This book explores the historical development of coaching traditions across Europe, placing national approaches to coaching within their cultural and political context.Sports coaching is a social practice that has been shaped by its cultural context, resulting in different countries being characterized by different coaching traditions. By helping us to understand the history of coaching across Europe, this book allows us to better understand both the history of sport and the cultur...

This book explores how different constituencies influenced the development of nineteenth-century swimming in England, and highlights the central role played by swimming professors. These professionals were influential in inspiring participation in swimming, particularly among women, well before the amateur community created the Amateur Swimming Association, and this volume outlines some key life-courses to illustrate their working practices. Female exhibitors were important to professors a...

The process of converting the ‘past’ into ‘history’ involves engagement with a multitude of different sources and methods, and sports historians inevitably participate in the same debates over approaches and methodologies as their counterparts in other historical disciplines. At its heart, history remains a genre of empirical knowledge that is based upon the remains of the past, and without suitable evidence, there can be no sports history. A burgeoning range of sources has stimulated new ...

At the London Olympics in 2012 Team GB achieved a third place finish in the medals table. A key factor in this achievement was the high standard of contemporary British sports coaching. But how has British sports coaching transitioned from the amateur to the professional, and what can the hitherto under-explored history of sports coaching in Britain tell us about both the early history of sport and about contemporary coaching practice? A History of Sports Coaching in Britain is th...

The definitive, fully authorised story of the record-breaking rivalry between London Olympics organiser Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett.Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe presided over the golden era of British athletics. Between them they won three Olympic gold medals, two silvers, one bronze and broke a total of twelve middle-distance records. They were part of the landscape of the late seventies and early eighties -- both household names, their exploits were watched by...

Foreword by Richard Hytner, Deputy Chairman, Saatchi & Saatchi WorldwideWe’ve all worked with one-a smart and immensely talented individual who brings enormous value to the organization. The problem? He’s an awful teammate.So as a leader, do you consider this key player toxic or irreplaceable?There Is an I in Team explores the relationship between individual and team-asking the question, How can we harness the talent of individual performer...

Words of wisdom from Ron Barassi providing motivation and inspiration to forge success and satisfaction in sport and in life.Ron Barassi is an iconic figure in Australian sporting culture, with a record of personal and team success that is unrivalled. Beyond sport, he has become a greatly respected elder in our broader society.In Wisdom, he shares with us 31 maxims and quotations that he has collected and which have been integral in forging that reputation....

As an institution that helps bind Canadians to an imagined community, hockey has long been associated with an essential Canadian identity. However, this reductionism ignores the ways Canadians consume hockey differently based on their socio-economic background, gender, ethnicity, and location. Moreover, Canadian culture is not static, and hockey's place in it has evolved and changed.In Coast to Coast, a wide range of contributors examine the historical development of hocke...

English football is in a state of crisis. It has been almost 50 years since England made the final of a major championship and the national sides, at all levels, continue to disappoint and underperform. Yet no-one appears to know how to improve the situation.In The Way Forward, football coach Matthew Whitehouse examines the causes of English football's decline and offers a number of areas where change and improvement need to be implemented immediately. With a keen focus and passion...

Celtic: A Biography in Nine Lives, takes its structure from nine key individuals associated with the club since its inception, and touches on aspects of that person's life to explore key themes in the club's history. From John Glass, their tenacious first President and Willie Maley, who played in Celtic's first match against Rangers in 1888, to the legendary Jock Stein, who led the club to European glory in 1967 and Martin O'Neill, the most popular and successful ...

A journey through the history, culture, and mystique of tennis from "an original and provocative mind" ( The Wall Street Journal).If you've watched Rafael Nadal spin a forehand at 4000 rpm, Maria Sharapova arabesque out of a serve, Serena Williams utterly destroy a short ball, or Roger Federer touch a volley into an impossibly angled winner, you know how exciting tennis can be. This book reveals the long history and unique culture behind the sport. With a p...

Contributors include Julian Ammirante (Laurentian University at Georgian) Jason Blake (University of Ljubljana Slovenia) Robert Dennis (Queen's University) Jamie Dopp (University of Victoria) Russell Field (University of Manitoba) Greg Gillespie (Brock University) Richard Harrison (Mount Royal College) Craig Hyatt (Brock University) Brian Kennedy (Pasadena City College) Karen E.H. Skinazi (University of Alberta) and Julie Stevens (Brock University).From the book:The Giller Prize-winning ...