History Of Sport Research Articles

‘He is the superman of sport’: the Übermensch and modern athletic culture, 1895–1938

ABSTRACT The Nietzschean Übermensch or ‘superman’ was frequently invoked in sports-writing of the early twentieth century. While the misappropriation of this figure by the Nazis and Fascists in their programmes of national or racial renewal is well known, the superman appeared in other, less familiar contexts too. This article explores the various roles that the ‘superman’ played in Anglophone as well as German-speaking discourse prior to 1933, as a way of expressing, and interrogating, the ideals that shaped modern athletic culture and of framing long-standing debates in the history of sport: on professionalism and amateurism, national identity, commercialisation and specialisation.

‘Know the Game—Boxing’: Boxing in Colonial Kenya, 1895–1963

The history of organized boxing in colonial Kenya is complicated. The complexity stems from multiple facets undergirding colonialism. Until the last decade of British colonial rule in Kenya (1953–1963), organized boxing belonged to a tiny cadre of opulent white settlers in the colony. It became a sport for Blacks in the mid-1950s, especially impecunious Africans who appeared to colonial officials as lacking the qualities constituting morally acceptable citizens. This observation challenges the insinuation that British colonizers—administrators, missionaries, and settlers—introduced organized boxing in colonial Kenya exclusively for the indigenous people. This essay historicizes boxing in colonial Kenya (1895–1963). It is a socio-cultural history that grounds boxing within the broader history of colonization and contributes to the general history of sports and imperialism in Africa. The dynamics of class, race, citizenship, gender, power, and masculinity flow through the essay. Boxing in colonial Kenya is undocumented and undertheorized. The present work attempts to break this circle.

Risk Factors for Nonunion After Nonoperative Treatment for Pediatric Lumbar Spondylolysis: A Retrospective Case-Control Study

Background: Pediatric lumbar spondylolysis, a stress fracture of the lumbar spine, frequently affects young athletes, and nonoperative treatment is often the first choice of management. Because the union rate in lumbar spondylolysis is lower than that in general fatigue fractures, identifying risk factors for nonunion is essential for optimizing treatment. Purpose: To determine the risk factors for nonunion after nonoperative treatment of acute pediatric lumbar spondylolysis through multivariate analysis. Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: We analyzed 574 pediatric patients (mean age, 14.3 ± 1.9 years) with lumbar spondylolysis who underwent nonoperative treatment between 2015 and 2022. Nonoperative treatment included the elimination of sports activities, bracing, and weekly athletic rehabilitation, with follow-up computed tomography. Patient data, lesion characteristics, sports history, presence of spina bifida occulta at the lamina with a lesion or at the lumbosacral spine excluding the lesion level, and lumbosacral parameters were examined. Differences between the union and nonunion groups were investigated using multivariate analysis to determine the risk factors for nonunion. Results: Of the 574 patients, 81.7% achieved bone union. Multivariate analysis revealed that an L5 lesion and the progression of the main and contralateral lesion stages were significant independent risk factors for nonunion. An L5 lesion had a lower union rate than non-L5 lesions. As the main lesion progressed, the likelihood of nonunion increased significantly, and the progression of the contralateral lesion also showed a similar trend. Spina bifida occulta and lumbosacral parameters were not significant predictors of nonunion in this study. Conclusion: We identified the L5 lesion level and the progression of the main and contralateral lesion stages as independent risk factors for nonunion in pediatric lumbar spondylolysis after nonoperative treatment. These findings aid in treatment decision-making. When bone union cannot be expected with nonoperative treatment, symptomatic treatment is required without prolonged external fixation and rest, and without aiming for bone union. Individualized treatment plans are crucial based on identified risk factors.

Prevalence of Iron Deficiency in Female Collegiate Athletes at a Division I Institution

BACKGROUND: Iron deficiency is widely underdiagnosed in female college athletes and may limit their athletic performance. Routine screening is necessary to identify potential female athletes who might benefit from iron supplementation. A retrospective study on the prevalence of iron deficiency in female collegiate division I athletes is imperative to bring awareness to the prevailing problem. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of iron deficiency in female athletes presenting to a Division 1 Athletic Training Room for initial health screening evaluation from January 2017 to July 2022. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed for female athletes who presented for initial pre-participation examination health screening to a Division 1 Athletic Training Room The data collected included the patients’ age, BMI, menstrual history, ferritin, and hemoglobin lab values. The primary sports analyzed was swim and dive, soccer, basketball, track and field/cross country, softball, lacrosse, volleyball, high tech, tennis, golf, and cheerleading. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the prevalence of iron deficiency among female athletes and the Student’s t-test and Pearson correlation analysis are used to identify any potential risk factors for iron deficiency. RESULTS: There was a total of 336 participants. The prevalence of athletes with low initial ferritin values under 40 ng/mL at pre-participation examination was 194 (57.74%, n=336). The mean ferritin value at pre-participation examination was 43.18 ng/mL (n=336). Statistical analysis of the other variables collected in this study including body mass index, menstrual history and primary sport showed no significant differences in relationship to initial ferritin levels. Female athletes with low ferritin levels were more likely to receive iron supplementation (p=8.089e-18, 95% CI= -31.33142, -20.19980). An increase in ferritin levels was correlated with iron supplementation (p=0.0217, 95% CI= 1.45825, 18.34014) and hemoglobin levels were higher in female athletes with higher ferritin levels (p-value=0.04971, 95% CI=0.00546, 0.14506). Initial ferritin levels were positively correlated with hemoglobin levels (p=2.402e-11, 95% CI=0.26962, 0.46399). Statistical analysis showed an increase in ferritin levels with usage of contraception (p=0.0073, 95% CI= 3.15448, 20.05362). CONCLUSION: This study’s findings represent the importance of screening ferritin levels in all female collegiate athletes regardless of sport, BMI, or menstrual history due to the high prevalence of low ferritin values. There was an increase in ferritin levels with usage of birth control suggesting the need to further evaluate the impact of menstrual history and contraception usage on ferritin and hemoglobin levels. In these authors experience, it is uncommon for institutions to incorporate routine screening measures in place for screening all female athletes with a ferritin value and complete blood count at initial pre-participation examination.

From Entrepreneurial Origins to Professional Museum: A Practitioner’s Perspective on Field Hockey’s Sporting Heritage at The Hockey Museum, England

Founded in Woking, England, in 2011, The Hockey Museum (THM) set out to achieve something unprecedented. That is, the bringing together of objects and archives that collectively chronicle the national history and development of field hockey in England, the country from which ‘modern’, codified field hockey originated before spreading globally. Formed from the personal collections of its founders and heritage material from the defunct English Hockey Association, THM has since adopted an increasingly international collecting and research remit courtesy of the involvement of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and grown rapidly in scale and professionalism. Its collection is a unique and culturally significant sporting and social history resource – the only museum for field hockey in the world. Drawing on case studies of other museums and the wider historiography of sport museums and sport heritage to contextualize THM’s evolution across three temporary premises, the author explores the entrepreneurial genesis of THM’s founding, including formative, short-lived iterations in the 1980s, before looking to the future. Addressing an identified gap in the available literature, the author examines how THM’s journey and the people involved in its development have fashioned an unusual, seemingly contradictory sport museum operating model, that is worthy of documentation and practitioner introspection.

Black Canadian university football players’ perspectives on the coach-athlete relationship

To develop positive coach-athlete relationships, coaches can acknowledge and support their players’ sociocultural backgrounds (e.g., ethnicities, genders, races). This is particularly important in connecting with marginalized athletes as the history of sport is intertwined with identity politics, racism, and exclusion. To date, little is known about the role of race in coach-athlete relationships from the perspectives of marginalized individuals. The purpose of the current study was to explore the coach-athlete relationships of Black, Canadian university football players and their coaches from the players’ perspectives. We conducted semi-structured interviews with nine Black football players from five Canadian universities coached by individuals of different racial backgrounds. Using a reflexive thematic analysis, we co-created two overarching themes addressing participants’ racialized experiences inside and outside of sport, including their understanding of Blackness, as well as perceptions on how to improve coaches’ cultural literacies. From our findings, we understood that most Black athletes developed strong connections with their Black coaches compared to White or non-Black coaches of color that were characterized by feelings of trust and the ability to express their cultural identity freely. Athletes highlighted the importance of coaches acquiring or strengthening their cultural competency, and provided examples, advice, and descriptions of what they believed constituted an effective coach. By exploring racial aspects of coach-athlete relationships, this study contributes to coaching science literature and cultural sport psychology by emphasizing the need for coaches to develop cultural competency aptitudes when working with diverse athletes.

Managing Fan Relationship after a Doping Scandal

We all have idols in sports. People who make us wonder how they managed to become the best in their field. But there are also athletes who resort to novel and forbidden methods to skip training while trying to reach the top. What is doping and why is it banned in sports? The present paper offers a brief description of the doping phenomenon, a small review of the most famous doping cases in the history of sports, the consequences of such failure and how it influences the athlete's life, and finally a short study related to this phenomenon.

Prelude to a Crisis

Abstract This article is an interdisciplinary or “biocultural” collaboration between a neuropsychologist and a sport historian. By examining the history of research on sport-related concussion, specifically as it relates to boxing and American football, we contend that there are important, if often overlooked, precursors to the post-2005 concussion “crisis.” In particular, we argue for greater attention to the development of sports neuropsychology, the scientific study of brain-behavior relationships within the context of sport. By bringing together the biological and the social—the neuropsychological and the historical—we offer a nuanced understanding of one of sport's most pressing problems.

Indian Horse and Finding Place and Belonging in Sport History

<i>Indian Horse</i> and Finding Place and Belonging in Sport History

Perempuan Tionghoa dalam Sejarah Olahraga Indonesia, 1908-1949: Dari Eksistensi hingga Memperjuangkan Kemerdekaan Indonesia

This research explores the involvement of Chinese women in the history of sports in Indonesia from the Dutch East Indies period to the Indonesian Revolution. Chinese women, who have been received less attention in the history of Indonesian sports, actually have a role in the process of sports development in Indonesia. Their influence can be seen through how they interpreted sports differently in each era. This research employs historical method to explain women’s involvement in sports history in Indonesia, drawing from sources such as newspapers, photos, and other scholarly materials. The findings are analyzed using the social history approach to comprehend and illustrate the trends in Chinese women’s involvement in the history of sports in Indonesia. This topic introduces a new area in Indonesian historiography and can serve as a fresh point of reference for historians interested in the history of sports and the Chinese community in Indonesia.

Boxing in Cape Town and Surrounds, 1932–1935

ABSTRACT The history of boxing in Cape Town, South Africa, remains a minor focus of study amongst sport historians, compared to rugby, soccer or cricket. This article endeavours to address this situation by presenting a boxing narrative from 1932 to 1935. A literature review on boxing history in the British and American world is used to introduce the reader to this narrative. It shows how organised boxing in Cape Town’s black communities was historically rooted in all classes of people. It also reveals how the current body of academic research on black boxing is gaining momentum but is still in its infancy in South Africa. There are, however, many popular narratives from which researchers can draw. A methodological account is presented that outlines the reconstructionist method of historical research. Next, the article proceeds with a history of organised boxing, and it is shown how this sport was driven by class considerations from the nineteenth century onwards. The article concludes with the notion that professional boxing brought relief for promoters, boxers and gamblers during the worldwide economic depression of the 1930s. This ran parallel with the ‘upliftment’ project of the club movement with its theme of ‘keep the boys off the street’.

Ambassadors and athletes: Sport, international relations and diplomacy in the 20th century, a new approach from Sport History

Ambassadors and athletes: Sport, international relations and diplomacy in the 20th century, a new approach from Sport History

A Pilot Survey Study of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Female University Athletes.

Introduction Female sports players are at increased risk of soft tissue knee injuries (STKIs) compared to their male counterparts. Injury prevention programs effectively reduce the incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injuries. This pilot study, therefore, aimed to examine the prevalence, type, and management of STKIswithin a population of female university sports players at the University of Cambridge. Additionally, this study aimed to examine the perceived risk of ACL injuries and knowledge of long-term complications, alongside participation and attitudes towards injury prevention programs. Methodology A survey was distributed to women's university sports teams at the University of Cambridge. Information was gathered on participant demographics and sporting history. Relevant medical history, including joint laxity, connective tissue disorders, and previous knee injuries, was also collected. Participant involvement in and attitudes towards injury prevention programs were evaluated. Results Data from eighty-five participants (n = 85) were collected, all of whom were female. Forty-two percent of participants had sustained a previous knee injury, of which the majority (44%) were ACL injuries. In the ACL-injured group, 38% (n=6) had undergone ACL reconstructive surgery, 44% (n=7) had received only physiotherapy, and 19% (n=3) had received no form of treatment. Only 44% of these participants sustaining an ACL injury reported a return to the same level of post-injury sport. Seventy-two percent of respondents felt they were at increased risk of ACL injury compared to males. Most participants (87%) did not follow an injury prevention program, but 95% expressed a willingness to enroll in one. Conclusions This pilot study indicates that most knee injuries in female university athletes in this cohort at Cambridge University are ACL injuries, with a considerable number being managed conservatively. The low rate of return to pre-injury sporting levels highlights the significant impact of ACL injuries on athletic careers. This study demonstrates results similar to previous studies on the broader population. However, due to the pilot nature of the research and limited statistical power, the results should be interpreted with caution before transposing to the wider population. Further investigation is required into why many of these ACL-injured female athletes were managed conservatively and whether this finding is mirrored in their male counterparts. Despite recognizing their higher risk than males, participants displayed low engagement in injury prevention programs, indicating a gap between awareness and action. The willingness to participate in prevention programs suggests the potential for improved engagement through targeted interventions. Future research should focus on identifying and addressing specific barriers to participation in injury prevention programs and exploring the reasons behind the preference for conservative management of ACL injuries. Additionally, expanding the sample size and including a more diverse athletic population would enhance the generalizability of the findings.

Media aspects of the relationship between politics and sports using the example of the Russian Federation’s exclusion from international competitions

RELEVANCE. The relationship between politics and sports is a pressing issue, since political contradictions between states are reflected in sports. Major sporting events are not just competitions between athletes, but also fierce political struggles. Through professional sports with the help of various media technologies, it is possible to influence global society and achieve geopolitical results. The relationship between elite sports and politics is considered using the example of the exclusion of Russian sports from international competitions and materials about this in the media.MATERIALS AND METHODS. Materials from foreign media have been studied on the topic of removing Russia from big-time sports, depriving it of state symbols, removing Russian athletes from international competitions due to disagreement with the political course of the authorities of the Russian Federation, and the introduction of so-called sanctions in the field of sports. The study was based on a comparative historical method, which helps to consider the dynamics of the development of relations between Russian sports and the political course of Western countries. The theoretical basis was the work of domestic and foreign researchers of the history and theory of sports. Content analysis was also used to study materials from Russian and foreign media with the aim of determining the attitude of foreign states towards Russian sports and its oppression in the international sports arena from 2014 to 2024.RESULT AND DISCUSSION. An analysis of foreign media materials confirms that pressure on Russian sports is being exerted by Western countries due to their disagreement with the political course of the Russian Federation. An analysis of sources showed that Western media agree on the issue of sanctions against Russian sports: they support the introduction of restrictions against Russian sports, but at the same time they call such measures an instrument of geopolitics, an instrument of “containing Russia”. This confirms the politicization of sports through the media.CONCLUSION. Analyzing the content of publications in both foreign and Russian media, we can conclude that pressure on Russian sports and members of the Russian national team began to intensify after the victory of the Russian team in the team event at the Olympic Games in Sochi 2014 and after the Republic of Crimea joined the Russian Federation . After the Russian Armed Forces launched a special military operation in Ukraine, even more sanctions and restrictions were introduced against Russian sports, and Russia was actually excluded from international sports. The author believes that the pressure on Russian sports will only increase.

U.S.K., S.T. “UKRAINE”, FC “KARPATY”, FC “RUH”: THE NAMES OF THE UKRAINIAN TEAMS IN THE 130-YEAR HISTORY OF LVIV FOOTBALL

The article examines the names of Lviv football teams over the 130-year history of football development in the city of Lviv. The subject of the analysis is the motivational base and peculiarities of creating the names of football clubs in Lviv. Sources of factual material – sports periodicals, archival materials, works of sports historians and information received from football experts. In the early days of Lviv football, Ukrainian teams chose names with a national and cultural component in their meaning, taking care to identify Ukrainian teams among clubs of other nations. In the 1920s and 1930s, teams had names with onyms and appellatives that indicated associations with the historical, geographical, and cultural realities of Great Ukraine to demonstrate the unity of the nation and Ukrainian ethnic lands. Some of the nominations contained connotations important to Ukrainians in Galicia, which indicates a careful selection of representative names for Ukrainian clubs in Lviv. In the Soviet period, the colonial influence on the naming system of Lviv football teams was manifested in the unification of club names in accordance with the established canon of naming and in the tendency to reflect Soviet realities and ideological symbols in the names. After the restoration of Ukrainian independence, the percentage of teams that chose to name lexemes with an ethnocultural component in the meaning increased noticeably. Individual clubs have retained the names of the totalitarian period. The consequence of the influence of the commercial factor on the naming of wives is an increase in the number of nominations that come from the names of sponsors of football teams. So, the names of Lviv football clubs arose as a result of onimization and transonymization as the main methods of lexical-semantic word formation. Football naming was influenced by various factors – national, totalitarian and commercial, the mixing of which was recorded at the turn of the 20th-21st centuries. Key words: names of Lviv football teams, motivation of names, onimization, transonymization.

Frequency of Unilateral Versus Bilateral Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome in Novice Footballers

Background: Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) is a common overuse injury characterized by pain along the distal two-thirds of the medial tibial border. It predominantly affects athletes engaged in weight-bearing activities, including football players. Despite its prevalence, there is limited research focusing on MTSS specifically within the context of football, particularly in relation to unilateral versus bilateral occurrences and the implications of limb dominance. Objective: The study aimed to measure the frequency of unilateral versus bilateral MTSS in footballers and to provide insights into the relationship between MTSS and limb dominance. Methods: This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted over six months from July 2021 to December 2021 across various football clubs in Lahore, Pakistan. Ethical approval was obtained from the Lahore College of Physical Therapy, and permissions were secured from club administrations. The sample comprised 140 recreational footballers aged 20-29 years, selected using non-probability convenience sampling. Participants were diagnosed using the MTSS criteria established by Marinus Winters in 2017, which included history taking and physical examination. Data collection involved a detailed questionnaire covering demographics, medical history, and sporting history. The study excluded individuals with previous surgical history, systemic diseases, or tumors. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 25, employing descriptive and inferential statistics to examine relationships between variables. Results: The mean age of participants was 21.3 years (SD = 2.97), with a mean weight of 62.2 kg (SD = 8.1) and mean height of 5.5 feet (SD = 0.39). The sample included 97 males (69.3%) and 43 females (30.7%). MTSS was reported unilaterally in 82.2% of participants, with 67.9% (n = 95) experiencing symptoms in the right leg and 14.3% (n = 20) in the left leg. Bilateral MTSS was observed in 17.9% (n = 25) of participants. Conclusion: The majority of athletes reported unilateral MTSS, with the right leg being more commonly affected than the left. These findings suggest the need for comprehensive bilateral assessment in the diagnosis and treatment of MTSS in footballers to optimize performance and prevent recurrence.

О результатах проведения Всероссийского конкурса проектов «История студенческого спорта»

The article presents a report on the All-Russian contest of projects “History of Student Sports” within the framework of the All-Russian historical and patriotic student project “History of Student Sports”.

Is There a Difference in the Prevalence of Gastric Ulcers between Stallions Used for Breeding and Those Not Used for Breeding?

Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is a worldwide disease, and includes two different syndromes, Equine Squamous Gastric Disease (ESGD), affecting the squamous mucosa, and Equine Glandular Gastric Disease (EGGD), affecting the glandular mucosa. These two diseases are present in different categories (different activities, ages, etc.) and breeds of horses. The effect of sex on gastric health is not clear: some studies found a higher prevalence of ESGD in geldings and stallions, while others found no influence of sex on the squamous mucosa. The few studies conducted on glandular diseases failed to identify sex as a risk factor. The only study on breeding horses, focused on Thoroughbred mares at pasture, found that 70% of them were affected by gastric ulcerations especially in the squamous mucosa. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of EGUS, ESGD, and EGGD in intact males while also investigating the potential influences of breeding and exercise activity on the occurrence and severity of the diseases. A total of 101 intact males were admitted for gastroscopic examination. Comprehensive data regarding their breeding and sports history, management, and presence of clinical signs were recorded. A statistical analysis was performed. Within this equine population, no discernible relationship was found between breeding activity and occurrence and severity of ESGD or EGGD. Exercise and a combination of exercise and breeding activities were found to be associated with the occurrence of EGGD. The presence of clinical signs was correlated only with the grade of ESGD in this cohort of horses.

Study on the Link Between Self-Esteem and Team Identity as Major Factors in Tackling Competitive Anxiety in Performance Athletes

Sports competition and athletic performance are of major interest in sports psychology. Throughout the history of sports, researchers have sought to identify the modifiable factors that could help those who take part in competition to adapt to it as best as possible. In this study, we will focus on identifying certain psychological factors described in the specialized literature as having a consistent link to decreasing competitive anxiety, while looking for implementable techniques to improve these factors. The aim of this study was to identify effective methods for decreasing competitive anxiety, reaching a state of flow and influencing the dimensions of mindfulness (awareness, refocus, non-judgment). The study included a total number of 27 female subjects and was conducted over a period of 4 months (21.07.2022-21.11.2022). In the study, the subjects were divided into two groups: one working group where the intervention took place and in which 15 female footballers from League 1 were randomly assigned, and one control group with 12 female footballers. The two groups underwent an evaluation aimed at identifying the achievement of the state of flow and the reduction of competitive anxiety after a few mental and physical relaxation exercises. The results of the statistical processing of data show some differences between the two groups in terms of score for the tracked parameters, but also between the results of each group in the pre- and post-tests. However, statistically significant differences between the two groups were obtained only for the state of flow and somatic anxiety. The state of flow, of mental wellbeing, should be considered before, during and after each sports competition, regardless of its level, in order to achieve a satisfactory performance in the world of sports, correlated with the expectations and the training of each athlete. Keywords: competitive state anxiety, mindfulness, state of flow

Religion, Politics and Mysticism in Ancient Sport

The history of ancient sports shows us that sports practice was not a secular one but was closely linked to religious faith. Whether we are talking about ancient Greece (Athens, Sparta, etc.), whether we are talking about Latin America or the Far East, the presence of homage and respect towards the gods is seen as something sacred and no one could dispute it. We have researched the religious phenomenon in sports for more than 30 years, and the result is like religion. politics and the arts of war decided the history of the world and civilization. (Barbos, 2015). It is proven by ancient writings, but also by archaeological traces, from ancient temples and stadiums dedicated to gods and legendary heroes, such as Hercules, the most famous demigod of the ancient world, who remained in legends as one of those who achieved the most successful sports. This article summarizes some ancient sports competitions, which were strictly related to the respect for the gods, which was rewarded with sports games, such as the Olympic Games of Greece. Keywords: Hylozoism, anthropological, animism, secular ritual, sacred ritual, oracle, Delphi, ecotheology, sumo, kyudo.