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Sports Science: A complete introduction
by Simon ReaHuman beings have always sought ways to gain a competitive edge over their opponents, but sports science is a relatively young discipline. So what is it all about, and how can it help athletes perform better?Sports science is the application of scientific principles to explain sporting phenomena and provide a basis for improving the performance of teams and individuals. In this comprehensive yet easy-to-use introduction, you will learn everything you need to know about it in one place, including the key research and current knowledge, providing you with a well-informed starting point in your study of this fascinating subject. The focus of the book is on the three disciplines of biomechanics, physiology and psychology:- Biomechanics: using mechanical principles to understand human movement and how the human body interacts with equipment and apparatus- Physiology: using biological sciences to investigate how the body responds to exercise and training- Psychology: using psychological principles to provide answers to questions about human behaviour in sports settingsThis new edition has been updated to include case studies to show what you can do with a sports science degree and advice on how to prepare for careers where sports science knowledge is used. It includes chapters on the key systems in the body - skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular and nervous - as well as covering sports nutrition and planning research in sport.Whether you are a student, interested in sport and sport performance as a professional practice, or involved in sport at any level, Sports Science: A complete introduction is your go-to guide.
Springwatch: Great British Walks
by Luke Waterson100 wildlife walks through our beautiful British countryside. The beautiful countryside and intimate wildlife stories explored in Springwatch have inspired viewers to get outside and reconnect with the natural world for almost 20 years. Now this new practical compendium will help you go further, bringing together the most scenic walks and diverse wildlife from around Britain. Covering every region in the UK, it includes a range of easy strolls and more challenging hikes for every level of walker, each featuring wildlife unique to the area: from white-tailed eagles on the Isle of Mull and red squirrels in Northumberland, to grey seals in Devon, bottlenose dolphins along the Welsh coast and sparrowhawks in Northern Ireland. Detailed descriptions of routes, specially-commissioned maps and easy-to-follow practical information ensure you have everything you need to set out on these walks yourself, with tips on spotting flora and fauna, with a key species selected for each walk across the country.With a foreword by Chris Packham, and beautiful line art throughout, whether you feel like wandering through a bluebell wood or enjoying the sea breeze on a dramatic coastal path, Springwatch: Great British Walks has something for every season - and it's all just outside your door.
Stealing Home: The MUST-READ, grumpy sunshine sports romance and TikTok sensation! (Beyond the Play #3)
by Grace ReillyDiscover your new TikTok obsession, a reverse grumpy x sunshine college baseball sports romance - with plenty of steamy encounters! Perfect for fans of Hannah Grace, Lucy Score and Elsie Silver.-----How can I focus on baseball, when I'm falling for my gorgeous, grumpy roommate . . .?SebastianIt's my final season to prove myself before the MLB Draft. The last thing I need is a distraction -especially not one as tantalising as Mia di Angelo. She's the drop-dead gorgeous astrophysicist-in-training who ditched me the moment I wanted to take us from casual to committed. But when she needs somewhere to stay for the summer . . . I can't help but offer her my place.Being roommates can't be that hard, can it . . .?MiaI have two goals this summer: get into a study abroad program and get over baseball god Sebastian Miller-Callahan. It's not easy to stop thinking about him, but he deserves better than a prickly, career-focused girl like me. And the last thing I need is to play roommates with the only man who can set my body ablaze, when our futures could not be more different.But why do all the feelings I pretend that I never had come rushing back, far too strong for either of us to ignore . . .?-----READERS HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH STEALING HOME:'Fun, heartfelt and so so sexy' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real Reader Review'5 FREAKING STARS! Grace did it yet again!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real Reader Review'Mia and Seb are definitely my new favourite Beyond the Play couple' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real Reader Review'I don't think words can describe the love I have for this book and this series' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real Reader Review
Stealing Home: A Novel (Beyond the Play #3)
by Grace ReillyA can’t-miss BookTok favorite, reverse grumpy/sunshine forced-proximity college sports romance, third in the Beyond the Play series—with new exclusive content in this edition!I should be focusing on my game—not on falling for my gorgeous, grumpy roommate…especially since she’s already left me once.SebastianIt’s my final season to prove myself before the MLB draft. The last thing I need is a distraction—and especially not one as tantalizing as Mia di Angelo.She’s the drop-dead gorgeous astrophysicist-in-training who ditched me the moment I wanted to take us from casual to committed. Yeah. Ouch. But when she needs somewhere to stay for the summer… well, I offer her my place.Being roommates shouldn’t be so hard. Not distracting at all. Not the least bit challenging…MiaI have two goals this summer: get into a study abroad program and get over golden baseball god Sebastian Miller-Callahan.Doesn’t mean it’s easy to stop thinking about him, but he deserves better than a prickly, career-focused girl like me. Our futures can’t be more different. The last thing I need is to play roommates with the only man who can set my body ablaze.And all the feelings I’ve tried to pretend I never had? They come rushing back far too strong for either of us to ignore.Filled with swoons, spice, sports, and second chances, Stealing Home is a don’t-miss adult college sports romance.
Steph Curry: Life Lessons from a Legend (Life Lessons from a Legend)
by Sean Deveney“Every time I rise up, I have confidence that I’m going to make it.“From the smallest kid on every team to the game-changing, record-breaking NBA All-Star he is today, Steph Curry’s journey to stardom is a master class in excellence. Bolstered by what he calls his irrational confidence, the “baby-faced assassin” shattered expectations and accrued millions of fans as he led the Golden State Warriors to championship after championship, garnered multiple MVP awards, and emerged as the greatest 3-point shooter of all time. Steph Curry: Life Lessons from a Legend gives you courtside seats to the incredible highs and lows of his phenomenal career.- Inspiring quotes from Curry himself - A biographical look at Curry’s early years, his rise to fame, and his most spectacular achievements - Original full-color art that captures the spirit of a champion - Guiding truths and hard-earned lessons to help you crush your own goals
Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes
by Stephen A. SmithAmerica&’s most popular sports media figure tells it like it is in this &“raw, deeply authentic, and immensely entertaining&” (Bob Iger, #1 New York Times bestselling author and CEO of The Walt Disney Company) book, not only dishing out his signature, uninhibited opinions but also revealing the challenges he overcame in childhood as well as at ESPN.Stephen A. Smith has never been handed anything, nor was he an overnight success. Growing up poor in Queens, the son of Caribbean immigrants and the youngest of six children, he was a sports-obsessed kid who faced struggles, from undiagnosed dyslexia to getting enough cereal to fill his bowl. As a basketball player at Winston-Salem State University, he got a glimmer of his true calling when he wrote a newspaper column arguing for the retirement of his own Hall of Fame coach, Clarence Gaines. Smith hustled and rose up from a reporter on the high school beat at Daily News (New York) to a general sports columnist at The Philadelphia Inquirer before getting his own show at ESPN in 2005. After he was unceremoniously fired from the network in 2009, he became even more determined to fight for success. He got himself rehired two years later and, with his razor-sharp intelligence and fearless debate style, found the show he was destined to star in: First Take, the network&’s flagship morning program. In Straight Shooter, Smith writes about the greatest highs and deepest lows of his life and career. He gives his thoughts on Skip Bayless, Ray Rice, Colin Kaepernick, the New York Knicks, the Dallas Cowboys, and former President Donald Trump. But he also pulls back the curtain and talks about life beyond the set, sharing authentic stories about his negligent father, his loving mother, being a father himself, his battle with life-threatening COVID-19, and what he really thinks about politics and social issues. He does it all with the same intelligence, humor, and charm that has made him a household name. A provocative and moving &“blueprint of tenacity&” (Fat Joe), this book is the perfect gift for lovers of sports, television, and anyone who likes their stories delivered straight to the heart.
Strong Women: Inspirational athletes at the top of their game
by Suzanne WrackOverpower. Overtake. Overcome. – Serena WilliamsThroughout history, every woman pulling on spikes, lacing up boots and picking up a racquet has been a rebel – and this explosive book aims to uncover the often hidden histories behind 50 of these incredible pioneers.From the first Black woman to be a professional softball player, Betty Chapman, to the iconic 'Battle of the Sexes' match won by Billie Jean King, and from trans trailblazer Laurel Hubbard to Emma Raducanu's unforgettable US Open win, award-winning sports journalist Suzanne Wrack celebrates sporting giants at the absolute top of their games.
Strong Women: Inspirational athletes at the top of their game
by Suzanne WrackOverpower. Overtake. Overcome. – Serena WilliamsThroughout history, every woman pulling on spikes, lacing up boots and picking up a racquet has been a rebel – and this explosive book aims to uncover the often hidden histories behind 50 of these incredible pioneers.From the first Black woman to be a professional softball player, Betty Chapman, to the iconic 'Battle of the Sexes' match won by Billie Jean King, and from trans trailblazer Laurel Hubbard to Emma Raducanu's unforgettable US Open win, award-winning sports journalist Suzanne Wrack celebrates sporting giants at the absolute top of their games.
Stuart Broad: PRE-ORDER HIS MUST-READ AUTOBIOGRAPHY NOW
by Stuart BroadPre-order the must-read sports autobiography of 2023THE SWING. THE SEAM. THE STORY. __________ Stuart Broad is the ultimate competitor - someone addicted to the pressures of Test cricket, the big occasions and being thrust into the heat of battle. For over seventeen years, he's left it all on the field. A multiple Ashes winner and World Champion, Broad was integral to some of the greatest England teams of all time. His awards and achievements, however, don't tell the whole story. He has always been a cricketer of more than mere numbers. Broad's passionate and spontaneous behaviour has made him a fan favourite. No other player feeds off the crowd quite like he does. In his autobiography, Broad shares the moments from the game which have made him and those that almost broke him. What's clear, however, is his unwavering belief in his own ability to become one of the best ever. Candid, entertaining, and refreshingly honest, this book reveals the personal side of a true cricketing great. __________ 'The longevity of his career, and what he has achieved, should never be forgotten' Ben Stokes 'He loves the big moments, the pressure situations. That's a true sign of a champion, I think. He's been incredible for England for a long, long time' Glen McGrath 'Stuart Broad is the ultimate Ashes warrior' Ricky Ponting 'One of England's greatest players of all time' Joe Root
Stuart Broad: THE MUST-READ SPORTS AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 2023
by Stuart BroadOut now: the must-read sports autobiography of 2023THE SWING. THE SEAM. THE STORY. __________ Stuart Broad is the ultimate competitor - someone addicted to the pressures of Test cricket, the big occasions and being thrust into the heat of battle. For over seventeen years, he's left it all on the field. A multiple Ashes winner and World Champion, Broad was integral to some of the greatest England teams of all time. His awards and achievements, however, don't tell the whole story. He has always been a cricketer of more than mere numbers. Broad's passionate and spontaneous behaviour has made him a fan favourite. No other player feeds off the crowd quite like he does. In his autobiography, Broad shares the moments from the game which have made him and those that almost broke him. What's clear, however, is his unwavering belief in his own ability to become one of the best ever. Candid, entertaining, and refreshingly honest, this book reveals the personal side of a true cricketing great. __________ 'The longevity of his career, and what he has achieved, should never be forgotten' Ben Stokes 'He loves the big moments, the pressure situations. That's a true sign of a champion, I think. He's been incredible for England for a long, long time' Glen McGrath 'Stuart Broad is the ultimate Ashes warrior' Ricky Ponting 'One of England's greatest players of all time' Joe Root
Surgical Management of Knee Arthritis: Advances in Technique and Technology
by Savyasachi C. ThakkarThe field of adult reconstructive surgery for the treatment of knee arthritis is rapidly advancing. Several paradigms associated with the management of knee arthritis are being challenged and debated, and currently, there is no arthroplasty text available that bridges knee alignment options with various implant choices and technological advances available to the knee arthroplasty surgeon. This book focuses on exploring the current technical and technological advances in the surgical management of knee arthritis. It covers various implant options for partial knee replacements (UKA) and primary and revision total knee replacements (TKA) along with various technological advances such as navigation, robotics, patient-specific instrumentation, pressure sensing tibial trays, and customized implants. It also explores surgical algorithms associated with kinematic alignment, mechanical alignment and revision scenarios with soft-tissue and bony defects. A truly international editorship and authorship ensures a wide variety of opinions and approaches from around the world. Generously illustrated with intraoperative photographs, Surgical Management of Knee Arthritis presents the latest, cutting-edge techniques and technologies on the market for orthopedic surgeons, residents and fellows.
Surgical Rationales in Functional Reconstructive Surgery of the Upper Extremity
by Jörg BahmThis book develops and describes surgical rationales in the field of reconstructive surgery for upper limb function, both in children and adults suffering from various diseases or trauma leading to a variety of motor and sensory impairments, sometimes associated with growth-related deformities. Every surgical career is a unique living story of learning, performing, questioning, trial and error, and finally success. Every surgeon has to integrate a wealth of information regarding ongoing clinical and research work in a range of disciplines; and with time and experience, a surgical rationale is developed that serves as a baseline and support for their day-to-day work.Following a structure starting with the patient’s needs, the surgeon and the training, the different tissues are addressed and their pathophysiology discussed in detail, including basic research and surgical expertise. The book is not a surgical compendium, but instead focuses on the detailed baseline behind day-to-day clinical examinations, functional evaluations and surgical work. Readers will learn how the tissues interact, how pathologies change them and interfere with their functions, and how to reverse the pathophysiological sequence by surgical-technical means to improve function.Although the book presents the author’s personal views, all aspects are explained and debated on the basis of past and current clinical findings, ongoing basic research and input from other disciplines: readers may disagree with certain points, but choose to implement some of the rationales and priorities, incorporate findings from fields they’d never previously explored, or investigate them further.This book offers an extensive framework of argumentation and is intended to inspire and support readers in terms of decision-making and understanding current or uncommon procedures. Practitioners in the fields of peripheral nerve surgery, reconstructive plastic surgery, upper limb orthopedics, neuropediactrics, biomechanics, physiotherapy and ergotherapy will find the book a valuable asset, and a trusted companion in the daily quest to improve patient care!
Surviving to Drive: A Year Inside Formula 1: An F1 Book
by Guenther Steiner#1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER • A high-octane, no-holds-barred account of a year inside Formula 1 from Haas team principal Guenther Steiner, star of Drive to Survive, one of the most successful Netflix series of all time&“People talk about football managers being under pressure. Trust me, that's nothing. Pressure is watching one of your drivers hit a barrier at 190mph and exploding before your eyes...&”In Surviving to Drive, Haas team principal Guenther Steiner brings readers inside his Formula 1 team for the entirety of the 2022 season, giving an unobstructed view of what really takes place behind the scenes. Through this unique lens, Steiner guides readers on the thrilling rollercoaster of life at the heart of high-stakes motor racing. Packed full of twists and turns, from pre-season preparations to hiring and firing drivers, from the design, launch, and testing of a car to the race calendar itself–Surviving to Drive is the first time that an Formula 1 team has allowed an acting team principal to tell the full story of a whole season.Uncompromising and searingly honest, told in Steiner's inimitable style, Surviving to Drive is a fascinating and hugely entertaining account of the realities of running a Formula 1 team.
Sustainable Football: Environmental Management in Practice (Routledge Research in Sustainability and Business)
by Luca Marrucci Tiberio Daddi Fabio IraldoThis book provides a comprehensive, up-to-date overview of the different environmental strategies adopted in the football world to foster sustainability. The authors lay out useful insights, both for scholars and practitioners, to improve good governance in football organisations by empowering environmental organisational and operational actions. As well as examining practical methods of implementing green initiatives, the book discusses their added value from different perspectives including football fans, football managers and policymakers. By identifying the most important green actions for the dissemination of environmentally friendly behaviours at both individual and organisational levels, the book demonstrates how football organisations can use operational and organisational methods to develop an environmental sustainability strategy. The book contributes to developing the role of the football world by covering different facets of sustainability such as the circular economy, climate change, green marketing, fans engagement and more. It will be a valuable resource for scholars and students of environmental management, sustainable business and corporate social responsibility, as well as professionals working in the football industry.
The Swimmer: The Wild Life of Roger Deakin
by Patrick BarkhamBEST BOOK OF 2023 ACCORDING TO THE NEWSTATESMAN AND OBSERVER'The Swimmer is a wonderful, original achievement; teeming with stories, glittering with images, and experimental in form and tone' Robert MacfarlaneRoger Deakin, author of the immortal Waterlog, was a man of many parts: maverick ad-man, cider-maker, teacher, environmentalist, music promoter and filmmaker. But, above all, he was the restorer of ancient Walnut Tree Farm in Suffolk, the heartland where he wrote about all natural life – with rare attention, intimacy, precision and poetry.Roger Deakin was unique, and so too is this joyful work of creative biography, told primarily in the words of the subject himself, with support from a chorus of friends, family, colleagues and lovers. Delving deep into Deakin’s library of words, Patrick Barkham draws from notebooks, diaries, letters and recordings to conjure his voice back to glorious life in these pages.'A rich, strange and compelling work of creative memoir that beautifully honours and elevates the life and work of its subject' Alex Preston, Observer
Tackle!: Let the sabotage and scandals begin in the new instant Sunday Times bestseller
by Jilly Cooper OBE'A giddy, sexy, exuberant romp of a story...a total tonic, offering the sort of glorious escapism we're all desperately in need of' - Daisy Buchanan'Won't disappoint her many fans: bonking, balls and Campbell-Black. All present and incorrect' - Ian Rankin'Bursting with fun, puns, and shenanigans' - Jill Mansell---------------------------------------Jilly Cooper's legendary hero returns!Rupert Campbell-Black, all-conquering racehorse owner-trainer and handsomest man in England, is in the darkest of places. His adored wife, Taggie, is about to undergo chemotherapy. His beloved leading stallion has been assassinated.Now his daughter Bianca is badgering him to buy into a failing local football club, Searston Rovers, so he can sign up her superstar striker boyfriend, Feral Jackson, and he and Bianca can return home from Perth to look after Taggie.Rupert dislikes football and his first impressions of Searston are distinctly unfavourable. But as their new and indelibly competitive Chairman, he won’t stand for anything less than an Everest climb to the top of the Premier League.With the help of the club’s ravishing and adorable secretary, Tember West, and his sassy Press Officer, Dora Belvedon, he becomes increasingly fond of his riotous mix of players, despite bawling them out whenever they face defeat.Rupert’s explosive arrival at Searston causes outrage, so the fights are as furious off the field as on – particularly when glamorous WAGS flood in to stir up trouble and lust after Rupert…Nor do the rival local football team, their duplicitous chairman and their corrupt dealings make things easier – let the scandals, sabotage and seductions begin…--------------------------------------------Praise for Jilly Cooper:'Fun, sexy and unputdownable - a classic' Marian Keyes'A combination of drama, sex and good social comedy . . . unputdownable' Sunday Times'Flawlessly entertaining' Helen Fielding'Jilly Cooper is the very best . . . elegant, glamorous, wonderful fun' Daily Mail'Joyful and mischievous' Jojo MoyesTackle, instant Sunday Times bestseller, November 2023
Tackling Stereotype: Corporeal Reflexivity and Politics of Play in Women’s Rugby (New Femininities in Digital, Physical and Sporting Cultures)
by Charlotte BranchuThis book presents a critical rethinking of assumptions that have informed our understanding of women’s engagement in contact sport, based on an in-depth ethnography with an English rugby team. Looking at the day-to-day concerns of women who play rugby, this work provides a refreshing perspective on different ways of doing femininities in postfeminist times. Women’s rugby is one of the world’s fastest growing sports, yet it is also a physical game that is traditionally the preserve of men. Tackling Stereotypes reveals the cultural and symbolic stigma that ‘sticks’ to women’s rugby players and the tactics they use to carve out space for themselves and fight for legitimacy. It also argues that players engage in pragmatic politics, informed by their participation, that aims to enact realistic change. Branchu develops a situational sociology that furthers debates in the understanding of gender, belonging, becoming, embodiment, resistance politics, and the sociological study of sport.
Take
by Jennifer BradburyTwo teens uncover a secret hidden in the Cascade Mountains that spans generations, stringing together family skeletons, lost stories, and a discovery of love and self in this tense and emotional young adult thriller.Cara is on the cusp of adventure. Unlike her best friends, she doesn&’t want to go to college, she wants different kinds of challenges. And anyway, home just doesn&’t fit anymore. She is growing distant from her friends and hasn&’t spoken to her father in eons. To make matters worse, her ex-boyfriend and fellow climber, Nat, has popped back into town after breaking up with her over text. So it&’s the perfect time to leave, and she has big plans for a gap year to rock-climb in Patagonia. But when Cara hears that her father is actually missing, things change. While trying to track him down, she discovers a trail of clues centering around the history and life of the legendary mountaineer, outdoorsman, author, and all around dirtbag, Beckett Friedrichs. And unfortunately, the only person who knows enough about Friedrichs to make sense of any of this is Nat. Their search for Cara&’s father will lead into the Cascade Mountains, up a harrowing rock face, and navigating through time as Nat and Cara explore the history of World War II with the impact of Pearl Harbor and its Japanese Incarceration Camps, Cara&’s family, and each other.
Take the Lead: Hanging On, Letting Go, and Conquering Life's Hardest Climbs
by Sasha DiGiulianWorld champion climber Sasha DiGiulian tells her story—from coming of age under the scrutiny of social media, navigating a male-dominated sport, and tackling her most heart-stopping climbs—and shares the power of perseverance and positivity.At age six, Sasha DiGiulian stepped into a climbing gym for the first time and was competing within a year. Decked out in all-pink gear and with her blonde hair tied into pigtails, Sasha knew from an early age what it was like to be a girl in a traditionally male-dominated sport, vowing to never sacrifice her femininity to fit in. With a fierce love for the climb and incredible natural talent, Sasha soon won her first National Sport Climbing Championship at only seventeen, and a year later took the title of World Champion.To her fans, it looked like Sasha was on top of the world. But under the accolades, she was just another young woman learning how to handle the intense scrutiny of social media and dealing with body dysmorphia, all while quietly facing a potentially career-ending injury. In a relatable and inspiring voice, Take the Lead reflects on the highs and lows of Sasha’s illustrious life and career for the first time, bringing readers on her remarkable journey from novice climber to Columbia University graduate, adventurer, environmentalist, and entrepreneur, and one of the most recognizable faces in climbing. For readers of Cheryl Strayed’s Wild and Megan Rapinoe’s One Life, Take the Lead ultimately emphasizes the power of perseverance, fearlessness and positivity in tackling some of the most daunting and fearsome climbs—on and off the wall.
Talent Identification and Development in Youth Soccer: A Guide for Researchers and Practitioners
by Adam L. KellyTalent development pathways in youth soccer provide opportunities for young players to realise their potential. Such programmes have become increasingly popular throughout governing bodies, professional clubs, and independent organisations. This has coincided with a rapid rise in sport science literature focused specifically on optimising player development towards expertise. However, the decreasing age of recruitment, biases in selection, inconsistencies in the language used, underrepresented populations, and large dropout rates from pathways have magnified the potential flaws of existing organisational structures and settings. Moreover, despite both the professionalisation of talent development pathways and growing research attention, we still know little about the characteristics that facilitate accurate recruitment strategies into pathways and long-term development outcomes. Talent Identification and Development in Youth Soccer provides an all-encompassing guide for both researchers and practitioners by gathering the existing literature to help better understand the current context of this discipline. Chapters are contributed by a team of leading and emerging international experts, examining topics such as technical, tactical, physical, psychological, social, activities and trajectories, career transitions, relative age effects, creativity, and genetics, with each chapter offering important considerations for both researchers and practitioners. With a dual emphasis on both theory and practice, this book is an important text for any student, researcher, coach, or practitioner with an interest in talent identification, talent development, youth soccer, soccer coaching, or expertise and skill acquisition.
Talk of Champions: Stories of the People Who Made Me: A Memoir
by Kenny SmithA revealing, humorous, behind-the-scenes memoir from Kenny "The Jet" Smith—superstar basketball commentator, host of the top-rated show, Inside the NBA, and two-time NBA champion. Smith reveals memorable inside stories of his playing and broadcasting careers, focusing on the star players, coaches, and mentors who inspired him along the way. Kenny Smith was a star at the University of North Carolina before his storied NBA run, in which he won two championships with the Houston Rockets. His popularity skyrocketed when he joined TNT&’s new show, Inside the NBA, which has thrived for twenty-four years and won multiple Emmys, receiving enormous acclaim for the insight, humor, social commentary, and unrivaled basketball coverage from Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O&’Neal, and Ernie Johnson, Jr. Kenny is known to fans for his laser-sharp analysis and eloquent observations of the basketball scene and culture. In this honest and profound memoir, Kenny writes chapters about each of the extraordinary people who taught him invaluable life lessons. He illuminates the personalities, affections, and quirks of friends such as Michael Jordan, Shaquille O&’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kobe Bryant, among others, and what he learned from each of them. He writes about his legendary UNC coach, Dean Smith, and other indelible role models through his career. And he interweaves poignant material about his upbringing in Queens, New York, his parents, his children, and his marriage, explaining the rich knowledge he obtained from the important figures around him. Kenny is also a strong, intelligent voice on race, as his fans and TV viewers will know. Ultimately this is a revealing, humorous, and powerful memoir, offering a candid glimpse inside the rarified world of elite sports and broadcasting, with inspiring takeaways.
The Tao of the Backup Catcher: Playing Baseball for the Love of the Game
by Tim Brown"This isn&’t just a story about baseball. It&’s about life and the beauty of knowing and accepting who you are.&” —Jeff Passan, ESPN baseball columnistThis fascinating book chronicles the unsung men of baseball who serve the job, the hardships they face, and their love for a game that would not always love them back―told partly through the experiences of an MLB veteran. In baseball there are superstars and stars and everyday players and then there are the rest. Within the rest are role players and specialists and journeymen and then there are the backup catchers. The Tao of the Backup Catcher is about them, the backup catchers, who exist near the bottom of the roster and the end of the bench and between the numbers in a sport–and a society–increasingly driven by cold, hard analytics.The Tao of the Backup Catcher is a story of grown men who once dreamed of stardom and generational wealth. Instead, they were handed a broom and a deeper understanding of who wins and why, who stands tall and who folds, and who will invest their own lives in catching bullpens and the back ends of doubleheaders. Backup catchers survive in part because every team needs one. They are necessary, once or twice a week. They prosper because the game, like the world around the game, still needs good souls, honest efforts, open eyes and ears, closed mouths, compassion for the sad parts, a laugh for the silly parts, and a heart that knows the difference. Backup catchers are sports&’ big brothers, psychologists, priests, witch doctors, player coaches, father figures and drinking buddies, all wrapped in a suit of today&’s polycarbonate armor and yesterday&’s dirt. They come with a singular goal–to win baseball games. They play for the greater good. After that, they play for themselves. A reverie on loving the grind and the little things baseball can teach us, The Tao of the Backup Catcher profiles Erik Kratz, Josh Paul, AJ Ellis, Bobby Wilson, Drew Butera, Matt Treanor, and John Flaherty to name a few. &“This isn&’t just a story about baseball. It&’s about life and the beauty of knowing and accepting who you are.&” ―Jeff Passan
Teaching Disabled Children in Physical Education: (Dis)connections between Research and Practice (Routledge Focus on Sport Pedagogy)
by Anthony J. Maher Justin A. HaegeleThis book examines the role that research plays in pedagogical practices when teaching disabled children and young people in physical education classes. It scrutinises the practices that are commonly used by teachers and coaches, and advocated by academics, and explores the evidence base that supports them. The book covers a broad range of disabilities, including autism, learning difficulties and visual impairment. It offers guidance to practitioners by explaining what is (or is not) available to support commonly suggested pedagogical practices, paying particular attention to research highlighting the voices of disabled persons and feelings associated with inclusion (that is, belonging, acceptance, and value), and whether these practices can help disabled students enjoy these subjective experiences. Bringing together the very latest research with an assessment of current – and future – pedagogical practices, this concise and insightful book is invaluable reading for all pre-service and in-service teachers or coaches with an interest in physical education, disability or special educational needs, and any advanced student or researcher working in these areas.
Teaching Games and Sport for Understanding
by Shane Pill Gambles, Ellen-Alyssa F. Linda L. GriffinThis new book brings together leading and innovative thinkers in the field of teaching and sport coaching pedagogy to provide a range of perspectives on teaching games and sport for understanding. Teaching Games and Sport for Understanding engages undergraduate and postgraduate students in physical education and sport coaching, practicing teachers, practicing sport coaches, teacher educators and coach developers. The contributions, taken together or individually, provide insight, learning and opportunities to foster game-based teaching and coaching ideas, and provide conceptual and methodological clarity where a sense of pedagogical confusion may exist. Each chapter raises issues that can resonate with the teacher and sport practitioner and researcher. In this way, the chapters can assist one to make sense of their own teaching or sport coaching, provide deeper insight into personal conceptualisations of the concept of game-based teaching and sport coaching or stimulate reflections on their own teaching or coaching or the contexts they are involved in. Teaching games and sport for understanding in various guises and pedagogical models has been proposed as leading practice for session design and instructional delivery of sport teaching in PE and sport coaching since the late 1960s. At its core, it is a paradigm shift from what can be described as a behaviourist model of highly directive instruction for player replication of teacher/coach explanation and demonstration to instructional models that broadly are aimed at the development of players self-autonomy as self-regulated learners –‘thinking players’. This innovative new volume both summarises current thinking, debates and practical considerations about the broad spectrumof what teaching games for understanding means as well as providing direction for further practical, pragmatic and research consideration of the concept and its precepts and, as such, is key reading for both undergraduate and postgraduate students of physical education and sport coaching as well as practicing teachers and sport coaches.
Teaching Physical Education: Contemporary Issues for Teachers, Educators and Students
by Gary StidderThis book assesses the landscape of physical education today and the issues that shape it as a curriculum subject, particularly in the era of COVID-19. It explores the processes of transformation and change that follow government policy and considers what this means for physical education practitioners in schools. The book covers a wide range of important issues, across (micro-)political, social-cultural, historical and post-modernist categories. Bringing together current research with autobiographical and anecdotal reflections on the realities of PE teaching, it considers the significance of issues such as the emphasis on competitive sport in schools, the socialization of teachers, the influence of politics and policy on the classroom, colonization and decolonization of the curriculum, digital technologies, the health and well-being agenda and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Offering a unique set of critical perspectives on physical education today, this book is essential reading for any physical education course, for all teacher training programmes with a PE track and for all practising teachers, teacher educators or policy-makers with a professional interest in PE.