Screenshot of a book cover that is peach-ish in color bearing the words "Practices Kicking Jules Boykoff." to the right is thew following text: "Kicking
JULES BOYKOFF
As a poet, public-facing scholar of sports politics, and former professional soccer player, having represented the United States on the men’s U23 national soccer team, Jules Boykoff draws on his lifetime of athletic experience to reflect on the practice of kicking. With short vignettes blending the personal, the reflective, the historical, and the analytical, Kicking is uniquely positioned to reflect on the most popular sport in the world. From the act of kicking a soccer ball, Boykoff looks outward to his own family history, including his mother’s struggle with polio, which fed her insistence on his athleticism; to broader trends like greenwashing and sportwashing; and to reflections on sport’s toxic masculinity, the poetics of on-field revenge, and the power-politics of both the men’s and women’s World Cups. Kicking is a must-read for all those who love the beautiful game.
Special offer: Use coupon code E26KICK to save 30% when you order from dukeupress.edu.
"In this poignant memoir Boykoff writes about his passions, family then football, in a way that offers an opportunity to engage with the vulnerability of one of the world’s best public scholars. We know Boykoff won’t stop advocating for better sport, and for the people who love it.” — Shireen Ahmed, sports journalist and Senior Contributor with CBC Sports
Practices
dukeupress.edu/kicking
May 2026 | 176 pages, 25 illustrations
978-1-4780-3890-0 | $19.95 paperback $13.97 with discount"
đź”´âš˝ My new book "Kicking" is available for preorder at the @dukepress.bsky.social website at a 30% discount w/ the code E26KICK. The book braids memoir w/ my analytical writing on soccer politics. Preorders help a lot, so I'd be grateful if you'd consider the possibility. www.dukeupress.edu/kicking
