A Home on the Field

Twelve inches of snow coat my lawn, which had nearly shed its winter blanket before last night's storm. The day off from school allowed me to sit down and plough through Paul Cuadros's Home on the Field. This is the second book I've previewed for next year's Sports Literature class.
Cuadros tells his story, which is to say the story of America, of starting a soccer team in a southern community entrenched in its ways but not ready to recognize the changing community. Latinos had been populating the small town in search of hope and security.
As I read this story, I couldn't help but wonder about the stories my students, largley Latino, have to tell about their experiences in a once White dominated community.
From a teacher perspective, I was struck by how many of his players, highly successful on the field, drop out of high school or are denied the opportunity to pursue college because of their "illegal" status.