{"product_id":"the-beautiful-dream-isbn-9780735247352","title":"The Beautiful Dream","description":"\u003cb\u003eNATIONAL BESTSELLER\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eA\u003c\/i\u003e captivating read from one of our country’s greatest athletes.”\u003cbr\u003e ―Christine Sinclair, former captain of the Canadian Women's National Soccer Team and National Bestselling Author of \u003ci\u003ePlaying the Long Game\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOut of the Toronto suburb of Brampton comes an irresistible story of trials, perseverance, the limelight of international soccer, and—above all—heart.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDespite debuting on Canada’s senior national soccer team 20 years ago, scarce is known of Atiba Hutchinson. We’ve watched him win Canadian Men’s Player of the Year six times; celebrated his club team championships; and mourned his injuries. We’ve lamented the state of Canadian soccer and cursed the lost potential—and years. Yet, we know little about Atiba’s personal life, or how he rose from suburban Brampton to becoming Canada’s most-capped national men’s team player, often described as the country’s greatest athlete you haven’t heard about.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor the first time, Atiba is ready to share the extraordinary story of his ascent to the heights of professional soccer, nationally and internationally, and what he believes makes a true champion. \u003ci\u003eThe Beautiful Dream\u003c\/i\u003e is an intimate account of Atiba’s awe-inspiring career, from his humble beginnings to playing across Europe; the crushing disappointment of failing national team competitions in the 2010s that nearly led to his resignation from the national program; all the way to his triumphant arrival in Qatar to face off against 31 other nations at the world’s most pre-eminent soccer competition. He has strived to better not only his own game but the landscape of Canadian soccer for over two decades, culminating in Canada’s first trip to the FIFA World Cup since 1986. Yet, as the reflective midfielder shows, this isn’t just his story: \u003ci\u003eThe Beautiful Dream\u003c\/i\u003e is the story of countless Canadians, who strive and scrape for a seemingly unreachable dream—until their fingertips finally graze the surface. It’s a lesson about the unyielding belief required when taking the long road to success. Atiba's journey mirrors the progression of Canadian soccer, and the story of Canada itself: goals that may begin as outsized but as we work towards them, our world changes with us. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAtiba’s journey of hope, belief, and resilience connects the country’s modest soccer past to a bold, exciting future in the game. It’s a story that transcends the pitch, exploring what it means to be a kid who dares to dream of achieving the impossible, and the man who perseveres to get there.  \u003cb\u003eNATIONAL BESTSELLER\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne of \u003ci\u003eThe Globe and Mail\u003c\/i\u003e’s “62 new titles to read this season”\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Beautiful Dream\u003c\/i\u003e is an extraordinary story that will inspire and challenge you to chase your goals. Atiba’s leadership helped change the course of men’s soccer in Canada. His memoir is a captivating read from one of our country’s greatest athletes.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e―Christine Sinclair, former captain of the Canadian Women's National Soccer Team and National Bestselling Author of \u003ci\u003ePlaying the Long Game\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Atiba is more than a footballer, he’s a leader of men and a great Canadian. It was a real privilege to be part of his dream of bringing Canada back to the World Cup.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e―John Herdman, former Head Coach of the Canadian Men's National Soccer Team\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Atiba Hutchinson is one of Canada’s greatest athletes. His unique story is full of perseverance, passion, and prestigious performances for club and country. Atiba lived a beautiful dream and the result is an inspiring read.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e ―Kristian Jack, Canadian Soccer Broadcaster\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[A]n entertaining, refreshingly honest memoir.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Canadian Press\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eATIBA HUTCHINSON, recently retired captain of the Canadian men’s national soccer team, is the most accomplished male soccer player that Canada has ever produced. He has been named the top male Canadian Soccer Player of the Year six times, and represented the Canadian men’s national team in more international matches than any other player in history.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDAN ROBSON is a senior enterprise writer for \u003ci\u003eThe Athletic\u003c\/i\u003e. He is the author of the national bestseller\u003ci\u003e Quinn: The Life of a Hockey Legend\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBower: A Legendary Life\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eMeasuring Up: A Memoir of Fathers and Sons\u003c\/i\u003e. He co-authored number 1 national bestsellers \u003ci\u003eCrossroads\u003c\/i\u003e with Kaleb Dahlgren and \u003ci\u003eKiller\u003c\/i\u003e with Doug Gilmour\u003ci\u003e—\u003c\/i\u003eas well as\u003ci\u003e The Crazy Game\u003c\/i\u003e with Clint Malarchuk, \u003ci\u003eChange Up\u003c\/i\u003e with Buck Martinez, and \u003ci\u003eIgnite \u003c\/i\u003ewith Andre De Grasse.A few steps away from the end of the tunnel, I closed my eyes and wondered whether I’d wake up. It was a scene I’d imagined so many times before that it was almost familiar, like something I’d rehearsed thousands of times. And yet it was entirely unfamiliar. The nerves hit two days earlier and were reaching a level I’d never experienced in two decades as a professional footballer.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA couple months shy of my fortieth birthday, I was a grandfather in a young man’s game. I’d played the game a decade longer than most. It was now the last season of my football life. Soon I would walk into the wide-open space that exists on the other side of any pro athlete’s career. Since I was a boy, soccer had been my identity. It was always who I was—the singular pursuit that gave me passion and purpose. But now I was nearing middle age, still playing the game I first fell in love with as a boy. I had a family—my wife, three young sons, and a baby girl on the way. I had everything I’d wanted, everything I could need in life. On the pitch, I’d achieved everything I was capable of and knew that I’d done everything possible in my career to make that happen.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEverything but this.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd now I stood a few steps away.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJust beyond the tunnel beneath the stands at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Qatar was a green pitch, bright lights, more than forty thousand fans, and television cameras that would send us around the globe.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBehind me stood a team who represented the most talented collectionof Canadian male soccer players the country had ever produced—a team with youth, raw ability, and passion. They represented a newgeneration of men’s football in Canada, one that had earned a level of respect the national team had never before received.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor years, this very scene had seemed impossible. A faraway hope that had diminished with time, disappointment after disappointment. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe’d been mocked and humiliated.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe’d been harassed.We’d been ignored.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe’d been robbed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe’d failed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe’d overcome—and then failed again and again.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe’d been, it seemed, the only people on the planet who believed that we belonged. And even \u003cbr\u003ethat belief had grown frail.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter so much frustration, I’d almost walked away. Almost. But I’d remained, because I knew that we were more than the world believed,and I had one last chance to help prove it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe ninety-ninth time I’d run across a pitch for Canada.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe’d made it this far—farther than any Canadian men’s team in nearly four decades, and only the second to ever get here.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe World Cup.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe biggest stage in sport. On the other side of this tunnel, we’d meet the number two ranked team on the planet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe whole world watching. All eyes on us.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI felt like a kid, naive enough to have enormous ambitions and believe that those dreams were possible. I remembered those long ago days, playing out those visions on a patchy field, feeling a joy that would grow into passion. Back then, I’d imagined this moment somany times, scoring goals and hoisting trophies in a fantasy land. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Could this be real?” I wondered. My heart pounded. The roar beyond the tunnel called.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI opened my eyes near the end of a beautiful dream.","brand":"Viking","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46303612862693,"sku":"NP9780735247352","price":26.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780735247352.jpg?v=1767738289","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-beautiful-dream-isbn-9780735247352","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}