Interested in Sport


Book Description

Ever wondered why it is called a 'try' in rugby? How referees got their name? Why the King of the Mountains' jersey in the Tour de France is red and white? Why you can't have a square football pitch? What ambidextrous really means? This book contains thousands of facts and jokes that anyone interested in sport would love to know.




The Feminization of Sports Fandom


Book Description

Women fans have entered the traditionally male domain of the sports stadium in growing numbers in recent years. Watching professional sport is important for women for so many reasons, but their expectations and experiences have been largely ignored by academics. This book tackles these shortcomings in the literature and sheds new light on the many ways in which women become sports fans. This groundbreaking study is the first to focus on the phenomenon of the feminization of sports fandom. Including original research on football and rugby union in the UK, it looks at the increasing opportunities for women to become sports fans in contemporary society and critically examines the way this form of leisure is valued by women. Drawing upon feminist thinking and intersectionality, it shows how women from different social classes and age groups consume the spectacle of sport. This book is fascinating reading for any student or scholar interested in sport and leisure studies, sociology and gender or women’s studies.




Sport and Exercise Psychology Research


Book Description

Sport and Exercise Psychology Research: From Theory to Practice provides a comprehensive summary of new research in sport and exercise psychology from worldwide researchers. Encompassing theory, research, and applications, the book is split into several themed sections. Section 1 discusses basic antecedents to performance including fitness, practice, emotion, team dynamics, and more. Section 2 identifies factors influencing individual performance. Section 3 discusses applied sport psychology for athletes and coaches, and section 4 includes approaches from exercise psychology on motivation and well-being. The book includes a mix of award winning researchers from the European Sport Psychology Association, along with top researchers from the U.S. to bring an international overview to sport psychology. - Includes international contributions from Europe and the U.S. - Encompasses theory, research, and applications - Includes sport psychology and exercise research - Features applied information for use with coaches, teams, and elite athletes - Identifies performance enhancers and inhibitors




Ethics and Morality in Sport Management


Book Description

The third edition continues to examine the ethical concepts, principles and issues in the administration and organisation of sport that made the first two editions of this textbook so widely adopted. The book approaches the topics from four directions: ethical theory, personal and professional ethics, ethics applied, and future moral and ethical issues. Joy T DeSensi and Danny Rosenberg have enhanced the text by adding two new chapters that help to frame the content in a globalised context. In addition, the references, examples, scenarios, and analyses have been updated throughout the book.




Television and National Sport


Book Description

Not Just Victims contains twelve oral histories based on conversations with Cambodian community leaders in eight American cities with sizable Cambodian ethnic communities. Unlike the dozens of autobiographies published by Cambodians that focus largely on their victimization and experiences during the Khmer Rouge regime before fleeing Cambodia, these narratives describe how Cambodian refugees have adapted to life in the United States. Providing insiders' views of the issues and challenges the group is encountering, Not Just Victims focuses on communities in Long Beach, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Portland, Tacoma, and the Massachusetts towns of Fall River and Lowell. Sucheng Chan's extensive introduction provides a historical framework within which the stories of the refugees can be better understood. She discusses the civil war that brought death to half a million people (1970-75), the bloody Khmer Rouge revolution (1975-79), the border war during the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia (1979-89), and the additional travails faced by those who escaped to holding camps in Thailand. The book also includes an essay on oral history and a substantial bibliography.




The Miseducation of the Student Athlete


Book Description

In The Miseducation of the Student Athlete: How to Fix College Sports, Kenneth L. Shropshire and Collin D. Williams, Jr., introduce The Student-Athlete Manifesto, a roadmap to increase the likelihood that student-athletes can succeed both on and off the field. They also offer a Meaningful Degree Model, which ensures education pays for everyone.




Coaching for the Inner Edge


Book Description

Coaches are continually searching for ways to gain the edge over their opponents. They work tirelessly to get their athletes in top physical condition, to develop their physical skills, and to implement successful routines and strategies for their teams. This physical training develops the athlete's outer edge -- the peak physical performance advantage over their opponents. But as most coaches realise, athletes also need an inner edge to perform successfully. This Inner Edge is the advantage that athletes cultivate within themselves by honing their mental skills, by learning to manage their energy in pressure situations and to focus effectively, despite distractions and obstacles. This much anticipated second edition is a must read for anyone interested in improving sport performance. Dr. Vealey distills and applies the proven methods, updated techniques, and her own experience into a practical, engaging resource for coaches, trainers, and consultants. Drawing from the preeminent research literature of master coaches, innovative sport psychologists, and from her own practical experiences as a college basketball player, coach, sport psychology researcher and consultant, Dr Vealey defines how to develop the Inner Edge in athletes.




Loving Sports When They Don't Love You Back


Book Description

Triumphant wins, gut-wrenching losses, last-second shots, underdogs, competition, and loyalty—it’s fun to be a fan. But when a football player takes a hit to the head after yet another study has warned of the dangers of CTE, or when a team whose mascot was born in an era of racism and bigotry takes the field, or when a relief pitcher accused of domestic violence saves the game, how is one to cheer? Welcome to the club for sports fans who care too much. In Loving Sports When They Don’t Love You Back, acclaimed sports writers Jessica Luther and Kavitha A. Davidson tackle the most pressing issues in sports, why they matter, and how we can do better. For the authors, “sticking to sports” is not an option—not when our taxes are paying for the stadiums, and college athletes aren’t getting paid at all. But simply quitting a favorite team won’t change corrupt and deplorable practices, and the root causes of many of these problems are endemic in our wider society. An essential read for modern fans, Loving Sports When They Don’t Love You Back challenges the status quo and explores how we might begin to reconcile our conscience with our fandom.




Free to Learn


Book Description

A leading expert in childhood development makes the case for why self-directed learning — "unschooling" — is the best way to get kids to learn. "All kids love learning. Most don't love school. That's a disconnect we've avoided discussing—until this lightning bolt of a book. If you've ever wondered why your curious kid is turning into a sullen slug at school, Peter Gray's Free to Learn has the answer. He also has the antidote." —Lenore Skenazy, author of Free-Range Kids In Free to Learn, developmental psychologist Peter Gray argues that in order to foster children who will thrive in today's constantly changing world, we must entrust them to steer their own learning and development. Drawing on evidence from anthropology, psychology, and history, he demonstrates that free play is the primary means by which children learn to control their lives, solve problems, get along with peers, and become emotionally resilient. A brave, counterintuitive proposal for freeing our children from the shackles of the curiosity-killing institution we call school, Free to Learn suggests that it's time to stop asking what's wrong with our children, and start asking what's wrong with the system. It shows how we can act—both as parents and as members of society—to improve children's lives and to promote their happiness and learning.




Sport in a Changing World


Book Description

In a stressful, turbulent world, sport can be an escape from reality. Yet sport actually mirrors the issues and problems of our world today, bearing the imprint of powerful forces of social change. This book offers a sociological perspective for seeing and understanding the place of sport in society and how it is affected by big business and by demographic, cultural, organization, economic, political, and technological change. Nixon writes vividly of the making and unmaking of heroes and celebrities. Throughout he shows how the combined influence of networks of major sports organizations, media corporations, and corporate sponsors is shaping sport around the world.