{"product_id":"growing-pains-jon-axtman-9798995287216","title":"Growing Pains: How Launching a Pro Soccer Team Also Launched Me","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhat happens when a clueless, desperate 22-year-old lands a \"dream job\" in professional sports... and discovers it's mostly cold calls, chaos, and questionable life decisions?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Growing Pains: How Launching a Pro Soccer Team Also Launched Me, Jon Axtman takes you behind the scenes of building a professional soccer franchise in Las Vegas-and it's nothing like the highlight reels.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eArmed with zero experience, a shaky moral compass, and a commission-based paycheck, Axtman dives headfirst into the unpredictable world of minor league sports. What follows is a laugh-out-loud journey through bizarre coworkers, impossible bosses, unhinged fans, and a workplace culture that feels more like a social experiment than a business.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo story is too outrageous. And somehow, he lived it all.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut beneath the absurdity lies something deeper.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs Axtman chases success in a high-pressure, low-paying, anything-goes environment, he begins to confront the real question facing every young professional: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat does it actually mean to \"make it\"?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlending sharp wit, self-deprecating humor, and brutally honest reflection, Growing Pains is more than a sports memoir-it's a coming-of-age story for anyone who has ever: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStarted a career with no idea what they were doing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWorked a job that looked better from the outside\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFelt lost while trying to \"figure it all out\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOr laughed their way through failure just to survive\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect for fans of humorous memoirs, sports business stories, and workplace comedies, this book delivers relentless entertainment with just enough heart to make it stick.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIf you've ever wondered what really goes on behind the scenes in sports-or just need a good laugh-this is your ticket in.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Jon Axtman\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798995287216\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Pumpkinseed Pond Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/08\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 242\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.72lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.55d","brand":"Jon Axtman","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48853041053951,"sku":"9798995287216","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/growing-pains-jon-axtman-9798995287216","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}