Get ready for the World Cup with National Geographic Kids! Fancy footwork, terrific teams, spectacular stadiums! It's time to learn everything about football. Packed with facts and photos, it's ideal for kids who want to learn about the game, brush up on techniques and skills and anyone who is simply mad about football! * colourful photography and illustration * hundreds of interesting facts * top training tips and lots more!

This is a tale of Ashdon Scriven's life, a professional polo player. It will tell of many of the fantastic polo ponies that helped shape his career. It is also a tale of the many young ladies that passed through it, however long or short their stay and changed it, some for better some for the worse.

The UK's most downloaded sports title of 2012! The prequel to the Movie Top Dog starring Leo Gregory - Directed by Martin Kemp APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEPTIVE - as As Paul Jarvis of the National Soccer Intelligence Unit is only too well aware. He knows that Billy Evans is no ordinary Cockney lad made good. He's also a thug, a villain and a cop killer. Jarvis just hasn't been able to prove it...Yet. So when Jarvis discovers that Evans is putting together a hooligan 'Super Crew' to follow the England national soccer team to Italy, he feels sure he can finally put Evans behind bars - if only someone can infiltrate the group and get him the proof he needs. But nothing is ever that simple. The Crew believe Evans is just out for a full-on riot. Jarvis thinks he's trafficking drugs. But Billy Evans is always one step ahead. He has another plan. And it will be catastrophic for everyone concerned. EXCEPT HIM.

The Complete Book of Snooker Shots will increase your knowledge of the shots that you can play from various positions on the table and so will - with practice - improve your game. This book will help not only players wishing to increase their knowledge, but also parents and professional coaches wishing to add structure to training sessions. Enjoy increasing your understanding of the game of snooker, and enjoy improving your knowledge. Packed with hundreds of individual shots to practice.

"The Ball" takes us to the farthest reaches of the globe and the deepest recesses of our ancient past to answer a question asked by every child on Earth: Why do we play ball? Inspired by the curiosity of his sports-obsessed 8-year-old son, anthropologist John Fox sets off on a global adventure to explore the untold history of our favorite ball games, investigate their origins and evolutionary tracks, and discern how one of humanity's simplest inventions - the humble, ubiquitous ball - has staked an unrivaled claim on our history, our passions, our money, and our lives. From the jungles of Mexico to the farm country of Ohio, from the courts of the ancient Pharaohs to the virtual playing fields of Second Life, Rolling Heads and Pigskins puts us center court for the gritty, ritualistic, violent, bizarre, primal drama of ball games as we've played them across the centuries. Part history, part travelogue, and part sportscast, "The Ball" spins tales of the ball itself as actor and instigator, a player who taps our human urge to hit, kick, throw, and tackle. In the end, "The Ball" removes us from the scandals, corruption, and commercialism of today's sports to uncover the true reasons we play ball, helping us reclaim our fundamental human connection to the games we love.

Football is the world's most popular sport and is entrepreneurial by nature. There is a constant need for entities and individuals involved with football to act or behave in an entrepreneurial way. Competition is part of the football industry and emphasises the need to compete but also collaborate through entrepreneurial endeavours. This book is amongst the first to focus specifically on football entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial nature of football. The book looks at entrepreneurship and how it can occur through direct and indirect engagement with football in a variety of contexts. It examines different types of football including gridiron, rugby and soccer and offers insights on the international aspects of football and how cultural aspects influence entrepreneurship. This book provides a holistic understanding of how football can include innovation, risk-taking and proactive activity and will be useful for those interested to learn more of the football industry and entrepreneurship in the global context.

Beyond the headlines of the world's most beloved sporting events Brazil hosted the 2016 men's World Cup at a cost of $15 billion to $20 billion, building large, new stadiums in cities that have little use for them anymore. The projected cost of Tokyo's 2020 Summer Olympic Games is estimated to be as high as $30 billion, much of it coming from the public trough. In the updated and expanded edition of his bestselling book, Circus Maximus: The Economic Gamble Behind Hosting the Olympics and the World Cup, Andrew Zimbalist tackles the claim that cities chosen to host these high-profile sporting events experience an economic windfall. In this new edition he looks at upcoming summer and winter Olympic games, discusses the recent Women's World Cup, and the upcoming men's tournament in Qatar. Circus Maximus focuses on major cities, like London, Rio, and Barcelona, that have previously hosted these sporting events, to provide context for future host cities that will bear the weight of exploding expenses, corruption, and protests. Zimbalist offers a sobering and candid look at the Olympics and the World Cup from outside the echo chamber.

Providing a comprehensive guide for the aspiring and improving croquet player, this overview deals with basic skills and outlines how to avoid and eradicate common problems. An in-depth coverage of modern tactics is also presented, focusing on the building blocks of break play and examining in detail how each element works before bringing it all together. There is advice on how to repair a bad situation when everything has gone wrong, how to exploit a good situation when everything is going well, and how to regain the initiative when the opponent is storming ahead. Whether your interest is in developing an understanding of top-class, championship-level tactics; in improving your play at handicap level; or even in just playing at home, this is an invaluable handbook for all aficionados.

Science and Football VII showcases the very latest scientific research into the variety of sports known as 'football'. These include soccer, the national codes (American football, Australian rules football and Gaelic football), and the rugby codes (union and league). Bridging the gap between theory and practice, this book is by far the most comprehensive collection of current research into football, presenting important new work in key areas such as: physiology of training performance analysis fitness assessment nutrition biomechanics injury and rehabilitation youth football environmental physiology psychology in football. Science and Football VII is an essential resource for all sport scientists, trainers, coaches, physical therapists, physicians, psychologists, educational officers and professionals working across the football codes. The papers contained within this volume were first presented at the Seventh World Congress on Science and Football, held in May 2011 in Nagoya, Japan. The meeting was held under the auspices of the International Steering Group on Science and Football, a representative member of the World Commission of Science and Sports.

Now, for the first time in the sport of fastpitch softball, you can learn from successful coaches and apply their approaches to your own program. In "The Softball Coaching Bible," 28 of the top U.S. coaches share their principles, insights, strategies, methods, and experiences to help you enhance the experience and development of your own athletes.

Developed in cooperation with the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), "The Softball Coaching Bible" was written by the greatest assembly of college and high school softball coaches ever. The text provides the finer points of coaching softball, presented in an engaging manner that makes the contents easy to apply to your own ball club. The topics range from teaching the best skills and drills to subjects rarely written about, such as developing responsible athletes and building character and loyalty in players.

Find out how Mike Candrea develops productive hitters at the University of Arizona, and follow the advice of Fresno State University's Margie Wright for competing in tournaments and playoffs. This landmark work covers all the bases, from recruiting players to attracting fans. "The Softball Coaching Bible" also contains information on professional development: moving through the coaching ranks, making use of other coaches and professional organizations, avoiding coaching burnout, and attending and running camps and clinics. Chapter after chapter, this book provides the game plan for building a winning program.

"The Softball Coaching Bible" is filled with insights and expert advice to help you learn and grow. Soak it up, enjoy the stories, and discover the wisdom of the sport's finest mentors.

"The Best Game Ever" is a revealing look at the University of North Carolina Tar Heels' 1956-57 season, one of the most storied in college basketball history. From the first day of practice, when forward Lennie Rosenbluth predicted a winning season, to the final game, a triple-overtime victory over Wilt Chamberlain's legendary Kansas team, the season developed into what many sports historians believe was the start of college basketball hysteria not only on Tobacco Road, but nationwide. The 1956-57 Tar Heels finished a perfect 32-0. The only previous team in Carolina history to achieve perfection was the 1924 team, years before the NCAA Tournament was created.

The Complete Guide to Polo is the perfect resource for anyone interested in finding out more about this exciting game, especially those new to the sport. It discusses the history and evolution of the sport that we know today and its migration from India to Asia to Europe, and finally the Americas. It describes in detail the equipment used by both horse and rider, and offers advice on choosing one kind of equipment over another. The Complete Guide to Polo covers the horsemanship skills needed to excel in the game, and breaks down the swing into bite-sized chunks for analysis. It looks at basic polo strategy, explains the finer aspects of the rules of the sport, and compares the differences between the US and UK rule books. All in all it offers a great foundation for the beginner or intermediate player, the patron, or the spectator.

Science and Football VI showcases the very latest scientific research into the variety of sports known as football. These include the games of association football, the rugby codes (union and league), and the national codes (American, Australian and Gaelic). The book aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice in football studies, and presents important new work in key areas such as: Biomechanics Sports medicine Paediatric exercise science Match analysis Environmental physiology Physiology of training Fitness assessment Psychology Social sciences Sports scientists, trainers, coaches, physiotherapists, medical doctors, psychologists, educational officers and professionals working in the range of football codes will find this in-depth, comprehensive text an essential and up-to-date resource of scientific information for their respective fields. The papers contained within this volume were first presented at The Sixth World Congress on Science and Football, held in January 2007 in Antalya, Turkey. The meeting was held under the auspices of the International Steering Group on Science and Football, a representative member of the World Commission of Science and Sports. Thomas Reilly is Director of the Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences at Liverpool John Moores University. He is President of the World Commission of Science and Sports and Chair of the International Steering Group on Science and Football. Feza Korkusuz is Director of the Medical Centre and Chair of the Department of Physical Education and Sports at Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey. He is corresponding editor for Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research and is on the International Education Board of Technology and Health Care Journal.

This detailed guide provides everything a first-time coach needs to teach basic baseball skills--and have fun at the same time. Emphasizing fundamentals and not win-at-all-costs strategies, How to Coach Youth Baseball is the perfect book for any new coach.
Beverly Carroll, along with longtime coaches Fran and Kevin O' Brien, offers carefully outlined instructions to help coaches with everything from the basics to developing players who are on the same team but at greatly varying levels of play. Chapters include:
* Coaching Youth Baseball * Power of Positive Thinking * Practice Basics * Designing Your Practice * Learning the Basics: Fielding, Hitting, Bunting, Running, Pitching, Throwing, and Catching * Improve as a coach * Rules of Baseball

The American Darts Organization Book of Darts has been thoroughly updated and revised for the benefit of the growing ranks of dart players. Darts continues to be among the fastest-growing sports in the world, and this is the book to introduce anyone to the joys of the game. It is estimated that there are over ten million regular players in the United States alone. The American Darts Organization Book of Darts is your one convenient, clear source for buying darts, tips on play, and the rules of dozens of games. In addition, you'll learn the language of the sport (see glossary) as well as an introduction to websites of interest. This edition has been entirely rewritten and revised with new material throughout, including a new chapter, Tips from the Professionals, in which top-ranked professionals Stacy Bromberg and Steve Brown offer insights on their individual successes and sound advice on mechanics, equipment, and practice. For its size and price, this remarkably inclusive little book deserves a place next to every dartboard.

Within the past decade, lacrosse has seen explosive growth on the elementary, junior high and high school, and college levels, rapidly becoming one of America's most popular playing sports. Lifelong lacrosse player and coach Daniel Morris, along with noted author Michael Morris, distills the essence of this exciting, fast-paced game into one compact volume, teaching everything the beginning and intermediate coach needs to know about the rules, equipment, skills, and drills of this venerable game.
Unlike other books on lacrosse, this guide reflects recent important rule changes, as well as the latest techniques in offense and defense, stick-handling, and advances in equipment that have transformed the game as it is played today. Chapters focus on critical elements of individual and team play, conducting practices, skill-building drills, and a playbook of offensive and defensive strategies. A resource list of suppliers, camps, and additional information is included.
This is a book that will find a place on every coach's and player's shelf.

Including books, pamphlets, periodicals, catalogs, trading cards, newspapers, photographs, postcards, scrapbooks, art prints, and advertisements, this subject bibliography of 679 references to croquet is based on the collection of varied material assembled by the late Dr. Rendell Rhoades, Professor of Biology at Ashland University, OH. The resulting collection encompasses the role croquet has played in literature, in biography, in art and music, in manufacturing and advertising, and in the attendant publicity. With an index of joint authors, pseudonyms, illustrators, and other pertinent information; and a chronological list of books on croquet compiled by Dr. R.W. Bray, Member of the British Croquet Association.

A powerful cultural critique of soccer's public rhetoric American sports agnostics might raise an eyebrow at the idea that soccer represents a staging ground for cultural, social, and political possibility. It is just another game, after all, in a society where mass-audience spectator sports largely avoid any political stance other than a generic, corporate-friendly patriotism. But John M. Sloop picks up on the work of Laurent Dubois and others to see in American soccer-a sport that has achieved immense participation and popularity despite its struggle to establish major league status-a game that permits surprisingly diverse modes of thinking about national identity because of its marginality. As a rhetorician who draws on both critical theory and culture, Sloop seeks to read soccer as the game intersects with gender, race, sexuality, and class. The result of this engagement is a sense of both enormous possibility and real constraint. If American soccer offers more possibility because of its marginality, looking at how those possibilities are constrained can provide valuable insights into neoliberal logics of power, profit, politics, and selfhood. In Soccer's Neoliberal Pitch, Sloop analyzes a host of soccer-adjacent phenomena: the equal pay dispute between the US women's national team and the US Soccer Federation, the significance of hooligan literature, the introduction of English soccer to American TV audiences, the strange invisibility of the Mexican soccer league despite its consistent high TV ratings, and the reading of US national teams as "underdogs" despite the nation's quasi-imperial dominance of the Western hemisphere. An invaluable addition to a growing bookshelf on soccer titles, Soccer's Neoliberal Pitch serves as a model for critical cultural work with sports, with appeal to not only sports studies, but cultural studies, communication, and even gender studies classrooms.

Mathematical billiards describe the motion of a mass point in a domain with elastic reflections off the boundary or, equivalently, the behavior of rays of light in a domain with ideally reflecting boundary. From the point of view of differential geometry, the billiard flow is the geodesic flow on a manifold with boundary. This book is devoted to billiards in their relation with differential geometry, classical mechanics, and geometrical optics. Topics covered include variational principles of billiard motion, symplectic geometry of rays of light and integral geometry, existence and nonexistence of caustics, optical properties of conics and quadrics and completely integrable billiards, periodic billiard trajectories, polygonal billiards, mechanisms of chaos in billiard dynamics, and the lesser-known subject of dual (or outer) billiards.The book is based on an advanced undergraduate topics course. Minimum prerequisites are the standard material covered in the first two years of college mathematics (the entire calculus sequence, linear algebra). However, readers should show some mathematical maturity and rely on their mathematical common sense. A unique feature of the book is the coverage of many diverse topics related to billiards, for example, evolutes and involutes of plane curves, the four-vertex theorem, a mathematical theory of rainbows, distribution of first digits in various sequences, Morse theory, the Poincare recurrence theorem, Hilbert's fourth problem, Poncelet porism, and many others. There are approximately 100 illustrations. The book is suitable for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers interested in ergodic theory and geometry.