A strong relationship between sport fans and teams is an essential component for the success of the sport brand. This book provides an in-depth examination of the use of Twitter as a tool to enhance and maintain the fan-team relationship. As social media platforms have expanded beyond purely personal use, brands have had to adjust their strategic communication and marketing efforts. Drawing on research and theory from advertising, marketing, mass communication, and public relations, this book uses a mixed methods approach to better understand how online fan engagement using Twitter can help strengthen the fan-team relationship. Findings from this research has implications for the continued scholarly work on online engagement and relationship building as well as practical applications for effective use of Twitter as a strategic communication tool.

Unsportsmanlike behavior by student athletes or parents at youth sporting events happens with regularity these days. Much recent research reveals that young people are dropping out of sport at alarming rates due to the often toxic elements in the culture of youth sports. The timely, innovative essays in Youth Sport and Spirituality present a wide-ranging overview that draws on resources from Catholic spiritual and theological traditions to address problems such as these, as well as opportunities in youth sport in the United States. The book consists of two sections. In the first, prominent scholars in philosophy, psychology, theology, and spirituality reflect on how youth sport contributes to the integral development of the person and his or her grasp of spiritual values. The second half of the book consists of chapters written by coaches, athletic directors, and specialists working with youth coaches. These practitioners share how their approaches to working with youth in sport contribute to the integral development of their players and their openness to transcendent values. The essays examine coaching as ministry, youth sport and moral development, and how parents can act as partners in youth sports, among other topics. The book will interest coaches, athletic directors, and youth ministers in Catholic elementary and high schools in parish settings, as well as undergraduate and graduate students in education who are preparing to teach in Catholic schools. Contributors: Patrick Kelly, SJ, Daniel A. Dombrowski, Nicole M. LaVoi, Mike McNamee, Clark Power, David Light Shields, Brenda Light Bredemeier, Richard R. Gaillardetz, Kristin Komyatte Sheehan, Dobie Moser, Jim Yerkovich, Sherri Retif, James Charles Naggi, and Edward Hastings.

Children and Yourth in Sport offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary view of issues of concern to youth sport educators, researchers, and program administrators. This text effectively bridges the gap between research and application by including helpful guidelines for use in administration of youth sport programs and in coaching or teaching young athletes. The book's content and style is sufficiently challenging to serve as a text for upper level undergraduate or graduate youth sport courses; yet it is clear and interesting so nonprofessional audiences will also find it informative and enjoyable. Features specifically designed to fulfill classroom needs as a youthsport text multidisciplinary perspective by examining youth sports frombiological, psychological, and sociological perspectives, theauthors reveal how athletics affect youngsters in these areasof development chapters from previous edition have been updated, addingsignificant material two new chapters on overuse injuries and motivational climate

The 2 volume APA Handbook of Sport and Exercise Psychology presents new areas of research and links theory with emerging practice to reflect the latest developments in this constantly changing field. The 77 chapters provide extensive coverage of conceptual frameworks and models, empirical findings, and practical interventions. Additionally, many chapters discuss topics not addressed in other publications, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, sleep disorders, life-span engagement in sport and physical activity, and professional ethics and governance.

Author H.A. Dorfman brings his years of expertise as instructor/counselor with the A's, Marlins, and Devil Rays to provide an easy-to-use, A-to-Z handbook which will give insight and instruction on how to pitch to peak performance at every level of the game. Perfect for pitchers who need that extra edge or hitters who want to better understand the mental moves on the mound. With a new foreword by Rick Wolff!

Fighting has been a feature of hockey since the earliest days of the sport. The long standing debate as to whether fighting should be permitted by players during a game continues to this day. Professional hockey club owners and many fans want to keep fighting in the game for its excitement and drama__hockey as a gladiator sport.

Emotions tend to flare onthe subject. Poulton attemps to provide a balanced perspective on the role that fighting plays

in the North American game of hockey, examining its history and its role in modern popular culture.

The first research-based program to offer concise, clear ways to realize your best performance.
As a therapist, physician, and mental coach, Dr. Michael Lardon has dedicated his career to helping athletes understand and better achieve peak performance. In "Finding Your Zone," he shares with readers what heas discovered about reaching the state in which athoughts and actions are occurring in complete synchronicity, a and how this state is accessible to all, not just the few.
In ten key lessonsaillustrated by personal anecdotes from his clientsaLardon teaches readers how to access the zone not only in sports but in all aspects of their lives, by understanding how to:
a[ Transform desire into will
a[ Channel emotions to victory
a[ Trust instincts and keep it simple
a[ Conquer fear through acceptance
a[ Perform under pressure

More and more people are realising that, as with all areas of life, your results in sport depend crucially on your ability to use your mind effectively. Certainly many elite sports performers say that the mental aspects of the sport make the difference between being a champion or not. The way you use your mind determines the level of success and fulfilment you gain from sport, whether at professional or recreational level. Ahead of the Game is written for sports coaches, athletes and players of all levels who want to learn some leading edge yet tried and tested techniques and approaches to using your mind more effectively, and helping others to do the same. It draws on many of the techniques from Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), proven methods to achieve success. Ahead of the Game takes you through the techniques and approaches step by step, and is full of practical exercises and examples of how these techniques have been used with athletes so that you can adapt the techniques to suit you.

How people perform their sexual identities as athletes and spectators

The Thematic Evolution of Sports Journalism's Narrative of Mental Illness: A Little Less Conversation contends that the conversation developed and sustained by sports journalists about professional athletes' experience with mental illness has evolved through three slightly overlapping stages, each marked by a primary theme. During the first stage, from the end of the 19th Century to the middle of the 20th century, sports journalists sensationalized the experience and portrayed the athletes - breathlessly labeled insane - as tragic figures. During the roughly two-decade second stage, an athlete's experience with mental illness was portrayed as an inconvenience that flummoxed and infuriated team officials who had neither the ability nor the inclination to address the issue. The final stage, leading up to present day and beyond, is most notable for the development and widespread adoption of a coverage template that centers around an athlete's brave decision to reveal and discuss their experiences. Combining historical research and narrative analysis, Ronald Bishop interrogates whether sports journalists have finally begun to cover the experience of mental illness with sufficient depth. Scholars of media studies, journalism, celebrity studies, and sports psychology would find this book of particular interest.

An engaging look at the ways economic thinking can help us understand how sports work both on and off the field "Mr. Oyer writes clearly and ranges across all sorts of sports as well as across the globe, introducing fascinating observations."-Henry D. Fetter, Wall Street Journal Are ticket scalpers good for teams? Should parents push their kids to excel at sports? Why do Koreans dominate women's golf, while Kenyans and Ethiopians dominate marathon racing? Why would Michael Jordan, the greatest player in basketball, pass to Steve Kerr for the game-winning shot? Paul Oyer shows the many ways economics permeates the world of sports. His topics range from the business of sport to how great athletes use economic thinking to outsmart their opponents to why the world's greatest sports powerhouse (at least per capita) is not America or China but the principality of Liechtenstein. Economics explains why some sports cannot stop the use of performance-enhancing drugs while others can, why hundred-million-dollar player contracts are guaranteed in baseball but not in football, how one man was able to set the world of sports betting on its ear-and why it will probably never happen again. This book is an entertaining guide to how a bit of economics can make you a better athlete and a more informed fan.

Sports are an amazing environment in which to raise children. The benefits they gain from athletic participation are many, including physical, personal, and social. Yet, there is also a dark side to today's youth sports culture, as an emphasis on winning has made what was once fun become a burden for many young athletes. As a result, parents can't always be certain their children's athletic involvement will be safe and enjoyable. In Raising Young Athletes: Parenting Your Children to Victory in Sports and Life, Dr. Jim Taylor-an internationally-recognized authority on sport psychology, child development, and parenting-offers a guiding hand to help parents ensure their children's sports participation encourages positive attitudes and promotes healthy developments as they move toward adulthood. The role of parents in shaping their children's sports experience has never been more important, and Dr. Taylor shows parents how to send the right messages to their young athletes with clear and practical advice. Whether playing sports just for fun or with aspirations to play professionally, Raising Young Athletes helps parents steer their children toward a healthy, positive experience. As such, their participation will become an impactful part of their lives that will prepare them to be victorious both in sports and in life.

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The drive to be #1 in a professional field or on a playing field is a powerful source of motivation for many people. Others place a higher priority on becoming a better person. "Embracing Your Potential" explains how to achieve excellence and balance in both the performance and personal domains of life.

Author Terry Orlick labels these two domains as the ""Gold"" and ""Green"" zones. The Gold Zone includes the visible, tangible achievement markers, such as career advancement, win-loss records, and financial status. The Green Zone involves relationships and intellectual, spiritual, and cultural pursuits. Orlick argues that ""going for the Gold"" need not-and should not-require sacrificing the growth and development of the Green, and that the two zones can be nurtured simultaneously.

Both inspirational and practical, "Embracing Your Potential" shares insights and quotes from elite athletes, performers, and people in highly demanding jobs. It also features 30 exercises that can help readers make meaningful, lasting changes to boost their performance and enrich their lives.

"Embracing Your Potential" applies to people from all walks of life that want to excel and yet enjoy every day in the process.

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The true story of how a group of talented volleyball players learned to put their egos aside, became a team, and changed the sport of volleyball forever. In the early 1980s, a golden generation of volleyball players joined the U.S. men's national team. With the Olympics coming to Los Angeles in 1984, the pressure was on to build a winning program around these exceptional athletes. But could a group of individuals put aside their egos and play as a true team to achieve Olympic gold in their home country? In If Gold Is Our Destiny: How a Team of Mavericks Came Together for Olympic Glory, Sean P. Murray shares the incredible story of how a group of free-spirited players and their demanding coach captured the heart of a nation and became one of the greatest indoor volleyball teams of all time. As the team struggled leading up to the Olympics, head coach Doug Beal mandated a highly controversial three-week Outward Bound hike across one hundred miles in the Canyonlands and Abajo Mountains in Utah. Murray details all the internal strife and heartwarming triumphs from this unprecedented trip, as players and coaches learned to cooperate and trust one another. He reveals how the team used this newfound trust to implement an innovative approach to volleyball that changed not only their success on the court but the sport itself on a global scale. Featuring original interviews with players, coaches, and staff, along with a foreword by three-time gold medal champion Karch Kiraly, If Gold Is Our Destiny delivers an inside look at what it takes for a group of talented individuals to overcome their differences, build a culture of excellence, and become the best in the world.