brett BakerA major league players&’ strike may be one man&’s chance to shine: &“Baker knows his baseball . . . the feel of the ball, what makes a team tick . . . a page turner&” (John Keeble, author of Yellowfish) Three years after earning a full-ride baseball scholarship to Ohio State, &“Golden&” Jake Standen has burned out. Working as a furniture mover and bouncing between meaningless relationships, he&’s convinced that his baseball dreams are over. But after the 1994 Major League Baseball strike prematurely ends the season, the playoffs, and even the World Series, Jake is about to get his lucky break. Strike be damned, the owners will have a team for the &’95 season, even if they have to open tryouts and spring training to anyone who can hit or throw the ball. After scoring contracts for the Toronto Blue Jays, Jake, his best friend, Brian Sloan, and an unlikely cast of new teammates have just six weeks to learn how to play like never before amid a slowly building crescendo of public curiosity, media scrutiny, and a labor dispute that could put them on the field come Opening Day—or dash their dreams at any minute. Based on the true stories of the 1994–95 replacement players, Chasing the Big Leagues is an exciting novel about shared dreams and competing interests, best friends and second chances, growing up and finding love.
Chasing the Game: America and the Quest for the World Cup
by Filip BondyA tantalizing account of the triumphs and travails of the U. S. men’s soccer team in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, set within the historical context of American soccer on the global stage The U. S. men’s soccer team was a huge disappointment at the World Cup in 2006, but a newly constituted team exceeded all expectations in June 2009 with their inspired play at the Confederations Cup in South Africa—where they upset the number one team in the world, Spain, and lost late in the championship game to a supremely talented Brazilian squad. Their impressive showing gave fans, including the ever-loyal Sam’s Army, a renewed sense of hope that when the team plays up to its capabilities, the Americans can compete with anyone in the world. InChasing the Game, Filip Bondy describes the U. S. team’s path to qualifying for this year’s World Cup—to be held on the African continent for the first time ever, in South Africa in June 2010. Bondy also reveals the back-and-forth saga that resulted in the hiring of Bob Bradley as the American coach, and serves up engaging profiles of several core players, including the U. S. national team’s all-time leader in scoring and assists, Landon Donovan, acrobatic goalie Tim Howard, hip-hop devotee and opportunistic goal-scorer Clint “Deuce” Dempsey, up-and-comer Jozy Altidore, and the coach’s son, the reticent yet dependable Michael Bradley. Chasing the Gamealso recounts the glorious highlights of past World Cup matches, like the U. S. men’s team’s stunning 1–0 victory over England in 1950 and the 2002 team’s advance to the quarterfinals, as well as heartbreaks like the fiasco in 2006, when the U. S. mustered only four shots on goal in three games. Finally, Bondy also traces the origin of soccer and the evolution of the game in the U. S. , chronicling how soccer academies like the one in Bradenton, Florida, have impacted the game at both the youth and national levels. It’s all here for the first time in one book—the complete story of American soccer on the global stage.
Chasing Tiger
by Curt SampsonAll eat from the bowl of life. Tiger Woods just has a bigger spoon. So writes Curt Sampson in his ground-breaking account of the current state of golf. Tiger Woods has changed golf forever. His mix of power and skill combines with his extraordinary business savvy to make Woods the biggest global sports figure since Michael Jordan. Like Jordan, Woods' competitive signature is equal parts inspiration and intimidation. But what about the other guys? It's either catch up or give up for the rest of the golfing world, and in Chasing Tiger Curt Sampson exuberantly charts the state of the game as the new century unfolds. There are Duval and Mickelson and a host of other stars, of course, but there are also the junior golfers and their parents, corporate America, agents, instructors, fans, and the media. Just as he did in his controversial bestsellers Hogan and The Masters, Sampson digs deep to uncover stories that wouldn't otherwise be told. There's the golf course employee in Austin whose admiration for Woods leads him to spend every waking minute mimicking his hero (including the trademark pumping fist, only here it's on the practice green). There's the awestruck unemployed talk show host who stretches the bounds of good taste and hero worship with his Web site, Tigerwoodsisgod.com. At the other end of the scale is Charles Howell III, skinny as a 2-iron, a up-and-coming player who has been tapped by Jack Nicklaus to be the next great challenge to Woods. Howell is the anti-Tiger: a man unfailingly friendly to fans and media, recently married, opinionated, and entirely lacking in caution, yet he struggles to earn enough money to make the Tour. Curt Sampson has written an affectionate yet wary account of one extraordinary man's impact on the world of sport. By turns moving, hilarious, and eye-opening, Chasing Tiger is a wonderful addition to the golf canon.
Chasing Tiger: The Tiger Woods Reader
by Glenn StoutFrom his appearance on the Mike Douglas Show at age three (he putted for Bob Hope and Jimmy Stewart) to his winning the U. S Junior Amateur title at fifteen (he was the youngest champion ever) to his recent victories in four Grand Slam events in a row (though not in the same year), Tiger Woods has pursued with single-minded determination his dream of becoming the greatest golfer in history. But who is the real Tiger Woods? From his Nike commercials to his conflicting statements on race, Tiger has stirred up plenty of controversy off the golf course. And now in Chasing Tiger-an up-to-date collection of profiles, commentary, and reporting on Tiger's career by both U. S. and British writers from the late 1980s to now -we chart the trajectory of "the chosen one" from young prodigy to the most popular athlete in the world. With stellar profiles by esteemed sports writers such as Gary Smith and Charles Pierce, reportage by Pulitzer Prize-winning sportswriters Tom Boswell and the late Jim Murray, and pithy commentary by Ellen Goodman, Maureen Dowd, and Frank Deford, Chasing Tiger is a multi-dimensional portrait of the making of a legend.
Chasing Water: Elegy of an Olympian
by Anthony Ervin Constantine MarkidesAnthony Ervin and Constantine Markides are the recipients of the 2018 Buck Dawson Author Award presented by the Internationla Swimming Hall of Fame!"Here Ervin and swim trainer and journalist Markides combine talents to create a biography that is part first-hand narrative by Ervin, with Markides filling in the details and providing context. The formula works, pulling readers into Ervin's experience of the thrill of victory and search for meaning...Featuring more depth, breadth, truth, and the effects of reckless choices than found in traditional athlete biographies, this gripping account is just in time for the gear up to the Rio 2016 Olympics. Readers will understand the psyche and life of elite athletes as never before, then cheer Ervin on in his attempt to make another Olympic team."--Library Journal"A celebrated Olympian recounts how he rose to the top of his sport, crashed, and found redemption...This book, which tells his story through a narrative that interweaves the former gold medalist's memories with commentary by his friend and colleague Markides, reveals the extreme highs and lows that characterized Ervin's remarkable life and career...The author never flinches at revealing his less-than-perfect past, and the humility he demonstrates at coming to terms with his own egotism and personal shortcomings makes the book frequently compelling. A provocative and refreshingly honest redemption memoir."--Kirkus Reviews"Markides smartly combines his own journalistic account with a parallel narrative in which Ervin...explains his life and style. Some talents simply defy explanation, however, and Ervin may be in that category...The story of his comeback at 31 (ancient for a swimmer) is rendered more amazing by the contrast with what went before."--Booklist"For Anthony Ervin, the stretch between his two greatest athletic achievements--two Olympic gold medals--included a suicide attempt, a period of homelessness and a stint in a rock band. Jobs found, then lost. Too much drinking, too many drugs. Depression. Confusion. And then, a kind of rebirth."--USA Today"An inspiring, humorous and often profound biography."--People Magazine"Anthony Ervin is a lot of things. He is an open book and a closed circuit, a body fueled by a brain, an old man with a young soul. He is the American Dream. He is, once again, improbably, an Olympic champion."--Yahoo"[Ervin's] story is an amazing comeback tale."--Huffington PostEvery four years in the Olympic cycle the surge of national interest in swimming grows, and with it a desire to be captivated by its stars. This book tells the dramatic, surprising, and sometimes provocative path that Anthony Ervin has taken to become one of those captivating Olympic heroes. Not your typical sports memoir, Chasing Water also contains arresting black-and-white drawings and a graphic story extra, as well as an inventive and mercurial narrative style that morphs chapter by chapter to reflect Ervin's restless, multifaceted life.Ervin won a gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games at the age of nineteen. He is an athlete branded with a slew of titles including being the first US Olympic swimmer of African American descent, along with Jewish heritage, who also grew up with Tourette's syndrome. He shocked the sporting world by retiring soon after claiming two world titles following the 2000 Olympics. Auctioning off his gold medal for charity, he set off on a part spiritual quest, part self-destructive bender that involved Zen temples, fast motorcycles, tattoo parlors, and rock 'n' roll bands. Then Ervin resurfaced in 2012 to not only make the US Olympic team twelve years after his first appearance, but to continue his career by swimming faster than ever before.