Kicking Goals

By Tony Ward

For many Australians, there are two great passions: sport and ‘taking the piss’. This book is about national identity – and especially about Australia’s image as a sporting country. Whether reverent or not, any successful national image has to reflect something about the reality of the country. But it is also influenced by the reasons that people have for encouraging particular images – and by the conflicts between differing views of national identity, and of sport.

Buffeted by these elements, both the extent of Australian sports madness and the level of stirring have varied considerably over time. While many refer to long-lasting factors, such as the amount of sunshine, this book argues that the ebb and flow of sporting images are strongly linked to current views of national identity. Starting from Archer’s win in the first Melbourne Cup in 1861, it traces the importance of trade unions in the formation of Australian Rules, the success of a small rural town in holding one of the world’s foremost running races, and the win-from-behind of a fat arsed wombat knocking off the official mascots of Sydney 2000.

This book was based on a special issue of Soccer and Society.

ISBN: 9780415565202

Published March 05 2010 by Routledge.

Edited by Mark Stephen Nesti, Jim Parry, Nick Watson

This multidisciplinary volume examines the relationship between sport and spirituality/religion. Contributors explore the intersections between sport and prayer, sin and evil, zen, ethical and spiritual concerns, and sectarianism.

ISBN: 9780415878517

Published March 01 2010 by Routledge.

By Paul E. Robinson

Athletes and sports people at all levels rely on their coaches for advice, guidance and support. Foundations of Sports Coaching is a comprehensive introduction to the practical, vocational and scientific principles that underpin the sports coaching process. It provides the student of sports coaching with all the skills, knowledge and scientific background they will need to prepare athletes and sports people technically, tactically, physically and mentally. With practical coaching tips, techniques and tactics highlighted throughout, the book covers all the key components of a foundation course in sports coaching, including:

• the development of sports coaching as a profession
• coaching styles and technique
• planning and management
• basic principles of anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, and psychology
• fundamentals of training and fitness
• performance analysis
• reflective practice in coaching.

Including international case-studies throughout and examples from top-level sport in every chapter, Foundations of Sports Coaching helps to bridge the gap between coaching theory and practice. This book is essential reading for all students of sports coaching and for any practising sports coach looking to develop and extend their coaching expertize.

ISBN: 9780415469715

Published February 22 2010 by Routledge.

Towards a Philosophy of Sport for All

By Henning Eichberg

Sport has gained increasing importance for welfare society. In this process, however, the term of ‘sport’ has become less and less clear. Larger parts of what nowadays is called ‘Sport for all’ are non-competitive and derived from traditions of gymnastics, dance, festivity, games, outdoor activities, and physical training rather than from classical modern elite sports. This requires new philosophical approaches, as the philosophy of sport, so far, has been dominated by topics of elite sports.

Based on Scandinavian experiences, the book presents studies about festivities of sport, outdoor activities, song and movement, and play and game. The engagement of elderly people challenges sports. Games get political significance in international cooperation, for peace culture and as means against poverty (in Africa). The empirical studies result in philosophical analyses on the recognition of folk practice in education and on relations between identity and recognition.

The study of ‘Sport for all’ opens up for new ways of phenomenological knowledge, moving bottom-up from sport to the philosophy of "the individual", of event, of nature, and of human energy. Popular sports give inspiration to a philosophy of practice as well as to a phenomenological understanding of ‘the people’, of civil society and the ‘demos’ of democracy – as folk in movement.

This book was published as a special issue in Sport, Ethics and Philosophy.

ISBN: 9780415559331

Published February 22 2010 by Routledge.

By Derrick Chong

The second edition of Arts Management has been thoroughly revised to provide an updated, comprehensive overview of this fast-changing subject. Arts managers and students alike are offered a lively, sophisticated insight into the artistic, managerial and social responsibilities necessary for those working in the field.

With new cases studies and several new chapters, Derrick Chong takes an interdisciplinary approach in examining some of the main impulses informing discussions on the management of arts and cultural organizations. These are highly charged debates, since arts managers are expected to reconcile managerial, economic and aesthetic objectives. Topics include:

• arts and the State, with reference to the instrumentalism of the arts and culture
• business and the arts
• ownership and control of arts organizations
• arts consumption and consumers, including audience development and arts marketing
• managing for excellence and artistic integrity
• financial investing in the arts, namely fine arts funds and theatre angels
• philosophies of philanthropy

Incorporating a deliberately diverse range of sources, Arts Management is essential reading for students on arts management courses and provides valuable insights for managers already facing the management challenges of this field.

ISBN: 9780415423908

Published December 21 2009 by Routledge.

Edited by S.W. Pope, John Nauright

The field of sports history is no longer a fledgling area of study. There is a great vitality in the field and it has matured dramatically over the past decade. Reflecting changes to traditional approaches, sport historians need now to engage with contemporary debates about history, to be encouraged to position themselves and their methodologies in relation to current epistemological issues, and to promote the importance of reflecting on the literary or poetic dimensions of producing history. These contemporary developments, along with a wealth of international research from a range of theoretical perspectives, provide the backdrop to the new Routledge Companion to Sports History.

This book provides a comprehensive guide to the international field of sports history as it has developed as an academic area of study. Readers are guided through the development of the field across a range of thematic and geographical contexts and are introduced to the latest cutting edge approaches within the field. Including contributions from many of the world’s leading sports historians, the Routledge Companion to Sports History is the most important single volume for researchers and students in, and entering, the sports history field. It is an essential guide to contemporary research themes, to new ways of doing sports history, and to the theoretical and methodological foundations of this most fascinating of subjects.

ISBN: 9780415773393

Published December 17 2009 by Routledge.

By Peter O'Donoghue

Modern techniques of sports performance analysis enable the sport scientist, coach and athlete to objectively assess, and therefore improve upon, sporting performance. They are an important tool for any serious practitioner in sport and, as a result, performance analysis has become a key component of degree programmes in sport science and sports coaching.

Research Methods for Sports Performance Analysis explains how to undertake a research project in performance analysis including:

• selection and specification of a research topic
• the research proposal
• gaining ethical approval for a study
• developing a performance analysis system
• testing a system for reliability
• analysing and discussing data
• writing up results.

Covering the full research cycle and clearly introducing the key themes and issues in contemporary performance analysis, this is the only book that sports students will need to support a research project in performance analysis, from undergraduate dissertation to doctoral thesis. Including case studies, examples and data throughout, this book is essential reading for any student or practitioner with an interest in performance analysis, sports coaching or applied sport science.

ISBN: 9780415496223

Published December 14 2009 by Routledge.

An Epistemology of Sport

By Graham McFee

The study of sport is characterised by its inter-disciplinarity, with researchers drawing on apparently incompatible research traditions and ethical benchmarks in the natural sciences and the social sciences, depending on their area of specialisation. In this groundbreaking study, Graham McFee argues that sound high-level research into sport requires a sound rationale for one’s methodological choices, and that such a rationale requires an understanding of the connection between the practicalities of researching sport and the philosophical assumptions which underpin them.

By examining touchstone principles in research methodology, such as the contested ‘gold standard’ of voluntary informed consent in the natural sciences and the postmodern denial of ‘truth’ in the social sciences, McFee demonstrates that epistemology and ethics are inextricably linked. Drawing on a wide range of examples, from the laboratory to the sports field, McFee explores the concepts of ‘knowledge’ and ‘truth’ in sports research and makes a powerful case for a philosophical deepening of our approach to method and methodology in sport. This book is important reading for all advanced students and researchers working in sport, exercise and related disciplines.

ISBN: 9780415493147

Published December 10 2009 by Routledge.

By Chris Gratton, Ian Jones

This comprehensive, accessible and practical textbook provides a complete grounding in both qualitative and quantitative research methods for the sports studies student. The book offers the reader a step-by-step guide to the research process, from designing a research project, to collecting and analyzing data, to reporting the research, and is richly illustrated throughout with sport-related case-studies and examples from around the world. Now in a fully revised and updated new edition, the book covers key topics such as:

• choosing an appropriate research design
• undertaking a literature review
• key research techniques, including questionnaires, interviews, content analysis and ethnographic studies
• data analysis, including an introduction to SPSS, as well as guides to descriptive and inferential statistics
• writing a research report
• ethical issues in sports research.

Research Methods in Sports Studies is designed to be a complete and self-contained companion to any research methods course and contains a wealth of useful features, such as highlighted definitions of key terms, revision questions, practical research exercises, and a companion website with web links, multiple choice questions, powerpoint slides, and other learning resources. The book is also an invaluable reference for any student undertaking a dissertation or research project as part of their studies.

Visit the companion website at: www.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415493932

ISBN: 9780415493925

Published December 01 2009 by Routledge.

Edited by Mike Collins

Sports development takes place in continually evolving – and expanding – territory. If new policies are to be implemented effectively, it is vital to understand how development policy translates into the real world. Until now no single text has examined how sports development policies are implemented and experienced ‘at the coal face’ of community and performance sport.

As well as critical analysis of models and concepts in sports development, Examining Sports Development presents original case studies from practising sports development professionals working in a variety of areas, including:

• national and regional policy
• school sport
• talent identification and development
• sports club development
• coach development
• sport and social inclusion
• sports and crime prevention
• sports and health promotion.

Sports development is evolving as a profession, especially in matters of education and training. This book encourages critical reflection, pointing the way to accountable policymaking and a long-term future for sports development professionals. It is essential reading for all students and practitioners working in sports development.

ISBN: 9780415339896

Published November 23 2009 by Routledge.