Reflections from a Hybrid Scholar

Abstract

In this paper, I reflect on my journey towards becoming a sport historian. I show how I find myself caught in the middle between sport history, sport management, and sport for development and peace (SDP), and how I essentially view myself as an SDP scholar. The paper further illustrate how I perceive the position of sport history in Norway, and argue that in order for sport history to grow or even continue as a subject in the Norwegian sport educations, we, the Norwegian sport historians, need to step up our game in terms of research and recruitment.     

1787: An Eighteenth Century Sporting Year

Abstract

In later eighteenth-century England the old communal folk play may have been in decline but newer, organized sports were on the rise. The review of a single year shows regular contests, particularly in pugilism, cock fighting, horse racing, and cricket, through the summer season. The systematic and popular nature of much sport in 1787 suggests a questioning of any notion that organized sport was a product of nineteenth century industrialization.     

Community sport and social inclusion: international perspectives

Abstract

This opening article examines the relationship between community sport and social inclusion in research and practice. We discuss the notion of community sport, its multifarious meanings and diverse applications in different parts of the world. We further explore the conceptual and practical links between community sport and different conceptions of social inclusion. In doing so, the article draws together key themes, issues and debates addressed in the collection of articles in this special issue. We conclude by formulating implications and directions for future research and practice.     

Variations of Experience in Formal and Informal Sport

Abstract

The premise of this paper is that an important component of the value of sport is the experience it provides: the moods, feelings, and self-perceptions that occur in sports contexts. The Experience Sampling Method (ESM) was used to monitor the ongoing experience of 75 adolescents. Sport was compared with other activities in terms of concentration, mood, self-consciousness and sense of skill, challenge and control. Three different sport contexts were distinguished and compared—organized sport, informal sport, and physical education class. These three contexts were contrasted, and results interpreted in terms of the “flow model” of enjoyment and optimal experience (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975). Sport was experienced as substantially more positive than the rest of everyday life. Sense of control was highest in gym class and lowest in informal sport; sense of skill was highest in informal sport and lowest in gym class; and significantly more was perceived to be at stake in organized sport than in informal sport or gym class. Finally it was shown how the structure of the activity impacts the relationship between sense of skill and other subjective variables.     

Suffering in sport: why people willingly embrace negative emotional experiences

ABSTRACT

Nearly everyone agrees that physical pain is bad. Indeed, if anything merits the status of a platitude in our everyday thinking about value, the idea that pain is bad surely does. Equally, it seems clearly true that emotional suffering – despair, loneliness, grief, disappointment, guilt, shame, lovesickness, and the like – are all bad as well. We are strongly inclined to pity and feel sorry for those who suffer emotionally in these ways; we are motivated, at least some of the time, to do what we can to alleviate their suffering. Given this, it might seem curious that pain and suffering are so integral to sport – whether one is a participant or a spectator. There’s nothing particularly puzzling about pain and suffering that is inadvertently related to sport – as when an athlete injures her hamstring and has to miss her chance at Olympic glory, or when supporters face the misery of getting up at 6am because an away game has been scheduled to start at noon. But there does seem to be something curious about the extent to which pain and suffering are voluntarily embraced by participants and spectators, as the quotation from Nick Hornby aptly illustrates. Why do people willingly engage in something that brings about so much suffering? In this paper, I’ll attempt to answer this question.¹     

Intellectuals and Warriors: The Ideological and Political Basis of Francoist University Sport, 1933–1946

Abstract

Examining the use of sport by totalitarian regimes during the interbellum period reveals that politicians saw the potential of sport not only for patriotic expression and international exhibition but also as a means to exert control over youth. Francoism participated in such uses of sport, imitating German and Italian organizations’ development of a youth sport structure. The Franco regime emphasized sport in universities to the extent that it made physical education a required subject to obtain a degree. This study’s primary objective is to reconstruct the doctrinal genesis of Francoist university sport, tracing it to the years before the Spanish Civil War, specifically noting the international influences that sustained it and the draft regulations that gave it legal standing despite resistance from both university youth and from sport. To this end, documentary sources are analyzed, including archival material, printed sources (legal decrees written during the period examined in this study and historical accounts of the subject), publications of Falange and related organizations, and speeches and proclamations from Falange and the Sindicato Español Universitario (SEU).     

The Importance of Adolescents’ Participation in Organized Sport According to VO2peak: A Longitudinal Study

Research from several countries has documented a decline in physical activity (PA) levels and in participation in organized sport with increasing age, indicating that organized sport may be of importance to adolescents’ cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine how regular participation in organized and unorganized PA affected the development of adolescents’ CRF (peak oxygen consumption [VO₂peak]), when controlled for sex interaction. Method: Data on direct measures of VO₂peak and participation in organized PA among adolescents organized into 3 groups (participation in organized sport, participation in unorganized PA, and no weekly PA) were collected from 76 students (39 boys and 37 girls), when they were aged 14 and 19 years old. Results: Statistically significant differences were found between VO₂peak values in the 3 groups at both 14 years of age, F(2, 73) = 7.16, p < .05, ?² = .170, and 19 years of age, F(2, 73) = 14.00, p < .05, ?² = .300, independent of sex at both 14 and 19 years of age, F(2, 73) = 0.05, p > .05, ?² = .02, and F(2, 73) = 0.05, p > .05, ?² = .00. Adolescents participating in organized sport also had statistically significantly higher VO₂peak values than adolescents participating in unorganized PA and those with no weekly PA, at both 14 and 19 years of age. Conclusion: From a health perspective, in terms of CRF, the findings highlight the importance of encouraging adolescents to participate in organized sport and to refrain from dropping out of organized sport programs.     

Clifton Forge and Back Again

Abstract

Coming from small-town Appalachia, Josh Howard reflects on his career as a public historian with a focus on sport. He maps out his recent work at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Lamar University, and other sport history work in explaining a journey from a background in statistics to one in public sport history. He concludes by offering some suggestions to better develop scholarship on the intersection of public history and sport history specifically through partnerships with professional sport franchises.     

Should toddlers and preschoolers participate in organized sport? A scoping review of developmental outcomes associated with young children’s sport participation

ABSTRACT

Organized sport is offered at increasingly younger ages, with many programs geared towards preschoolers, toddlers, and infants. While sport is promoted as an amendable context for healthy development of school-age children, little is empirically known about potential benefits or risks associated with organized sport participation in early childhood. A scoping review of nine electronic databases identified English-language, peer-reviewed, original research articles which addressed psychological, emotional, social, cognitive, or intellectual developmental outcomes of organized sport involvement of children aged 2–5 years; included studies were appraised for quality. Findings offer preliminary evidence that early sport participation is related to primarily positive outcomes (e.g. enhanced social skills, pro-social behaviours, self-regulation), while negative and inconclusive outcomes were also identified. Results suggest limited existing research has primarily relied on parent or teacher proxy-report or assessment, and reinforces that little is known about toddler and preschooler organized sport participation as a distinct form of physical activity, despite pervasive availability of programming, and positive parental perceptions of early enrolment. Additional research with stronger methodological design and rigor is needed; recommendations to enhance the quality of future studies with young children are discussed.     

Sport Management with Historical Perspective

Abstract

Aspirations are prospective and forward looking; what does one seek to achieve? Reflections are retrospective and gaze backwards; has one achieved said aspirations? The following narrative, while indulgently about one individual, is also intended to reflect on wider challenges and opportunities for scholars working in sport history. Academic careers are replete with pragmatism amidst idealism: in my case it was a journey from history, to sport history, and then to sport management.     

A Critical Review of R. L. Simon’s Contribution to the Doping in Sport Literature

Abstract

In the following article, it will be argued that there are at least four clusters of arguments generally proposed to justify banning doping in sport and that Simon’s contribution has been of a seminal nature to at least two of the clusters.     

Towards a critical sport heritage: implications for sport tourism

ABSTRACT

This paper reflects upon the development and increased acceptance for heritage becoming a key component of sport tourism research. The original sport heritage typology, as posited by Ramshaw and Gammon [2005, More than just Nostalgia? Exploring the heritage/sport tourism nexus. Journal of Sport & Tourism, 10(4), 229–241], is re-examined through a more critical lens, revealing additional dimensions that help augment its key components. More specifically, it is argued that future studies should consider the more intangible features of sport heritage, as well as acknowledging the expanding global nature of sport and its impact upon fandom. Also, the case is made for research to explore the dissonance inherent in much of sports heritage, as well as determining where the power lies in allocating and championing current sport heritages. Lastly, the more general implications to the field of sport tourism are offered with particular regard to motivation, place, and consumption.     

Sport injuries as the main cause of sport career termination among Finnish top-level athletes

Abstract

Injuries are common among athletes, and are sometimes so severe that they affect an athlete's career in sport. As studies on sport career termination are few, we conducted a study to investigate the role of injuries as a reason for ending a sport career. The study group consisted of 574 male and female top-level cross-country skiers, swimmers, long-distance runners and soccer players who responded to a retrospective postal questionnaire in 2006. Twenty-seven athletes (4.9%, 27/548) reported ending their sport career because of injury. A follow-up interview was conducted by telephone in 2007 (n=20 volunteered to be interviewed) to confirm sport career termination and the reasons for this. Fifteen of the interviewed athletes terminated and five continued their sport on the same level as earlier. Female athletes (12/15) terminated their sport career more frequently than male athletes (3/15). Athletes who reported terminating their sport career because of injury were on average two and a half years older (24.1 years vs. 21.6 years, P=0.006) than athletes who continued the sport. All the swimmers (n=5) who were interviewed terminated their career because of a shoulder injury. All the soccer players who ended their career (n=4) were female and had a severe knee injury, such as anterior cruciate ligament injury. Most of the athletes who terminated their sport career (70.4%, 19/27) reported that the injury caused them mild or moderate permanent disability. We found that sports injuries play a significant role in terminating a career in sport, and in some sports events injuries may commonly be the main reason for sport career termination. Injury prevention and adequate treatment and rehabilitation of injuries are thus essential to avoid the long-term consequences of severe sport injuries.     

From Development of Sport to Development through Sport: A Paradigm Shift for Sport Development in South Korea

During the past several decades, South Korea has gained tremendous international recognition by achieving an excellent performance in a variety of international sport competitions and hosting numerous mega-sporting events. Although success in elite sport (i.e. Development of Sport approach) has contributed to making South Korea one of the sport powerhouses in the world, South Korea has paid very little attention to the role that sport can play as a tool for social and personal development (i.e. Development through Sport approach). Similarly, scholars also paid little attention to the ‘development through sport’ approach in South Korea while predominantly focusing their attention in taking the ‘development of sport’ approach. In recent years, however, the South Korean government has begun to show interest in the ‘development through sport’ approach to become a truly advanced sporting nation. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to explore how South Korea's paradigm in sport has historically shifted from ‘development of sport’ to ‘development through sport’ in its socio-political context.     

Aspiration and Reflection: Sport Historians on Sport History

Abstract

Following the series of Presidential Forum conversation pieces instigated by Kevin Wamsley on the NASSH website, this piece places the context of the collection of comments and criticisms by 29 contributors to this special issue on sport historians reflecting on the field of sport history.     

Playing up to Precarity; Or,the Lost Generation

Abstract

This article considers the development of an academic precariat and its impact on sport history. It discusses the author’s own experiences as a sport historian and the impact of academic unemployment on a generation of would-be sport historians. It argues that not only is there an academic precariat within sport history but that this is the result of internal and external factors. Externally it reflects the challenges to the academy from market reforms and the neo-liberalization of the academic world, and internally it reflects the failure of senior academics to resist those reforms thereby allowing junior colleagues to take the full force of their impact. The result is a lost generation of sport historians.     

An Alumni Oriented Approach to Sport Management Curriculum Design Using Performance Ratings and a Regression Model

Abstract

Current methods employed for curriculum design fail to integrate the work demands placed on graduates of professional preparation programs. This is especially true of curricula which are designed using traditional and expert strategies. As an alternative, this present investigation proposes an alumni-based model to curriculum design. The alumni-based model relies on the assessment of curriculum by alumni. In addition, the alumni model utilizes performance ratings of employers and measures of satisfaction by alumni in a regression model to identify curricula leading to increased work performance and satisfaction. This model was tested with sport management alumni from the major sport management preparation programs. Surveys were sent to sport management alumni to assess their graduate training and work satisfaction. Surveys were also sent to employers of these graduates to assess sport manager performance. The regression analysis revealed that alternative curricular designs relate to manager performance and worker satisfaction. Results of the regression model and implications for sport management curriculum are discussed.     

Small Nation,Big Sport: Basque Ball – Its Past and Present Cultural Meanings for the Basques

Abstract

The Basques are a nation living in the Basque Country – a territory that is divided between two states – France and Spain. Isolated in the mountainous terrain they have preserved their original culture and collective identity. However, they still need to struggle for recognition, using some elements of their own culture to promote their identity and reject their status as a peripheral region of Spain or France. One of such elements is sport, especially so-called ‘traditional sports’ which this nation has preserved over centuries. The aim of this paper is thus to analyze one example of such a sport – Basque ball and its historical and present situation, connections with other elements of culture and its socio-cultural importance for the Basques.     

Childhood practice and play as determinants of adolescent intrinsic and extrinsic motivation among elite youth athletes

Abstract

The study empirically tested the postulate of the Developmental Model of Sport Participation (DMSP; Côté, J., Baker, J., & Abernethy, B. (2007). Practice and play in the development of sport expertise. In R. Eklund & G. Tenenbaum (Eds.), Handbook of sport psychology (pp. 184–202). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley) that diversified childhood self-led sport play will beneficially affect future, adolescent intrinsic motivation. Participants were 178 elite youth athletes (age 15.3?±?1.5 years) from several game and non-game sports; 117 were members of the federal state or national junior squad in their respective sport. A questionnaire measured current (adolescent) intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of the youth athletes using the Sport Motivation Scale (Pelletier, L. G., Fortier, M. S., Vallerand, R. J., Tuson, K. M., Brière, N. M., & Blais, M. R. (1995). Towards a new measure of intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation in sports: The sport motivation scale (SMS). Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 17, 35–53) and their earlier volume of childhood engagement (through 12 years) in coach-led practice and self-led play in their respective main sport and other sports. Analyses revealed that adolescent intrinsic motivation was not significantly correlated with earlier childhood self-led sport activities, self-led play in particular, or childhood sports diversification. Furthermore, considering all different types of childhood sport activities together in multiple regression analyses, they did not provide meaningful explanatory power regarding adolescent intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. In summary, the results did not provide support for the postulate of the DMSP among elite youth athletes. The findings suggest that future research may seek to enable more robust empirical substantiation of the DMSP postulate.     

School sports and identity formation: Socialisation or selection?

Abstract

It seems common knowledge that school sport participation leads to all kinds of social, educational and health outcomes. However, it may also be that students with a certain predisposition, sometimes referred to as sporting habitus, are more inclined to participate in school sports and that the ‘outcomes’ were already present before participation. Several studies indicated that identity formation mediates between sport participation and the outcomes described. Therefore, a longitudinal survey study was used to investigate whether participation in an elementary school sport competition brought about changes in the formation of sport identity and student identity of students. The results of the study showed that participation in the competition was not related to changes in the sport identity and student identity of the children. In contrast to commonplace assumptions about the socialising effects of school sport participation, the results indicate that participating in this school sport competition did not influence the student identity and sport identity of children. It may be that a selected, predisposed group of children with a strong sport identity participates in school sports, although future research is necessary to test this hypothesis.