Join us for a SASH Session Book Talk on Friday, November 6 at 12 PM ET with Brian D. Bunk, author of Beyond the Field: How Soccer Built Community in the United States (University of Illinois Press, 2025).
“Played by both migrants and native-born Americans, soccer created communities across the United States. Brian D. Bunk ranges from Pawtucket to Honolulu as he illuminates the deep and diverse origins of the American sport.
“Soccer took root as immigration, urbanization, and industrialization triggered immense changes across society. Matches built local pride as teams battled rival neighborhoods and towns. Teammates and supporters shared meals, raised money for fallen players, and attended each other’s weddings and funerals. If sometimes damaged by economic depression or shattered by war, clubs often bounced back to provide a steadying, resilient force in their towns. Bunk follows the story from the 1880s through World War I by profiling the struggles and joys of players while also tracing the overlooked impact of people of African, Chinese, Hawaiian, Jewish, and Filipino descent on American soccer culture.
“Engaging and rich in detail, Beyond the Field draws on extensive original research to expand our idea of the people and places that formed the American game.” (From the publisher)
Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Bunk is also the author of The Shortest History of Soccer: From Ancient Kicking Games to the World’s Most Popular Sport (The Experiment, 2026) and From Football to Soccer: The Early History of the Beautiful Game in the United States (University of Illinois Press, 2021). He has also served as a Board Member and Treasurer of SASH.
Login info for the session is as follows:
Topic: SASH Session: Brian D. Bunk discusses Beyond the Field
Time: Nov 6, 2026 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81466644235
Meeting ID: 814 6664 4235