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.




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




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.




Ethics and Morality in Sport Management


Book Description

Ethics and morality are generally viewed as critical areas in contemporary sport and need not be limited to such topics as sportsmanship, the use of performance-enhancing drugs, violence and cheating. Those in sport management are responsible for addressing ethical and moral questions pertaining to professionalism, equity, legal and financial management, personnel concerns, governance and policies, league and franchise issues, and matters of social justice associated with all aspects of sport. Sport managers must also be aware of and approach these queries logically, rationally and with sensitivity to ensure the integrity of sport, the sport community and society at large. This 4th edition, presents concepts and theories in ethics and morality and demonstrates their applicability in sport management. While addressed primarily to undergraduate and graduate students interested in the organisation and administration of sport, this text is also a practical guide and reference for professionals already in the field, as well as athletes, coaches, franchise owners, journalists, spectators, governmental agencies and others associated with sport. Sport managers must be aware of and concerned about their own obligations, rights and responsibilities, as well as those they influence. As such, nothing short of sound ethical and moral reasoning must inform their managerial decisions and actions. This text aims to make clear the nature of ethics and morality, introducing readers to several major ethical theories, and discussing and analysing the practical ramifications of these precepts in several sport management contexts.




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.




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.




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.




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 Social Work: Promoting the Functioning and Well-being of Athletes (First Edition)


Book Description

Sport Social Work: Promoting the Functioning and Well-being of College and Professional Athletes provides pre-service and practicing social workers with a wide-ranging review of sport social work. The text helps social workers with an interest in athletics learn how to effectively promote the safety and well-being of athletes, advocate for athlete rights, and ensure athletes receive the recognition and help needed to become strong global leaders. The text illustrates how, despite popular assumption, college- and professional-level athletes represent a vulnerable population, often at risk of economic, academic, and social exploitation, as well as psychosocial challenges including depression and anxiety, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, eating disorders, high levels of stress, and more. Readers learn how to raise awareness for the particular needs of athletes, how athletic competition influences an athlete across their lifespan, how the strengths of athletes can help promote safety and well-being, and how to provide athletes a voice to de-stigmatize mental health risks.




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.