'A refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like ... It's an amazing tale' Bill Gates

'The best book I read last year was Shoe Dog, by Nike's Phil Knight. Phil is a very wise, intelligent and competitive fellow who is also a gifted storyteller' Warren Buffett

In 1962, fresh out of business school, Phil Knight borrowed $50 from his father and created a company with a simple mission: import high-quality, low-cost athletic shoes from Japan. Selling the shoes from the boot of his Plymouth, Knight grossed $8000 in his first year. Today, Nike's annual sales top $30 billion. In an age of start-ups, Nike is the ne plus ultra of all start-ups, and the swoosh has become a revolutionary, globe-spanning icon, one of the most ubiquitous and recognisable symbols in the world today.

But Knight, the man behind the swoosh, has always remained a mystery. Now, for the first time, he tells his story. Candid, humble, wry and gutsy, he begins with his crossroads moment when at 24 he decided to start his own business. He details the many risks and daunting setbacks that stood between him and his dream - along with his early triumphs. Above all, he recalls how his first band of partners and employees soon became a tight-knit band of brothers. Together, harnessing the transcendent power of a shared mission, and a deep belief in the spirit of sport, they built a brand that changed everything.

A memoir rich with insight, humour and hard-won wisdom, this book is also studded with lessons - about building something from scratch, overcoming adversity, and ultimately leaving your mark on the world.

Exploring why professional team sport clubs are almost always able to survive despite financial mismanagement, inflated player salaries and persistent deficits, this book provides new evidence on how to explain this phenomenon. It looks at the context in which many clubs operate - the soft budget constraint - and how the clubs in this respect resemble state-owned enterprises in socialist countries or big banks in financial crises. Chapters discuss the challenge of hardening the budget constraint, including UEFA's Financial Fair Play regulation. They include new data about the soft budget constraint phenomenon, including evidence from Central and Eastern Europe. Leading scholars in the field develop the theoretical approach to the topic using institutional theory, dialogue with critics and discussions on the merits and limits of soft budgets. The book also investigates key case studies of bailouts and liquidation of professional sports teams. This will be an invigorating read for scholars and students of sports economics and sports management. It will also be helpful to managers and directors in professional sports clubs looking for a better understanding of the soft budget constraint.

There is a dire need for a comprehensive pedagogical resource both on diverse approaches to teaching sports economics and the use of sports to teach broader principles of economic concepts. This book does exactly that. The contributions from leading scholars and teachers in both fields will help all instructors looking to raise their teaching game. The pedagogy in this book covers a wide array of active and engaged teaching techniques to demonstrate interesting ways to engage students and to get them excited about sports economics and economic concepts in general. Chapters cover topics such as legal case studies that impact North American leagues, discrimination and gender bias in sports economics and best practices for supervising undergraduate student research. The innovative approaches and methods presented are applicable to both small and large class sizes. Practical advice for designing field trip-, guest speaker-, and case-study-based classes, and techniques for using data-driven exercises, film and straightforward classroom experiments are included. This book will appeal to two primary audiences: undergraduate economics instructors and sports economics/management instructors. The teaching methods may be easily adapted to most economic classes, and the breadth of material provides instructors with assistance in creating course syllabi, outlining teaching plans, generating student interest, and increasing the efficacy of their pedagogy.

This timely Research Handbook examines sport-related research and analysis pertaining to how the sport industry has been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Taking stock of the changes over the course of the pandemic, it also provides key insights into how the sport industry and its stakeholders might move forward in post-pandemic times. Organized into six parts, the first half of the book explores the areas of sport management, sport communication, and sport marketing, while the final three parts analyze sport events, sport stakeholders, and sport and society. Expert international contributors delve into a wide array of topics related to the sport industry including athletes, clubs, leagues, and brand and sport management to illuminate how the pandemic has influenced these aspects of sport. Offering a comprehensive analysis of how Covid-19 has affected the sport industry, this Research Handbook will be a key resource for business and management scholars and advanced students with a particular interest in sport, health, and well-being. Its use of global case studies will also be beneficial for sport managers and practitioners in this field.

This timely book takes both a practical and academic perspective of innovation in sport management, exploring the role of entrepreneurship in sport. With its interdisciplinary approach, it provides a holistic overview of the ways in which sport is both innovative and entrepreneurial. Expert contributors examine how technological advances, scientific approaches, digitalization and tournament design shape, or are shaped by, entrepreneurial ventures in sport management. Chapters also discuss the implications of the coronavirus pandemic for the sports industry, analysing how sport entities and managers have had to be innovative in order to adapt to the new market and unpredictable societal conditions created by the pandemic. The book reflects on the importance of innovation for sport management, highlighting the need for futuristic thinking as sports organisations try to develop better practices. Offering practical examples of entrepreneurship in sport, this book will be a useful resource for scholars and students of sports, sport management and management education. It will also be beneficial for sports practitioners and managers focusing on organisational innovation and how to navigate crises.

Elgar Research Agendas outline the future of research in a given area. Leading scholars are given the space to explore their subject in provocative ways, and map out the potential directions of travel. They are relevant but also visionary. Challenging the existing perspectives and models upon which sport management has been founded, this Research Agenda compiles cutting-edge research from expert contributors to offer a new definition of sport management. Examining the evolution of sport management as an academic discipline, this Research Agenda challenges the concepts, theories and standards for what should constitute legitimate future contributions to the field. Focussing on key strategic paradigms in sport governance and leadership, it tracks current management and research trends, and discusses the emergence, application, and relevance of emotion-related research into sport management. Examining sport organisations and professional sport at both international and national level, it identifies sport as both a high-profile social institution and an important leisure pursuit that exists within an increasingly business-like framework. Directing further research into community sport organisations, high performance sport systems and volunteer contributions to sport delivery, this Research Agenda will be an invigorating read for students and scholars of sport management studies. Its insights into governance, leadership and strategy in sport management will prove invaluable to practitioners working in the field.

Bringing together preeminent international researchers, emerging scholars and practitioners, Paul M. Pedersen presents the comprehensive Encyclopedia of Sport Management, offering detailed entries for the critical concepts and topics in the field. This excellent resource contains 330 entries from 250 of the leading experts in sport management. The entries cover managerial, finance, marketing, technology, and organizational behavior topics, as well as communication, legal, historical, sociological, and strategy topics related to the sport industry. In addition, the Encyclopedia offers references and recommended reading for those looking for more information on the topics covered. An authoritative reference work, this is a must-read resource for students, instructors and professors in sport management.

There is a dire need for a comprehensive pedagogical resource both on diverse approaches to teaching sports economics and the use of sports to teach broader principles of economic concepts. This book does exactly that. The contributions from leading scholars and teachers in both fields will help all instructors looking to raise their teaching game. The pedagogy in this book covers a wide array of active and engaged teaching techniques to demonstrate interesting ways to engage students and to get them excited about sports economics and economic concepts in general. Chapters cover topics such as legal case studies that impact North American leagues, discrimination and gender bias in sports economics and best practices for supervising undergraduate student research. The innovative approaches and methods presented are applicable to both small and large class sizes. Practical advice for designing field trip-, guest speaker-, and case-study-based classes, and techniques for using data-driven exercises, film and straightforward classroom experiments are included. This book will appeal to two primary audiences: undergraduate economics instructors and sports economics/management instructors. The teaching methods may be easily adapted to most economic classes, and the breadth of material provides instructors with assistance in creating course syllabi, outlining teaching plans, generating student interest, and increasing the efficacy of their pedagogy.

This timely Modern Guide offers critical insights into developments in both professional and recreational sports through the lens of the economic forces that determine them. It explores the benefits of the relationship between sports and economics, highlighting ways that economic research can help to understand sports better and the ways that sport provides opportunities to test economic theories. With both theoretical and empirical chapters, the book looks at the development of European sports economics over the last 20 years, the relationship between competitive balance and attendance, and the potential economic impact of sports events. Chapters further examine specific issues in sports from an economic perspective, including labour market restrictions on professional leagues, refereeing, team dynamics, the importance of good players versus good results and the sports analytics revolution due to big data. The use of state-of-the-art empirical methods makes this Modern Guide a crucial read for economists and sports science researchers looking to better understand both the relationship between the two fields and their own area of research. Sports policy makers will also appreciate the in-depth discussion on a range of different recreational and professional sports.

This state-of-the-art Research Handbook provides a challenging and critical examination of the complex issues surrounding sports in contemporary societies. Featuring contributions from world-leading scholars, it focuses upon the impact of their research, together with significant social issues and controversies in sport. International and comprehensive, the Research Handbook is organised around the key themes of governance, economics, events, the athletes and the future. Chapters examine the various theoretical and methodological approaches undertaken by the contributors and outline the current state of knowledge, to demonstrate the social and economic impact of academic research, as well as the constraints on research influence. Written during the global coronavirus pandemic, chapters also reflect on the way in which the public health crisis has exposed social issues and fragilities. The Research Handbook on Sports and Society will be a beneficial read for students of all levels studying sports science, sociology and public policy. The insights offered by established researchers will aid students in further understanding key methodologies, and opportunities and challenges for research. They also include recommendations for future policy and practice grounded in substantial research evidence.

Global. International. Multinational. These are the words that describe and move business today. Sport is no exception. This text describes the international governance structures that shape sport throughout the world and explains the organisation and development internationally of both professional and amateur sport. International trends in sport and the organisation of international sporting events are among the topics addressed.

'The notion of governance has gained significant currency and has become an inseparable part of sport organisations' strategies and practices. It is also a widely taught subject in academic institutions. This is an original and well-conceptualized book, which provides a comprehensive examination of governance at different levels of analysis. Written by established scholars, the text represents a great reference source and will complement nicely the library of academics and practitioners alike.' - Vassil Girginov, President, European Association for Sport Management (EASM) 'The timeliness of this Research Handbook is underscored by the fact that the topic of sport governance has become extremely relevant and important but also extremely complex in our time.' - Hallgeir Gammelsaeter, Molde Specialized University in Logistics, Norway Recent scandals across the word of sport can be directly related to poor governance. This Research Handbook gathers the state-of-the-art research on sport governance by leading international scholars on various issues across various sports, offering a vital reference point for advancing research. Illustrating different approaches and perspectives such as good governance principles, systemic governance, political governance and network governance, chapters suggest research-informed practical solutions to current problems within sport organisations. Covering sport event governance, business implications, corporate social responsibility for enhancing good governance and extended board management, specific directions for further research are provided for each topic under examination. This is the essential reference for all sport governance researchers. It will also be insightful for sport governing bodies and administrators looking for advice on improving good governance in sport institutions.

'The notion of governance has gained significant currency and has become an inseparable part of sport organisations' strategies and practices. It is also a widely taught subject in academic institutions. This is an original and well-conceptualized book, which provides a comprehensive examination of governance at different levels of analysis. Written by established scholars, the text represents a great reference source and will complement nicely the library of academics and practitioners alike.' - Vassil Girginov, President, European Association for Sport Management (EASM) 'The timeliness of this Research Handbook is underscored by the fact that the topic of sport governance has become extremely relevant and important but also extremely complex in our time.' - Hallgeir Gammelsaeter, Molde Specialized University in Logistics, Norway Recent scandals across the word of sport can be directly related to poor governance. This Research Handbook gathers the state-of-the-art research on sport governance by leading international scholars on various issues across various sports, offering a vital reference point for advancing research. Illustrating different approaches and perspectives such as good governance principles, systemic governance, political governance and network governance, chapters suggest research-informed practical solutions to current problems within sport organisations. Covering sport event governance, business implications, corporate social responsibility for enhancing good governance and extended board management, specific directions for further research are provided for each topic under examination. This is the essential reference for all sport governance researchers. It will also be insightful for sport governing bodies and administrators looking for advice on improving good governance in sport institutions.

Sport has the power to change the world.'' Sports Economics Uncut expresses this insight from Nelson Mandela, exploring sports as a fascinating mirror of the world and a powerful agent of change. In this book, Brian Goff covers subjects ranging from the ebb and flow of racial discrimination, to inequality, law enforcement, managers and risky decisions, club membership, and politics. Much more than merely a review or synthesis, this work extends existing perspectives and explores provocative questions such as: how systematic is racial bias in pro sports today? Is all racial segregation in sports due to racial bias? How much are college athletes really worth, and is league parity really optimal? This book highlights the fascinating paradox of the modest revenues spent on sports but the enormous intangible value of it. The author explains how recent evidence of racial bias in sports actually illustrates how much ground has been gained in society on racial matters; how the scandals of college sports are a built-in feature of a world in which football and basketball athletes are worth millions; how athletic skill can vary widely across and within regions and races, and how this can influence positioning decisions; and how managers reflect both traditional economic views of decision making and more recent behavioral views. While drawing from widespread academic studies, this is a lively presentation accessible to a wide audience, with extensive but easy to digest data. Students and scholars of sports economics, as well as those studying sports analysis or related areas, will find it an engaging and eye-opening read.

This unique book examines how sports betting markets function. Charting recent international developments, expert contributors consider how both bookmakers and stakeholders view these changes, their prime areas of concern and the potential methods for addressing them. Providing a rigorous economic analysis throughout, this book examines the informational efficiency of betting markets and the prevalence of corruption and illegal betting in sports. Against this background, chapters explore pertinent questions such as: should gambling markets be privatized? Is the `hot hand' hypothesis real or a myth? Are the `many' smarter than the `few' in estimating betting odds? How are prices set in fixed odds betting markets? Chapters also review important policy concerns such as the health implications posed by the potential link between the accelerating popularity of sports betting and the decline in sports participation. Academics and students studying economics, sports economics and, more specifically, sports betting will find this book an engaging companion. Contemporary and up to date, it will also appeal to stakeholders looking to widen their professional insight. Contributors include: B. Buraimo, X. Che, S. Dobson, A. Feddersen, D. Forrest, J. Garcia, J. Goddard, K. Grote, B. Humphreys, V. Matheson, R. Paul, D. Peel, L. Perez, P. Rodriguez, J. Ruseski, R. Simmons, P. Westmoreland, A. Weinbach, R. Wheeler, J. Yang

Employment relations, much discussed in other industries, has often been neglected in professional sports despite its unique characteristics. The book aims to explore in detail the unique nature of the employment relationship in professional sports and the sport industry. In four parts the book examines, firstly the regulation of sporting competition both within and across sporting codes; secondly a range of employment law issues such as how contracting and negotiation are handled, how disputes are resolved, and the role of sporting representatives such as player associations. The third section discusses the economic issues related to employment such as transfers, drafts and efforts to achieve ''competitive balance''. The final section of the book explores contemporary issues in sports management and governance, including anti-discrimination and anti-doping policy. Through this analysis the book identifies the complex and unique issues surrounding employment relations within professional sports and the sport industry. Contributors include: J. Anderson, M. Barry, P. Bouris, C. Coupland, C. Depken III, J.B. Dworkin, T. Engelberg, S. Gardiner, R. Gomez, B. Keller, L. Masteralexis, G. Maynes, H. Mitchell, S. Moston, J.A.R. Nafziger, M. Nichol, R. Paul, P. Schuwalow, J. Skinner, J. Solow, M. Stewart, K. Vieweg, P. Von Allmen, A. Weinbach, R. Welch

From professional team sports to international events such as the Olympics and Tour de France, the modern sports industry continues to attract a large number of spectators and participants. This book, edited by John K. Wilson and Richard Pomfret, analyzes the economic evolution of sports over the last 150 years, from a pastime activity to a big business enterprise. It begins at a time when entrepreneurs and players first started making money from professional sports leagues, through to the impact of radio and TV in the twentieth century, and on to the present day. Using examples from sports across the world, the chapters cover such important issues as player migration, labor market restrictions, stadium arrangements and the rise and fall of workplace provisions. Unlike most sports economic texts, the contributors featured here provide insights into the historical origins of many practices and policies peculiar to the industry. This historical perspective casts light onto the development of practices, such as labor market regulations and public policies, which have become more prevalent in the modern age. The non-technical, user-friendly nature of this book will appeal to many students, particularly those enrolled in sports economics courses - a field of study which is increasingly common. Academics will also find this book to be a timely reference for their research and teaching. Contributors include: L. Borrowman, A. Carter, J. Cranfield, L. Frost, A.K. Halabi, K. Inwood, A. Kawaura, S. La Croix, M. Lightbody, J.-F. Mignot, R. Pomfret, J.A. Ross, W. Vamplew, J.K. Wilson

This innovative book presents a series of up-to-date analyses of the economics of outdoor recreation. The distinguished group of authors covers real-world recreation management issues and applies economic understanding to these problems. An extensive introduction by the editors details the historical background of economists' interests in this subject, and reveals how economics can provide practical insights into improving how we manage our natural recreation areas.The book is divided into three parts, each of which focuses on a specific environmental resource: mountains, forests, and rivers and the sea. An array of valuation methods - including stated preference and revealed preference techniques - are then applied to various outdoor recreation activities which occur in these different settings. These include such diverse pursuits as rock climbing, skiing, fishing, hunting and whale watching. The authors clearly demonstrate how recreation modelling can offer a productive link between people (their preferences and behaviour) and the natural environment. With extensive empirical examples from Europe and North America, this book will be of great value to economists, governments and NGOs who are interested in the environment, development and tourism. It will also be a valuable source of reference for policymakers concerned with land use and natural resource management, and students of environmental and resource economics.

The vast sums of money generated by sport worldwide have meant that the laws of economic competition, as well as sporting competition, have an important role to play in the organisation and regulation of the industry.This book offers a comparative perspective on the economics of sport and highlights both the similarities and differences in the North American and European models of sport. It tackles policy issues, such as the organising, financing and regulation of team sports alongside theoretical issues regarding income redistribution and competitive balance. It also evaluates the impact of sport and sports events on local communities and the wider economy providing a useful contrast of methods and results on the two continents. Transatlantic Sport will be of great interest to sports economists but will also be of wider interest to scholars of competition and economics in general.

LONGLISTED FOR THE CRICKET SOCIETY AND MCC BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2023. "Fascinating" The Observer "Illuminating" The Times "Crickonomics is packed with sufficient statistical analysis to have the most ardent cricket geek purring with pleasure" Mail on Sunday "An insightful, Hawk-Eye-like analysis of the numbers behind cricket" Financial Times An engaging tour of the modern game from an award-winning journalist and the economist who co-authored the bestselling Soccernomics. Why does England rely on private schools for their batters - but not their bowlers? How did demographics shape India's rise? Why have women often been the game's great innovators? Why does South Africa struggle to produce Black Test batters? And how does the weather impact who wins? Crickonomics explores all of this and much more - including how Jayasuriya and Gilchrist transformed Test batting but T20 didn't; English cricket's great missed opportunity to have a league structure like football; why batters are paid more than bowlers; how Afghanistan is transforming German cricket; what the rest of the world can learn from New Zealand and even the Barmy Army's importance to Test cricket. This incisive book will entertain and surprise all cricket lovers. It might even change how you watch the game.

From professional team sports to international events such as the Olympics and Tour de France, the modern sports industry continues to attract a large number of spectators and participants. This book, edited by John K. Wilson and Richard Pomfret, analyzes the economic evolution of sports over the last 150 years, from a pastime activity to a big business enterprise. It begins at a time when entrepreneurs and players first started making money from professional sports leagues, through to the impact of radio and TV in the twentieth century, and on to the present day. Using examples from sports across the world, the chapters cover such important issues as player migration, labor market restrictions, stadium arrangements and the rise and fall of workplace provisions. Unlike most sports economic texts, the contributors featured here provide insights into the historical origins of many practices and policies peculiar to the industry. This historical perspective casts light onto the development of practices, such as labor market regulations and public policies, which have become more prevalent in the modern age. The non-technical, user-friendly nature of this book will appeal to many students, particularly those enrolled in sports economics courses - a field of study which is increasingly common. Academics will also find this book to be a timely reference for their research and teaching. Contributors include: L. Borrowman, A. Carter, J. Cranfield, L. Frost, A.K. Halabi, K. Inwood, A. Kawaura, S. La Croix, M. Lightbody, J.-F. Mignot, R. Pomfret, J.A. Ross, W. Vamplew, J.K. Wilson

This book provides a complete picture of the development of competitive balance in the major European football countries over an extended period of time, along with some policy prescriptions for the governance of the European football market. It presents three new indices which show that European football competitions become less exciting over time. It is also shown that the lower the average number of goals per match, the more imperfect the referee and the stronger the home and away (dis)advantage, the higher the level of competitive balance will be. In the final chapter it is argued that to safeguard the competitive balance and the longstanding traditions of European football, a decommercialization of football is required. Using standard welfare economic theory, the author shows that free-of-charge public broadcasting is the preferred policy. This book is highly relevant for sports economists, higher vocational and academic students in sports studies and for policymakers in football governing bodies and competition policy agencies.

Countryside recreation has become an increasingly popular leisure activity, with rural recreation offering an escape from the stresses of life in the modern city. Consequently, the pressures on managers of countryside recreation sites are greater than ever before. This important new vocational text offers comprehensive guidance on the management of countryside sites of all types, from national parks and heritage coasts to cycle paths and tourism enterprises.
The book takes a innovative marketing-driven approach to the subject, focusing on the development of each site as a 'product' to meet the needs of the leisure 'consumer'. It offers step-by-step guidance to every management issue, from developing infrastructure to on-site health and safety, and is richly supported with diagrams, photographs, case studies and web-links. Countryside Recreation Site Management is an essential resource for ND, HND and degree students studying courses in Countryside Management, Countryside Recreation and Leisure and Tourism and useful for professionals with responsibility for the management of countryside recreation sites.

In this solutions-focused collection of sport corruption case studies, leading researchers consider how to re-establish trust both within sports organisations and in the wider sporting public. Inspired by the idea of 'moral repair', the book examines significant corruption cases and the measures taken to reduce further harm or risk of recurrence. The book has an international scope, including case study material from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and covers important contemporary issues including whistleblowing, bribery, match-fixing, gambling, bidding for major events, and good governance. It examines the loss of trust at both national and international levels. Drawing on cutting-edge research, the book includes both on-field and off-field examples, from Olympic, non-Olympic, professional and amateur sports, as well as diverse academic and practitioner perspectives. Offering an important contribution to current debates and a source of reflection on best professional practice, Restoring Trust in Sport helps us to better understand why corruption happens in sport and how it can and should be addressed. This is invaluable reading for all advanced students, researchers, managers and policy makers with an interest in integrity in sport, sport ethics, sport management, sport governance, sports law, and a useful reference for anybody working in criminology, business and management, law, sociology or political science.