Description
Paul Kapsalis has a dream: To play soccer at powerhouse Indiana University, winner of seven national championships. But he has a problem: He’s too small, too slow, not good enough. Still, he dreams, works hard, tries out and makes the team as a practice dummy. Over the years, coaches repeatedly tell him he’ll never play. They suggest he transfer. He suffers an injury that sidelines him for an entire year. On top of all that, he meets the girl of his dreams, but she’s way out of his league.
Throughout the constant adversity, Paul keeps his sunny disposition and drive. His final year, the Hoosiers are in tatters. Beset by disciplinary problems and selfishness, star players are sent packing or leave the team. Coaches make a bold move: They name Paul team captain. And the kid who was told he’d never play leads these non-ranked underachievers on a 16-game winning streak, to the number one ranking in the nation only to lose in the playoffs. Paul graduates, but is his dream over? Nope. Next year, the Hoosiers win the national championship. Paul is invited to the team banquet, where coaches and players stand up to say their one regret is that the kid most responsible for this championship wasn’t with us. That kid, is Paul Kapsalis. Oh, and the girl of Paul’s dreams? They fell in love.
To Chase A Dream: A Soccer Championship, An Unlikely Hero and A Journey That Re-Defined Winning is an inspirational story of how a young man overcame the naysayers to fulfill a life long dream.
Author Paul “Whitey” Kapsalis enjoys his role as a motivational speaker, sales representative in the apparel industry, former soccer specialty retail business owner and volunteer youth soccer coach. In working with people of all ages, Whitey inspires them to reach for their goals every day. In addition, Paul is a Youth Minister and Eucharistic Minister and serves as Chairman of the Bigelow-Brand Charity Advisory Board of the Pancreatic Cyst & Cancer Early Detection Center.
Co-author Ted Gregory is a general assignment reporter at the Chicago Tribune, where he has worked since 1991. In 2008 he and five Tribune colleagues shared a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting. In addition to his newspaper work, Ted is co-author of two books, “Our Black Year” and “To Chase A Dream.”
Meyer & Meyer Sports books are distributed by Cardinal Publishers Group
