The increasing commercialization of sport raises important questions concerning regulation. The development of the European Union and the internationalization of sporting competition has added an international dimension to this debate. Yet sport is not only a business, it is a social and cultural activity. Can regulation at the EU level reconcile this tension? Adopting a distinctive legal and political analysis, this book argues that the EU is receptive to the claim of sport for special treatment before the law.

Sport, Masculinities and Sexualities examines the impact of decreasing cultural homophobia on both gay and straight male athletes. It suggests that the study of sport, masculinities and sexualities emerged during a time of extreme homophobia- the 1980. Cultural homophobia declined, however, throughout the 1990s and the first decade of the new millennia. Consequently, this research argues that the way young men view homosexuality and masculinity has also changed, resulting not only in improved conditions for sexual minorities in sport, but it has also promoted a culture of softer, more tactile and emotional forms of heterosexual masculinities. The ten studies presented in this book reflect this shift in masculinities; highlighting the necessity of developing new ways of theorizing the changing dynamics between masculinities, sexualities and physical cultures in the next decade. This book is based on the original special issue published in the Journal of Homosexuality.

"Mergen. . . has written a book that is both scholarly and accessible. Recommended for research collections in child study, recreation, and American culture." Library Journal

Two decades have now passed since the revolutions of 1989 swept through Eastern Europe and precipitated the collapse of state socialism across the region, engendering a period of massive social, economic and political transformation. This book explores the ways in which young people growing up in post-socialist Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union negotiate a range of identities and transitions in their personal lives against a backdrop of thoroughgoing transformation in their societies. Drawing upon original empirical research in a range of countries, the book's contributors explore the various freedoms and insecurities that have accompanied neo-liberal transformation in post-socialist countries - in spheres as diverse as consumption, migration, political participation, volunteering, employment and family formation - and examine the ways in which they have begun to re-shape different aspects of young people's lives. In addition, while 'social change' is a central theme of the issue, all of the chapters in the collection indicate that the new opportunities and risks faced by young people continue both to underpin and to be shaped by familiar social and spatial divisions, not only within and between the countries addressed, but also between 'East' and 'West'. This book was originally published as a special issue of Journal of Youth Studies.

Sport generates some of the most intense feelings and levels of commitment. It is big business globally, but also the source of the most powerful personal identifications and individual and collective pleasures. Sporting events are routine and embodied, whether in the gym, on the field or at the training ground, and they are also spectacular, for example in mega events at the stadium or, for followers at a distance, through the media of television, radio and the Internet. Large numbers of people are caught up in personal and collective investment and public engagement with sport. Why does it matter so much?

In this book, Woodward demonstrates why sport matters and how, arguing that we should take sport seriously, and explore what is social about it. Sport is not just another domain to which social theories can be applied; it is also distinctive and generates new ways of thinking about social issues and debates. Sport is affected by the global economy and social, political and cultural processes but it also shapes the wider social terrain of which it is part. Sport reproduces inequalities as well as offering opportunities. It is not always a level playing field. Sport is more than play.

Planet Sport is an engaging and concise introduction to some of the big issues in contemporary debates about sport in globalised societies, and will appeal to students, academics and general readers alike.

Sporting contests have provided mass entertainment throughout history, and today generate revenues of approximately $200 billion annually in the US alone. Like in the entertainment industry, the modern sports industry s revenues are based on the entertainment value of output and more entertaining sporting contests imply greater game-day attendance, television revenues and sales of merchandise. Research by economists has attempted to understand and explain behavior as it relates to sporting contests, showing that standard microeconomic theory used to explain consumer and producer behavior can also be applied to the behavior of fans, team owners, league executives and players. One commonality among many ancient and modern sports is the existence of violence and aggression in contests. Compare, for example, a modern NASCAR race with a Roman chariot race: Only the technology has changed. From the perspective of an economist, violence in sporting contests is an outcome of the forces of supply and demand, and the phenomenon exists because fans respond to it. Spectator preferences for violence bid up the monetary return to this behavior, and the rational response is a more violent or aggressive output.

The optimum level of violent or aggressive play in sporting contests is an empirical issue and this book contains chapters on violence and aggression in sports, concentrating on the reasons for the existence and persistence of such behavior. Following a chapter devoted to the history of violence and aggression in sports, subsequent chapters are designed to cover the breadth of international professional sports including American football, soccer, ice hockey, basketball, baseball, auto racing, and fighting sports. Each chapter will contain econometric analysis of violence and aggressive play in a given sport. The individual chapters will examine whether or not a given sports league or governing body should intervene to reduce violence, and where intervention is warranted, extent of appropriate interventions is evaluated. In addition to academics and students concerned with the economics and history of sport, the book s emphasis on policies at the league and governing-body levels means this book will also be of interest representatives of those institutions.."

'This is an epic journey by a man who’s not only obsessed with birds but who has a deep spiritual connection with the planet as he observes the environments and habitats he encounters.' David Lindo, author of How to be an Urban Birder The (Big) Year Flew By is the tale of one avid birder’s epic, record-breaking adventure through 40 countries over 6 continents – in just one year – to see 6,852 bird species, many on the precipice of extinction. When Arjan Dwarshuis first heard of the ‘Big Year’ – the legendary record for birdwatching – he was just twenty years old. It was midnight, and he was sitting on the roof of a truck high up in the Andean Mountains. In that moment, Arjan made a promise to himself that someday, somehow, he would become a world-record-holding birder. Ten years later, he embarked on an incredible, arduous and perilous journey that took him around the globe; over uninhabited islands, through dense unforgiving rainforests, across snowy mountain peaks and unrelenting deserts – in just a single year. Would he survive? Would he be able to break the ‘Big Year’ record, navigating through a world filled with shifting climate and geopolitical challenges? The (Big) Year that Flew By is an unforgettable, personal exploration of the limits of human potential when engaging with the natural world. It is a book about birds and birding and Arjan’s attempts to raise awareness for critically endangered species, but it is also a book about overcoming mental challenges, extreme physical danger and human competition and fully realizing your passions through nature, adventure and conservation.

In The Rhetorical Presidency, Jeffrey Tulis argues that the president 's relationship to the public has changed dramatically since the Constitution was enacted: while previously the president avoided any discussions of public policy so as to avoid demagoguery, the president is now expected to go directly to the public, using all the tools of rhetoric to influence public policy. This has effectively created a "second" Constitution that has been layered over, and in part contradicts, the original one. In our volume, scholars from different subfields of political science extend Tulis 's perspective to the judiciary and Congress; locate the origins of the constitutional change in the Progressive Era; highlight the role of Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and the mass media in transforming the presidency; discuss the nature of demagoguery and whether, in fact, rhetoric is undesirable; and relate the rhetorical presidency to the public 's ignorance of the workings of a government more complex than the Founders imagined.

This book was originally published as a special issue of Critical Review: A Journal of Politics and Society.

Statistics for Sport and Exercise Studies guides the student through the full research process, from selecting the most appropriate statistical procedure, to analysing data, to the presentation of results, illustrating every key step in the process with clear examples, case-studies and data taken from real sport and exercise settings. Every chapter includes a range of features designed to help the student grasp the underlying concepts and relate each statistical procedure to their own research project, including definitions of key terms, practical exercises, worked examples and clear summaries. The book also offers an in-depth and practical guide to using SPSS in sport and exercise research, the most commonly used data analysis software in sport and exercise departments. In addition, a companion website includes more than 100 downloadable data sets and work sheets for use in or out of the classroom, full solutions to exercises contained in the book, plus over 1,300 PowerPoint slides for use by tutors and lecturers. Statistics for Sport and Exercise Studies is a complete, user-friendly introduction to the use of statistical tests, techniques and procedures in sport, exercise and related subjects. Visit the companion website at: www.routledge.com/cw/odonoghue

This volume addresses a range of philosophical and ethical issues in adapted physical activity and disability sports participation more broadly. It is comprised of a range of essays by international scholars whose backgrounds embrace different traditions of philosophy, pedagogy and adapted physical activity. The principal aim of the symposium was to open up and critically explore a range of conceptual and ethical issues and perspectives that have arisen with respect to the engagement of persons with dis/abilities in a range of physical activity contexts including, but not exclusively located in, mainstream sporting activities. This book was published as a special issue in Sport, Ethics and Philosophy.

Few realize that some sports were integrated, or even dominated by blacks, before becoming dominated by whites, for example, horse racing, golf, hockey, and tennis. This book provides a lens through which to view the historical context and specific circumstances of African Americans' presence in various sports. The author asks why sport has at times challenged the status quo with regard to race and civil rights, and at other times reinforced it. To that end, he analyzes various sports and asks "why" and "when" has each sport responded differently. Wigginton asks how did blacks break the color barrier? Were they able to maintain representation in the particular sport? And did the entrance of blacks in these sports change the public's perception of the sport? The answers to these questions shed light on why America remains preoccupied with sports, race, and the seemingly integral relationship between the two.

This comprehensive, novel and exciting interdisciplinary collection brings together leading international authorities from the history of sport, social history, art history, film history, design history, cultural studies and related fields to explore the ways in which visual culture has shaped, and continues to impact upon, our understanding of sport as an integral element within popular culture. Visual representations of sport have previously been little examined and under-exploited by historians, with little focused and rigorous scrutiny of these vital historical documents. This study seeks to redress this balance by engaging with a wide variety of cultural products, ranging from sports stadia and monuments in the public arena, to paintings, prints, photographs, posters, stamps, design artefacts, films and political cartoons. By examining the contexts of both the production and reception of this historical evidence, and highlighting the multiple meanings and social significance of this body of work, the collection provides original, powerful and stimulating insights into the ways in which visual material assists our knowledge and understanding of sport. This collection will facilitate researchers, publishers and others with an interest in sport to move beyond traditional text-based scholarship and appreciate the powerful imagery of sport in new ways. This book was previously published as a special issue of the International Journal of the History of Sport.

Sport has gained increasing importance for welfare society. In this process, however, the term of 'sport' has become less and less clear. Larger parts of what nowadays is called 'sport for all' are non-competitive and derived from traditions of gymnastics, dance, festivity, games, outdoor activities, and physical training rather than from classical modern elite sports. This requires new philosophical approaches, as the philosophy of sport, so far, has been dominated by topics of elite sports. Based on Scandinavian experiences, the book presents studies about festivities of sport, outdoor activities, song and movement, and play and game. The engagement of elderly people challenges sports. Games get political significance in international cooperation, for peace culture and as means against poverty (in Africa). The empirical studies result in philosophical analyses on the recognition of folk practice in education and on relations between identity and recognition. The study of 'sport for all' opens up for new ways of phenomenological knowledge, moving bottom-up from sport to the philosophy of "the individual", of event, of nature, and of human energy. Popular sports give inspiration to a philosophy of practice as well as to a phenomenological understanding of 'the people', of civil society and the 'demos' of democracy - as folk in movement. This book was published as a special issue in Sport, Ethics and Philosophy.

A unique and timely exploration of the cultural impact of sport on American society, including lifestyles, language, and thinking. Sport in American Culture is the first and only reference work to provide an in-depth and up-to-date exploration of sport and its impact on American culture. Essays from more than 200 scholars, professionals, and sports enthusiasts address how sport has changed our lifestyles, language, and thinking. Arranged alphabetically, the work introduces key sport figures and national icons, with a focus on their cultural impact, examines individual sports and how they have influenced society, and discusses such phenomena as the billion-dollar athletic apparel industry, sport as big business, and the effect of sport on gender, racial views, pride, and nationalism. In addition to expected topics, the work also includes less studied areas such as myths, audience rituals, Wheaties, comic books, the hula hoop, and religion.

The hardships of the Depression and World War II had taken a toll on the hopes and dreams of Americans everywhere. Central Ohio was no exception. The Ashville High School basketball team's quest for the Ohio Class B state championship in 1945 lifted the hearts and spirits of the residents of the rural communities of Harrison Township in Pickaway County. The Broncos of 1945 describes the experiences of young boys growing up in three neighboring communities who were enjoying the innocence and camaraderie of small-town life while enduring personal sacrifices during the depression era. Playing pickup games of basketball solidified the friendships among these boys through the depression, war, high school, and life beyond. Mentored in the skills of basketball by older brothers, uncles, and cousins; instilled with a competitive spirit through pride of family and community, and inspired by the Bronco basketball tradition of Ashville High School, these boys bonded in their love for the game. They played basketball in the alleys, backyards, and barns regardless of weather or playing conditions. In the sixth grade, new teacher, Lawrence Fullen, a former high school basketball coach at a nearby school, introduced disciplined and team oriented basketball fundamentals to the boys. He built confidence in their abilities and motivates them to give more attention to improving their academics. An unusual turn of events led to Fullen being promoted to high school athletic director in August 1942 and the quest for a state championship begins. The story is authentic. The facts are derived from interviews with players, competitors, students and residents of the communities and documented by stories from newspapers, scrapbooks, and school publications. It is a story of hope. It's a narrative of young boys rising above adversity, beating the odds, and achieving more than society's expectations during a tumultuous time.

Filled with stories about sports figures like Muhammad Ali, Roberto Clemente, Tony Elliot, Tiger Woods, and Venus and Serena Williams, this new edition describes the changing face of diversity in sport (the growing numbers of Latino and female college and professional athletes). He addresses the value of youth athletic programs; the dangers of new racial stereotypes; and the importance of educating athletes to better balance sports and education fame and social responsibility.

Originally published in 1891, this early work on A century of Foxhunting with The Warwickshire hounds is both expensive and hard to find in its first edition. A comprehensive and informative look at the subject with chapters including The first Warwickshire pack on record - 1780, and many more. Many of the earliest books, particulary those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Bob St. John has been writing about Texas and the pro sports scene in Dallas for about 40 years. In the early years of sports reporting, the hijinks and shenanigans of Texas sports reporters were as legendary as the athletes they followed. St. John -- innocent-looking, typical nice guy -- was a leader and instigator of so much mischief that he and his fellow journalists were finally banned from staying in the same hotel as the teams. The book is filled with hilarious stories about every well-known sports writer in the state. Written in Bob's unmistakably witty style, this is a book that every reader of the sports page will love!

This early work on dancing is a fascinating read for any dance enthusiast or historian, and contains much information that is still useful and practical today. Chapters on the Waltz, Quickstep, Foxtrot, Tango, Rumba, and Samba provide detailed instructions on the relevant steps. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Sport is an essential part of community structure, membership and identity. Whether on the field of play, in stadia, or on the streets, sport has consistently brought together disparate individuals to share culture, values and memories. Nowadays these relationships are being rewritten through the effects of global socio-economic practices, the interventions of government, the impact of cultural imperialism and, at the local level, through the actions of individuals and new constituencies that are emerging in response. Furthermore, this generates discourse on matters of regional and national identity. This themed issue presents a range of essays that examine the relationship between sport and society through the conceptual lenses of community, mobility and identity. Drawing upon insights from contemporary history and current political phenomena from leading academic specialists in the field, the issue addresses cross-cutting themes such as loyalty and allegiance, migration and integration, identity and collective memory, and the politics of resistance and change, which will be of interest to the political scientist, the contemporary historian and sport scholar alike. This book was previously published as a special edition of the journal Sport in Society.