Playing for Keeps

Lorimer Sports Stories

by Steven Sandor

Hockey rules in Branko Stimac's new hometown, where its star players get the royal treatment. Any other sport -- like soccer, where Branko excels -- is considered second-rate. This means the sacrifices Branko's Croatian immigrant father made so he can play in Canada go unnoticed, as does Branko's stellar goalkeeping. When Branko makes it onto the Edmonton Select team as the second-string keeper, he keeps the accomplishment to himself, sure that no one in his home town will care. But then a video of one of his spectacular saves gets posted on a sports blog and goes viral. Suddenly Branko has more attention than he dreamed of.

Genres: Sports

128 pages, Paperback

First published March 21, 2012

About the author

When I'm not writing books, I'm the features editor at the Edmonton Journal/Postmedia. I'm the former editor of Edify Magazine.

I am also a freelance writer, whose works has been published in more than 100 magazines, collections and newspapers worldwide. I am a freelance sports broadcaster, as well.

I like to listen to very loud music when I write. Like Slayer.

Reviews

[Alan Trejo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Playing for keeps is a great book, one of the best books I've read. He works his way up from being bullied and being criticized to being the most famous person in town and being a top hit in the internet with thousands of fans and a busy life. I highly recommend this book cause its a clear example of how hard work reaches your dreams because he worked really hard to get the level he had in his past team and after working so hard he ends with wining the championship and he gets ready to start his professional career.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

“A win is good. You know how people call soccer ‘The Beautiful Game’? Well, the person who came up with that saying is dumb… sometimes you win ugly… You know what they call a team that wins games like that twenty times a year? Champions, that’s what!”