This book deals with the topic of mass customisation in sports and focuses on the sneaker market. In this context, this well known marketing tool is examined from the consumers point of view. Moreover, a short consideration from the producers point of view has been implemented. The main subject areas are the willingness to pay by consumers and the consumers confusion as well as the topic brand loyalty in combination with mass customisation in the sneaker market. For this reason, the literature on individualisation and mass customisation is firstly analyzed to subsequently discuss the market for mass customised sneakers. Later, a total of 23 research hypotheses are proposed and empirically tested. To achieve this goal, an online-based quantitative research study including 254 questionnaires was conducted. On top of this, a comparison between the consumer's and producer's point of view has been addressed. Results reveal that creating individuality is an important intention for consumers to purchase customised sneakers. This is also positively associated with a higher willingness to pay. Regarding consumer confusion, the present work clearly points out that consumers prefer transparent and clean interactions. From a brand loyalty standpoint, this study confirms that the effect on the brand loyalty from mass customisation does not depend on the existing brand loyalty. Beyond this research contribution, an interesting view concerning the practical application of these findings is also offered. Specifically, what needs to be done to improve the attractiveness of mass-customised sneakers? How can manufacturers increase the willingness to pay? What is crucial in strengthening brand loyalty through mass customisation?

Whereas leisure was once treated as a social service, a business culture has swept through what remains of the voluntary and public sectors today. Ken Roberts explains how and why this has happened, what it means for tourism, sport, the arts and broadcasting, and why events, in particular mega-events, have become prize acquisitions. The Business of Leisure addresses the trend towards commercialisation in the provision of leisure that has not only continued but accelerated since the 2004 publication of The Leisure Industries. This updated second edition reflects how recent developments such as the age of austerity, demographic changes and the rise of digital information technologies have transformed the leisure sector. At the same time, the book demonstrates how voluntary associations and public providers have been able to withstand the ever-growing pressures from big business and commerce. This thought-provoking text provides both a historical overview and an up-to-date introduction to the contemporary study of leisure. It is an invaluable resource for students in areas such as leisure studies and management, sports studies, tourism and events management, as well as those on management, business and sociology courses.

A look at the future of the business of sports in America

These seven precedent-setting case studies taken from the files of the Nevada Gaming Control Board and Commission illustrate vital issues addressed in the first decade of Las Vegas' megaresorts.

This book provides the basic knowledge ("basics") for professional sports marketing and gives suggestions for management practice. In the course of social and economic development, sports marketing has grown from rudimentary beginnings into a highly professional and complex discipline that not only affects those directly involved, but has also involved other interest groups (stakeholders) who often pursue their own and not always compatible intentions and interests.In addition, megatrends such as digitalisation and globalisation have given new impetus to sports marketing, just as sport itself has changed significantly in all its different manifestations and structures (including professionals and amateurs, sponsorship and organisation, self-determination and external determination).The authors present the basic building blocks in sports marketing in a compact manner and outline framework conditions, special features, strategy development and the use of marketing instruments. In this way, they create knowledge and understanding for successful sports marketing in the future. The content Sports marketing at the centre of different markets Basics of sports marketing Performance aspects in sports marketing Prices and contracts in sports marketing Communication issues in sports marketing Distribution channels in sports marketing Perspectives of sport - opportunities and risks in sports marketing

The focus of this book is on various aspects of tourism as development issues for the whole of India, policy and environmental issues, income and employment generation from tourism and human relations in tourism management and regional tourism. The importance of tourism in India's economic development is emphasised and measures that can be taken to ensure sustainable growth of tourism in India are discussed. The issues and policies presented are applicable to developing countries around the world.

Kraus' Recreation and Leisure in Modern Society provides a detailed introduction to the history, developments, and current trends in leisure studies. The Twelfth Edition focuses on the challenges and opportunities impacting the profession-including dramatic demographic changes, new technologies, and innovations in marketing-through an array of pedagogical features, including engaging sidebars and case studies addressing contemporary issues. Focusing on ten different types of organizations-ranging from nonprofit community organizations and armed forces recreation to sports management and travel and tourism sponsors-the Twelfth Edition is an invaluable resource for students considering a career in the recreation and leisure industry

Almost everyone is familiar with Monte Carlo's association with gambling, and its famous Casino. Many may also have come across the Monte Carlo fallacy, so-called after the Casino's roulette wheel ball fell on black 26th times in a row, costing players, who believed that the law of averages made such streaks impossible, millions of dollars. However, the Casino also lends its name to a tool of statistical forecasting, the Monte Carlo simulation, used to model the probability of uncertain outcomes that cannot be easily predicted from mathematical equations. This book provides a detailed account for how aspiring sports bettors can use a Monte Carlo simulation to improve the quality, and hopefully profitability, of their betting, and in doing so unravels the mystery of probability and variance that lies at the heart of all gambling.

Through a detailed economic assessment of the current business of professional sports and prospects for the future in the United States, Scully examines the factors that determine players' salaries; management practices and franchise values; and long-term, short-term, and corporate ownership. Scully shows, for example, that while the economic growth of the last two decades was fueled primarily by sales of television rights, the broadcast market has become saturated and teams will have to look elsewhere for income in the 1990s.
This book offers technical insights that will interest business economists and professionals in sports management.

The sports industry provides a seemingly endless set of examples from every area of microeconomics, giving students the opportunity to study economics in a context that holds their interest. Thoroughly updated to reflect the current sports landscape, The Economics of Sports introduces core economic concepts and theories and applies them to American and international sports. Updates for this sixth edition include: More coverage of international sports, including European football; A revised chapter on competitive balance, reflecting new techniques; A brand-new chapter on mega-events such as the Olympics and World Cup; New material on umpire bias; A completely redesigned chapter on amateur competition that focuses exclusively on intercollegiate sports. This chapter is also now modular, enabling instructors who wish to intersperse it with the other chapters to do so with greater ease. This accessible text is supported by a companion website which includes resources for students and instructors. It is the perfect text for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses on sports economics.

NEW EDITION A sports agent. In its simplest form, a sports agent is an individual or company who represents a sportsperson. They try to get them a better contract, a better endorsement, a better sponsorship, a better deal. Nothing wrong with that, is there? Or is there? The problem, inevitably, is money. So much money now sloshing around in professional sport today. And human greed - which can lead to conflicts of interest...So How to be a Sports Agent is a practical and down-to-earth book that reveals the secrets behind the art of being not just a good sports agent, but a good, honest sports agent. It includes: Analysis of what it is to be an agent and how to ensure a watertight legal contract between the agent and his client. The regulation of agents in various sports, and how to comply. The difference between a good agent and a bad agent. Creation of playing contracts, particularly in regard to soccer, cricket and rugby and covers the most common pitfalls. Marketing, merchandising, licensing and sponsorship deals. How to negotiate them and how to draft them. The art of negotiation, and the balance between on and off pitch activities. The role of the lawyer as agent and adviser. Keeping the clients happy, getting new clients and keeping the clients happy when you have new clients.

'A ground-breaking text...will inspire you to learn, develop and deliver' - Sir Alex Ferguson With billion-pound television deals and multi-million player transfers, a football team's performance has repercussions far beyond the pitch and league table. As a result, sports science plays an increasingly important role in the game, helping to develop elite performers. Science in Soccer offers a series of contemporary insights into the multidisciplinary approach to delivering sports science support in elite level professional football. Through exclusive contributions from leading academics and practitioners working with some of the world's leading football clubs. Science in Soccer covers broad topics such physiology, psychology, performance analysis and sociology. Experts in the field also focus on specific areas such as physical preparation of elite players, injury prevention, fitness assessment, nutrition, player development and performance analysis. Written by two leading football academics and practitioners, this authoritative, accessible text explores the important role sports science plays in professional football. Science in Soccer helps coaches, practitioners, students and academics translate theory into practice and is one of the most comprehensive books on football sports science to date.

This is the story of one man's fight against a multibillion dollar colossus. A man who stood up for what was right, whatever the cost. The brilliant young forensic pathologist had no idea that the body on the slab in front of him would change his life, and ultimately change the world. The body belonged to legendary American Footballer Mike Webster, whose mental health had rapidly declined after he had stopped playing - he had ended up Tasering himself to relieve his chronic back pain and fixing his rotting teeth with Superglue. Dr Bennet Omalu found that the psychosis suffered by "Iron Mike" was no accident. His autopsy unearthed evidence of a trauma-related disease - the direct result of years of blows to the head in games. He knew it would keep killing scores of other sportsmen unless something was done. He believed that the NFL (National Football League), one of the most powerful corporations in America, would welcome the discovery. But it was the one truth they wanted to ignore. Omalu himself became a target. 'This is classic David and Goliath stuff, and as exciting as a great courtroom drama. A riveting, powerful human tale . . . a masterclass on how to tell a story' Charles Duhigg, New York Times columnist and bestselling author of The Power of Habit

The importance of the study of the scientific principles of learning human motor skills is evident in that motor learning is a required core course as set forth by the NASPE standards. Applied Motor Learning in Physical Education and Sports goes further than simply providing valuable scientific theories. Authors Jin Wang and Shihui Chen transform those theories into practice in an understandable approach by incorporating case studies and practitioners' implications, making this a comprehensive authority on the topic of motor learning. Written for undergraduate students, PE teachers, coaches, athletes and practitioners, each chapter includes: an introduction to the imperative theoretical models of motor learning, case studies and life examples that illustrate theoretical concepts that can be effectively applied to practical teaching, coaching, or motor learning settings, project topics that integrate theory with practice, clear illustrations, diagrams, and key components of concepts depicting the main ideas.

Materials in Sports Equipment, Second Edition, provides a detailed review on the design and performance of materials in sports apparel, equipment and surfaces in a broad range of sporting applications. Chapters cover materials modeling, non-destructive testing, design issues for sports apparel, skull and mouth protection, and new chapters on artificial sport surfaces, anthropometric design customization, and 3D printing in sports equipment. In addition, the book covers sports-specific design and material choices in a range of key sports, from baseball, rowing, and archery, to ice hockey, snowboarding, and fishing. Users will find a valuable resource that explicitly links materials, engineering and design principles directly to sports applications, thus making it an essential resource to materials scientists, engineers, sports equipment designers and sports manufacturers developing products in this evolving field.

* The first text to provide a thorough insight into the world of spa management - an international growth phenomenon; * Written by a team of industry and academic experts from a leading intuition in the field of spa management education; * Look at all aspects of spa management from HR and training, to marketing and finance; * Responds to calls for more rigorous research in the field of spa and provides a much needed text for the study of spa. The spa industry is big business - it's estimated worth is $60 billion, and averages 18% annual growth. The number of day spas has increased by 34.4% globally, from 2003 to 2006; in the same period the number of medical spa locations more than doubled. Even though spa has a long and extensive history, spa education is relatively new, with education at degree level newly introduced across the world. This is in response to the current recognised shortage currently of adequately trained and experienced individuals across all levels in the industry. International Spa Management is the first text to address these industry needs. It provides a sound and though guide for all future spa managers looking at all aspects on the successful running of a spa facility. Divided into four parts it discusses the following: * The spa industry: types (mineral and thermal) and destinations * The spa consumer: behaviour, service and spa design * The business of spas: marketing, operations, finance and training * Future directions: strategizing for the future

The first inside account of the international soccer scandal that rocked the world and the American at its center-the incredible story of how a stay-at-home New York soccer dad illegally made millions off the world's most powerful and corrupt sports organization and became an unlikely FBI whistleblower. He was the middle-class Jewish kid from Queens who rose from local youth soccer leagues to the heights of FIFA, becoming a larger-than-life, jet-setting buccaneer-and the most notorious FBI informant in sports history. For years, Chuck Blazer skimmed over $20 million from FIFA, stashing his money in offshore accounts and real estate holdings that included a luxury apartment in Trump Tower, a South Beach condo, and a hideaway in the Bahamas. Instantly recognizable with his unruly mass of salt-and-pepper hair and matching beard-and a rotating crop of arm candy-Blazer was one of the most flamboyant figures in the glitzy social and political circles of international soccer. Over the course of thirty years, Blazer leveraged his friendships with the likes of Vladimir Putin, Hillary Clinton and Nelson Mandela, to increase his influence with the mandarins of global soccer-most notably Sepp Blatter, FIFA's long-time godfather. Once Blatter tapped Blazer to be the first American in almost fifty years to sit on FIFA's executive committee, the erstwhile accountant steadily accumulated money and power-until 2013 when the FBI and IRS nabbed Blazer and charged him with fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion. In exchange for immunity, Blazer agreed to let the Feds install a microphone in his keychain to entrap his larcenous band of brothers-leading to the shocking arrest and indictment of eighteen FIFA officials for racketeering and bribery. In this taut and suspenseful tale of white-collar crime and betrayal at the highest levels of international business, investigative reporters Mary Papenfuss and Teri Thompson draw on sources in U.S. law enforcement as well as in Blazer's inner circle to tell the surreal tale of this astonishing character and the scandal that rocked the world.

In 1998, Milton Friedman's statement drew national attention to Rutgers 1000, a campaign in which students, faculty, and alumni were resisting the takeover of their university by commercialized Division I-A athletics. Subsequently, the movement received extensive coverage in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Sports Illustrated, and other publications.

Today, "big-time" college athletics remains a hotly debated issue at Rutgers. Why did an old eastern university that had long competed against such institutions as Colgate, Columbia, Lafayette, and Princeton, choose, by joining the Big East conference in 1994, to plunge into the world of such TV-revenue-driven extravaganzas as "March Madness" and the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl? What is the moral for universities where big-time college sports have already become the primary source of institutional identity?

Confessions of a Spoilsport is the story of an English professor who, having seen the University of New Mexico sink academically in the period of a major basketball scandal, was galvanized into action when Rutgers joined the Big East. It is also the story of the Rutgers 1000 students and alumni who set out against enormous odds to resist the decline of their university--eviscerated academic programs, cancellation of minor sports, loss of the "best and brightest" in-state students to the nearby College of New Jersey--while tens of millions of dollars were being lavished on Division I-A athletics. Ultimately, however, the story of Rutgers 1000 is what the New York Times called it when Milton Friedman issued his ringing statement: a struggle for the soul of a major university.

This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. How has globalization impacted on sports media? What are the economic ramifications? And what is the future of sports media? In order to answer these questions, this book investigates the constituents, dimensions and implications of the flows of media sport from the Global West to the Global East, and in the reverse direction. At an historical moment when the relative stability of the Western media sport order is under challenge, it analyses a range of key structures, practices and issues whose ramifications extend far beyond the fields of play and national contexts in which sport events take place. The book will appraise and analyse the state of sports television, rise of new sports media, emergence of hybrid sport cultural forms, eruption of sport-related political controversies, scandals and power struggles, mutations of forms of global sport fandom, and projections of the future of global media sport. In bringing together the latest research from across a number of disciplines, this book offers an exciting contribution to the emerging field of global sports media.