The Athlete S Dilemma

This book examines the health-related controversies and scandals that plague America’s top spectator sports. It covers such issues as the use of performance-enhancing substances, playing through pain, the abuse of pain medicine, playing with concussions, and why athletes take these unhealthy risks in the pursuit of profit and fame.

In virtually every sport in which they are given opportunity to compete, people of African descent dominate. East Africans own every distance running record. Professional sports in the Americas are dominated by men and women of West African descent. Why have blacks come to dominate sports? Are they somehow physically better? And why are we so uncomfortable when we discuss this? Drawing on the latest scientific research, journalist Jon Entine makes an irrefutable case for black athletic superiority. We learn how scientists have used numerous, bogus "scientific" methods to prove that blacks were either more or less superior physically, and how racist scientists have often equated physical prowess with intellectual deficiency. Entine recalls the long, hard road to integration, both on the field and in society. And he shows why it isn't just being black that matters—it makes a huge difference as to where in Africa your ancestors are from.Equal parts sports, science and examination of why this topic is so sensitive, Taboois a book that will spark national debate.

The proliferation of digital technologies, virtual spaces, and new forms of engagement raise key questions about the changing nature of gender relations and identities within democratic societies. This book offers a unique collection of chapters that brings together scholars from diverse backgrounds to explore how gender experiences and identities are being transformed by digital technologies in ways that affirm or deny social justice.

Souled Out? That's the question author Shaun Powell poses and ultimately answers with regard to the nature of blacks' participation in American sports. Neither blacks nor whites—athletes, coaches, administrators, owners, media, parents, and yes, even fans—are without blame for race still being an issue in the athletic arena. And Powell, perhaps like you, is fed up with the excuses. Souled Out? boldly addresses the following dilemmas and more: -Do today's black athletes and coaches have the purpose to follow the leads of pioneers like Jackie Robinson, Althea Gibson, Robert Johnson, or Tony Dungy? -Is Muhammad Ali's great legacy being misused to justify the behavior of today's prima donnas and their preconceived, self-centered celebrations? -Why, with tremendous models like Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Venus and Serena Williams, and Candace Parker, is black female participation not more encouraged across a wide array of sports? -Are portrayals of professional black athletes, centered on gaining luxury possessions and material wealth rather than giving back to the community, ensuring that a me-first mind-set carries over to the next generation of athletes? -Will more blacks break through the glass ceiling in coaching and sports management positions to achieve strong decision-making roles? -Can negative attitudes about race, held by segments inside and outside the black community, be overcome so that faster and enduring progress can be made in the future? Powell's answers will surprise, anger, please, and—most of all—challenge you.

Leadership, the practice of focusing and motivating a group or organization to achieve its aims, is a much discussed but often misunderstood concept. This comprehensive textbook introduces the subject for Masters level students. Readers are invited to make a series of metaphorical journeys of discovery, thematically organized around fundamental dilemmas within the field of leadership studies. Building on the success of previous editions, the text uses a simple map-based approach to consider dilemmas such as: Is a leader born or made? How are tensions between ethical dilemmas and economic self-interest resolved? How does a leader's desire for control balance with the need to empower members of the organization? This third edition contains a brand new chapter on leadership in sport, an enhanced chapter on creativity, and more international content. Also new to this edition is a companion website containing PowerPoint slides, revision quizzes and a tutor’s guide. This text will be essential reading for Masters and MBA students on leadership courses, and will also be illuminating for managers pursuing leadership development.

Do American youths have heroes? Has the seeming loss of American society's shared values turned heroes into shallow celebrities? Or does the popularity of sport figures prove that heroes are viable? This text examines both sides of the debate. It asks questions such as: which societal institutions are sources of hero choices for youths?; how do gender, race and age affect hero choices?; what are the characteristics of heroes?; and do athletic heroes still exist?

A study of the ethical dilemnas of producing high performance athletes through use of technology, using Founcault's work on disciplinary power as a theoretical framework.

This is the first book to draw together cutting-edge research on the psychological processes underlying doping use in sport and exercise, thereby filling an important gap in our understanding of this centrally important issue in contemporary sport. Covering diverse areas of psychology such as social cognition, automatic and controlled processes, moral decision-making, and societal and contextual influence on behaviour, the book also explores methodological considerations surrounding doping assessment in psychological research as well as future directions for evidence-based preventive interventions and anti-doping education. Written by a team of leading international researchers from countries including the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, Greece, Germany, Italy, Denmark and Ireland, the book integrates empirical findings with theoretical guidance for future psychological research on doping, and illuminates the challenges, needs and priorities in contemporary doping prevention. It is important reading for advanced students and researchers in sport and exercise science, sport management and sport policy, and will open up new perspectives for professional coaches, sports administrators, policy makers and sport medicine specialists looking to better understand the doping behaviours of athletes in sport.