Slap Shot Research Articles

Differences in trunk–shoulder inter-joint coordination and sequencing between elite and recreational ice hockey players during slap shots

Differences in trunk–shoulder inter-joint coordination and sequencing between elite and recreational ice hockey players during slap shots

Assessing the Shooting Velocity According to the Shooting Technique in Elite Youth Rink Hockey Players

This study aimed to report the shooting velocities and to assess the differences in shot velocity according to the techniques used in elite youth male rink hockey players. Fifteen rink hockey players (age = 18.40 ± 1.44 year; body mass = 73.52 ± 6.02 kg; height = 1.76 ± 0.06 m; BMI = 23.61 ± 2.12; sports experience = 6.44 ± 1.76 years) participated in this cross-sectional study. Shooting velocities were assessed for four techniques: slap shot without approach run, drive shot without approach run, slap shot with approach run, and drive shot with approach run. Shooting velocity measurements were conducted using a radar Stalker ATS systemTM. The results demonstrated that drive shots consistently achieved higher velocities compared to slap shots (F(3,56) = 23.9 p < 0.01, ηp2 = 0.58). Additionally, incorporating an approach run significantly increased shooting velocities for both techniques (p < 0.01). These findings hold significant implications for coaches and players seeking to optimize shooting performance in rink hockey.

“Will you ever win?”

Slap Shot’s Lily Braden is the origin of what I term the “willful wife.” The “willful wife” is a unique character of the hockey film genre as she appears in nearly every popular post-Slap Shot hockey film but is incredibly rare in other sports films. I define the willful wife as the girlfriend/wife of an athlete, in literature or film, who is unhappy with her partner’s devotion to sport, and so demands that he be a more attentive boyfriend/husband and/or father; however, later in the story, the willful wife then either illogically drops her demand or forgets about her previous relationship problems and reconciles with the athlete-protagonist. This article argues that Slap Shot is often considered a comedy rather than a satirical comedy, and as a result, Lily’s satirical journey in the film has been misread, which has led to the sexist legacy of the willful wife in the hockey genre. The resulting popular hockey film genre reproduces Lily’s “willful wife” storyline without any of her story’s satire or politics and in doing so, the genre ignores Lily’s critique of (dominant) heteropatriarchal hockey culture that relies on devaluing and demeaning women.

Pilot Study of Embedded IMU Sensors and Machine Learning Algorithms for Automated Ice Hockey Stick Fitting

The aims of this study were to evaluate the feasibility of using IMU sensors and machine learning algorithms for the instantaneous fitting of ice hockey sticks. Ten experienced hockey players performed 80 shots using four sticks of differing constructions (i.e., each stick differed in stiffness, blade pattern, or kick point). Custom IMUs were embedded in a pair of hockey gloves to capture resultant linear acceleration and angular velocity of the hands during shooting while an 18-camera optical motion capture system and retroreflective markers were used to identify key shot events and measure puck speed, accuracy, and contact time with the stick blade. MATLAB R2020a’s Machine Learning Toolbox was used to build and evaluate the performance of machine learning algorithms using principal components of the resultant hand kinematic signals using principal components accounting for 95% of the variability and a five-fold cross validation. Fine k-nearest neighbors algorithms were found to be highly accurate, correctly classifying players by optimal stick flex, blade pattern, and kick point with 90–98% accuracy for slap shots and 93–97% accuracy for wrist shots in fractions of a second. Based on these findings, it appears promising that wearable sensors and machine learning algorithms can be used for reliable, rapid, and portable hockey stick fitting.

Responsiveness and Relationships of Shooting Performance to On-Ice Physical Performance Tests

The aim of this investigation was to quantify the acute effects of the execution of the physical performance tests within the ice hockey-specific complex test (IHCT) on shooting performance. Thirty-four professional male ice hockey players with an average of 6.9 years of playing experience were recruited. The slap shot (SS) was found to accelerate the puck with a higher speed and greater precision. After the IHCT, the maximum puck speed of successful goal shots decreased considerably (p < 0.001, d > 1.5). The puck speed percentage decrement after the IHCT did not differ between the SS (6.1, SD = 4.4, −5.5–17.9) and the wrist shot (WS, 6.0, SD = 3.5, −0.9–12.2, p = 0.86, d = 0.03). The magnitude of puck speed reduction in the WS was inversely related to the functional heart rate reserve (r = −0.44, p = 0.02) and the blood lactate elimination rate (r = −0.43, p < 0.02). The linear and COD speed tests on-ice resulted in a higher amount of successful goal shots. These findings highlight the interaction of intense on-ice testing and goal-shooting performance.

Human-Avatar Interaction in Virtual Environment to Assess and Train Sensorimotor: Application to the Slap Shot in Hockey

Here we present the conception, implementation and application of a virtual environment simulator dedicated to the assessment and training of slap shot performance in hockey. The simulator is based on human-avatar interaction, namely a real shooter and a virtual goalkeeper whose behavior is dependent on that of the shooter. The synthesis of the virtual goalkeeper relied on a high-quality model and realistic, motion-captured movements. A regression model based on Kriging was used to predict in real-time the shooter's behavior in order to trigger the blocking moves of the virtual goalkeeper at the right time.
 Our model provided accurate predicted values as well as an estimation of the reliability of these values, which allowed us to optimize the behavioral animation of the virtual goalkeeper. We then ran a validation experiment testing the effectiveness of our simulator. The simulator proved very useful both to assess the initial performance of the players and to train and improve this performance. In particular, training as little as 3 hours with our simulator gave rise to substantial and significant improvements (up to 22 percent) of the redirection threshold, i.e., the minimum time required to successfully redirect a shot during movement execution when the outcome is imperiled. Importantly, in comparison with ‘classical’ training methods, our simulator better triggers (precisely and timely) the movements of the goalkeeper based on the movements of the shooter.

The effect of behavioral skills training on shot performance in field hockey

AbstractBehavior analysis procedures have been used to improve sports performance and enhance player safety across a wide variety of sports. The current study evaluated the effects of behavioral skills training on three common field hockey shots, a slap shot, drive, and sweep for young field hockey players. The procedures were evaluated in a multiple baseline across behaviors for three players. Results showed increases in each type of shot once intervention was implemented.

The Influence of WB-EMS-Training on the Performance of Ice Hockey Players of Different Competitive Status.

PurposeThe aim of this study was to examine the influence of long-term whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) training in addition to standard ice hockey training in the following areas: shot speed, counter-movement-jump (CMJ) height and power, 10 m-sprint, isokinetic maximum force at 60 and 300°/s of the knee extensor muscle and subjective performance. The purpose was further to check, whether competitive status influenced the extent of response to WB-EMS and whether WB-EMS would hypothetically be a suitable method to reduce injury rate.MethodsThirty male amateur ice hockey players participated in this study. They were divided into two cross-over groups (Group A and Group B). EMS sessions were carried out once a week for 12 weeks for each group with a subsequent 4 week EMS pause. The sessions consisted of 20 min electromyostimulation with 150 contractions (4 s duration, 85 Hz). Shot speed of slap shot was measured with Sportradar 1503. Jumping ability was determined with a ground reaction force platform (GRFP). Sprint time for 10 m skate was recorded using an infrared photo sensor. Isokinetic force of the knee extensor muscle was detected with Isomed 2000 at two different angular velocities (60 and 300°/s) and the subjective performance was collected using a questionnaire.ResultsAfter 12 weeks of WB-EMS training jumping power increased significantly for the WB-EMS groups by 5.15%, 10 m skating time decreased significantly by 5%, and maximum isokinetic force at 300°/s increased significantly by 7% (all p < 0.05). In contrast post training shot speed showed no significant change. Isokinetic torque at 60°/s and vertical jump height were collected as secondary variables and showed increases of 5.45 and 15.15%, respectively. After finishing the WB-EMS and continuing the normal training, it was shown that the training effect regressed.ConclusionThis study demonstrated that WB-EMS training significantly decreased 10 m skating time and increased jumping power and maximum isokinetic force at 300°/s. We conclude that with additional WB-EMS training, an increase in performance might also be achieved for athletes in lower leagues. Due to the higher training potential of leisure athletes, the effect is probably even more pronounced than would be expected for competitive athletes.

Reliability of an ice hockey-specific complex test.

This study assessed the intra-rater reliability of an ice hockey-specific complex test (IHCT) that reflects the intense multidirectional and intermittent efforts required in ice hockey. Twenty professional players executed the IHCT twice over an interval of 2 days. Load parameters included a 10-m sprint, a 30-m transition with and without a puck, as well as slap and wrist shots. Stress parameters were lactate concentrations and heart rates. The intrarater reliability (ICC) ranged from 0.54 to 0.98 for load parameters, and from 0.26 to 0.87 for stress parameters. 33 % (3/9) of stress parameters and 82 % (18/22) of load parameters had an ICC > 0.75. The largest limits of agreement were 41.6 for slap shot 1 after test and 50.4 for 6-min heart rate recovery. The smallest were 0.40 (10-m sprint without a puck) and 5.36 (resting lactate). The intra-rater reliability as shown by the coefficient of variation (CV) was lower for stress than for load parameters (mean CV: 13.4 vs. 4.7). 68 % (15/22) of load parameters and 11 % (1/9) of stress parameters showed a CV below 5 %. The IHCT is currently the only ice hockey-specific complex test with scientifically tested reliability and validity that can analyze performance under conditions similar to competition. It is suggested that coaches, fitness coaches and sports scientists explore use of this test as a valid tool to assess players' performance and the effectiveness of training interventions.

Slap Shot! Sport, Masculinities, and Homelessness in the Downtown Core of a Divided Western Canadian Inner City

This urban ethnography explores how a group of low-income (often homeless) men performed a range of masculinities through a sport-for-development program in the Western Canadian city of Edmonton, Alberta. For more than two decades, weekly floor hockey games have been organized by local health workers as part of a broader sport-based intervention/corrective aimed, in part, at reforming Edmonton’s urban “underclass,” one that is decidedly Indigenous. Drawing upon three years of ethnographic fieldwork, our intersectional analysis examines both the adaptive qualities of various classed and racialized masculinities and demonstrates the “symbolic violence” associated with their performance in the distinctive settler–colonial context of Edmonton’s inner city. Finally, we examine how these weekly sporting interludes also provided opportunities for more caring versions of masculinity and for more enduring forms of solidarity, support, and community to be enacted and experienced.

The Slap Shot in Ice Hockey

An ice hockey player can strike a puck at speeds up to about 45 m/s (100 mph) using a technique known as the slap shot. There is nothing unusual about the speed, since golf balls, tennis balls, and baseballs can also be projected at that speed or even higher. The unusual part is that the player strikes the ice before striking the puck, causing the stick to slow down and to bend. If a tennis player or a golfer did something like that, by hitting the ground before hitting the ball, it would be classed as a miss-hit and the ball would probably dribble away at low speed. Nevertheless, there appears to be a significant advantage in hitting the ice before hitting the puck, otherwise hockey players would have learned from experience not to do that.

Reliability of Triaxial Accelerometry for Measuring Load in Men's Collegiate Ice Hockey.

Van Iterson, EH, Fitzgerald, JS, Dietz, CC, Snyder, EM, and Peterson, BJ. Reliability of triaxial accelerometry for measuring load in men's collegiate ice hockey. J Strength Cond Res 31(5): 1305-1312, 2017-Wearable microsensor technology incorporating triaxial accelerometry is used to quantify an index of mechanical stress associated with sport-specific movements termed PlayerLoad. The test-retest reliability of PlayerLoad in the environmental setting of ice hockey is unknown. The primary aim of this study was to quantify the test-retest reliability of PlayerLoad in ice hockey players during performance of tasks simulating game conditions. Division I collegiate male ice hockey players (N = 8) wore Catapult Optimeye S5 monitors during repeat performance of 9 ice hockey tasks simulating game conditions. Ordered ice hockey tasks during repeated bouts included acceleration (forward or backward), 60% top-speed, top-speed (forward or backward), repeated shift circuit, ice coasting, slap shot, and bench sitting. Coefficient of variation (CV), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and minimum difference (MD) were used to assess PlayerLoad reliability. Test-retest CVs and ICCs of PlayerLoad were as follows: 8.6% and 0.54 for forward acceleration, 13.8% and 0.78 for backward acceleration, 2.2% and 0.96 for 60% top-speed, 7.5% and 0.79 for forward top-speed, 2.8% and 0.96 for backward top-speed, 26.6% and 0.95 for repeated shift test, 3.9% and 0.68 for slap shot, 3.7% and 0.98 for coasting, and 4.1% and 0.98 for bench sitting, respectively. Raw differences between bouts were not significant for ice hockey tasks (p > 0.05). For each task, between-bout raw differences were lower vs. MD: 0.06 vs. 0.35 (forward acceleration), 0.07 vs. 0.36 (backward acceleration), 0.00 vs. 0.06 (60% top-speed), 0.03 vs. 0.20 (forward top-speed), 0.02 vs. 0.09 (backward top-speed), 0.18 vs. 0.64 (repeated shift test), 0.02 vs. 0.10 (slap shot), 0.00 vs. 0.10 (coasting), and 0.01 vs. 0.11 (bench sitting), respectively. These data suggest that PlayerLoad demonstrates moderate-to-large test-retest reliability in the environmental setting of male Division I collegiate ice hockey. Without previously testing reliability, these data are important as PlayerLoad is routinely quantified in male collegiate ice hockey to assess on ice physical activity.

Upper body strength and power are associated with shot speed in men's ice hockey

Background: Recent studies that addressed shot speed in ice hockey have focused on the relationship between shot speed and variables such as a player's skills or hockey stick construction and its properties. There has been a lack of evidence that considers the relationship between shot speed and player strength, particularly in players at the same skill level. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between maximal puck velocity of two shot types (the wrist shot and the slap shot) and players' upper body strength and power. Methods: Twenty male professional and semi-professional ice hockey players (mean age 23.3 ± 2.4 years) participated in this study. The puck velocity was measured in five trials of the wrist shot and five trials of the slap shot performed by every subject. All of the shots were performed on ice in a stationary position 11.6 meters in front of an electronic device that measures the speed of the puck. The selected strength and power variables were: muscle power in concentric contraction in the countermovement bench press with 40 kg and 50 kg measured with the FiTRODyne Premium device; bench press one-repetition maximum; and grip strength measured by digital hand dynamometer. Results: The correlations between strength/power variables and the puck velocity in the wrist shot and the slap shot ranged between .29-.72 and .16-.62, respectively. Puck velocities produced by wrist shots showed significant correlations with bench press muscle power with 40 kg (p = .004) and 50 kg (p < .001); and one-repetition maximum in bench press (p = .004). The slap shot puck velocity was significantly associated with bench press muscle power with 40 kg (p = .014) and 50 kg (p = .004). Conclusions: This study provides evidence that there are significant associations between shot speed and upper body strength and power.

Effect of ice hockey stick stiffness on performance

Hockey sticks have undergone a dramatic transformation from wood to aluminum to composite in just over the past 20 years. With the introduction of different materials, there has been increasing interest in how the material properties affect shot speed. This study examined the effects of stick stiffness from measured swing motion on puck speed. Stick evaluation involved a six amateur player study, quasi-static stiffness measurement, video motion analysis, and numerical simulation. The effect of stiffness on puck speed was observed to depend on shot type. For shots involving large stick loading, as occurs with a slap shot, puck speed decreased as stick stiffness increased. The trend was consistent with a constant force player model. For shots involving low stick loading, as occurs with a wrist shot, puck speed increased as stick stiffness increased. The trend was consistent with a constant displacement player model. Finite element simulation of the slap shot agreed generally with the results of the player study and was used to find an optimal loading distance (distance that the stick contacts the ice prior to the puck) to be 24 cm.

Numerical Simulation of the Ice Hockey Slap Shot

With the introduction of new materials in ice hockey sticks in the past several decades there is increasing interest in material properties that affect the slap shot. Stick interrogation is complicated due to the variation from player to player and even shot to shot. To isolate the parameters affecting puck speed, a finite element model was employed that simulated a slap shot. The stick was modeled as a linear elastic material and the puck was modeled as a viscoelastic material. Puck speeds found good agreement with experiment and increased slightly with increasing shaft stiffness. The trend was attributed to the constant displacement boundary condition used in the model, which may be more appropriate for low force wrist shots, however. Stick mass moment of inertia had no effect on puck speeds while impacting the puck closer to the toe resulted in higher shot speeds.

TREATMENT OF POST CONCUSSION SYNDROME (PCS) WITH HEMI-NEGLECT FOLLOWING MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (mTBI) IN A HOCKEY PLAYER: A CASE STUDY

Event Abstract Back to Event TREATMENT OF POST CONCUSSION SYNDROME (PCS) WITH HEMI-NEGLECT FOLLOWING MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (mTBI) IN A HOCKEY PLAYER: A CASE STUDY Frederick R. Carrick1, 2*, Benjamin R. Behrendt1, 3* and Amber Rayo3 1 Carrick Institute for Graduate Studies, United States 2 University of Cambridge (BCMHR-CU), Senior Research Fellow of Bedfordshire Centre for Mental Health Research, United Kingdom 3 NeuroWorks Healthcare LLC, United States Background: A thirty-seven-year-old professional male hockey player was referred our clinic for ongoing left-sided hemi-neglect syndrome which stemmed from repeated concussions/mTBI injuries during play. Main concussions include: slap shot to his infraorbital area and an elbow blow to his posterior head. His symptoms were perceived as ongoing fogginess, visual field reduction, instability (especially feeling of falling backward), incoordination on stairs, depression, left-sided hemi-neglect including: motor and sensory loss, and stiffness. Methods: Diagnostic, pre/post assessments were performed with videonystagmography (VNG), computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) and neurological physical examinations. Examination confirmed a post concussion syndrome with centrally maintained vestibulopathy. Oculomotor programs, left-sided manipulation procedures, specific hockey drills and complex motor skill training were introduced with a graduated vestibular/brain based protocol utilizing multi-axis labyrinthine and otolithic stimulation (increasing duration and including pitch) over a six-day period intensive multi-day therapy. Results: Stability scores improved mainly with ability to maintain an upright stance with head positioned in extension on a perturbed surface during CDP; improving 47.6%, VNG testing revealed improved oculomotility, on-ice hockey accuracy and drills improved with less fatigue, and left-sided neglect symptoms improved. Conclusion: A brain based rehabilitation program to recalibrate central structures may be used to help improve functional outcomes in individuals who suffer PCS and mTBI. Authors suggest further investigation into this treatment in sports-related concussions. Keywords: Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI), post concussion syndrome (PCS), Vestibular Rehabilitation, Off Vertical Axis Rotation (OVAR), sports concussion, Hockey Conference: International Symposium on Clinical Neuroscience: TBI and Neurodegeneration, Orlando, Florida, United States, 10 Dec - 14 Dec, 2015. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Clinical aspects of TBI and Neurodegeneration Citation: Carrick FR, Behrendt BR and Rayo A (2015). TREATMENT OF POST CONCUSSION SYNDROME (PCS) WITH HEMI-NEGLECT FOLLOWING MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (mTBI) IN A HOCKEY PLAYER: A CASE STUDY. Front. Neurol. Conference Abstract: International Symposium on Clinical Neuroscience: TBI and Neurodegeneration. doi: 10.3389/conf.fneur.2015.58.00041 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 30 Oct 2015; Published Online: 02 Nov 2015. * Correspondence: Prof. Frederick R Carrick, Carrick Institute for Graduate Studies, Cape Canaveral, FL, 32920, United States, drfrcarrick@gmail.com Dr. Benjamin R Behrendt, NeuroWorks Healthcare LLC, Marietta, GA, United States, drben@neuroworkshealthcare.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Frederick R Carrick Benjamin R Behrendt Amber Rayo Google Frederick R Carrick Benjamin R Behrendt Amber Rayo Google Scholar Frederick R Carrick Benjamin R Behrendt Amber Rayo PubMed Frederick R Carrick Benjamin R Behrendt Amber Rayo Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Improving ice hockey slap shot analysis using three-dimensional optical motion capture: A pilot study determining the effects of a novel grip tape on slap shot performance

There have been significant improvements in ice hockey equipment technology within the last decade; however, little is known about how these improvements are affecting puck mechanics. The purpose of this study was to develop a testing protocol using three-dimensional motion capture to improve ice hockey shot analysis by providing additional information to traditional shot analysis techniques. Then, the feasibility of this protocol was tested by performing a pilot study that analyzes the effects of a new grip tape on slap shot performance. Four elite hockey players performed four slap shots in each of the four conditions: (1) bare hockey stick/normal hockey gloves, (2) traditional hockey tape stick/normal gloves, (3) Greptile™ tape stick/normal gloves and (4) Greptile™ tape stick/Greptile™ gloves. Reflective markers attached to the puck, stick and target were tracked by a three-dimensional optical motion capture system recording at 200 Hz. Linear and angular velocities of the puck, accuracy and puck topple were not different between condition 1 and the remaining three grip conditions; however, there were accuracy differences between conditions 1 and 3. In addition, there were no correlations between angular velocity and shot accuracy, and puck topple and shot accuracy. Due to the small sample size, the effects of Greptile™ tape on slap shot performance must be further tested in order to compare the four conditions with more advanced statistics; however, the developed research strategy, using three-dimensional motion analysis, provides an approach to researchers and companies that are interested in identifying the effects of new hockey equipment/technologies on slap shot performance.

Field Measurements of Ice Hockey Stick Performance and Player Motion

Hockey sticks have undergone a dramatic transformation from wood to aluminum to composite in just over 10 years. Other than reduced weight, it is not clear what advantage composite materials provide. This study examined the effects of stick stiffness and swing motion on puck speed. Stick evaluation involved a six player field study, quasi-static stiffness measurement, and video motion analysis. The difference in average puck speed between players was greater (32%) than the difference between sticks (14%). No effect of inertia or swing speed was observed on slap shot puck speeds. Prior to puck impact, the stick-ice contact had a large effect on generating puck speed. Swings where the blade bounced on the ice, released energy stored in the stick, resulting in lower puck speeds. Puck speed was sensitive to stick stiffness and depended on the shot motion. Shots employing large player force, such has a slap shot, tended to follow a constant player force model. Shots employing a small player force, such as a wrist shot, tended to follow a constant player motion model.

Vibrational characteristics of wood, aluminum, and composite hockey sticks

The stick used by ice hockey players consists of a long straight shaft attached to a curved blade. Composite materials have replaced wood and aluminum shafts for the vast majority of current professional and amateur players. The stiffness of the shaft plays a crucial role in the amount of potential energy that can be stored and released during a slap shot. Shafts are available in a wide range of stiffness and flex ratings in order to match player preference. Several wood, aluminum, and composite shafts were tested using a roving hammer experimental modal analysis with and without their blades. Mode shapes of the shaft tested alone were found to be those of a free-free beam. For shafts of similar lengths, aluminum shafts had the highest resonance frequencies and the lowest damping coefficients, while wood shafts had the lowest frequencies and the highest damping. Vibrational characteristics of whole sticks, including one-piece, two-piece sticks (shaft and blade from same material), and hybrid (shaft and blade of different materials) show that the presence of the blade significantly lowers the frequencies of the torsional modes of vibration. These results, especially damping coefficients, suggest reasons for the anecdotally preferred “feel” provided by composite sticks.

Encyclopedia of sports films

Whether chronicling an athlete's rise, fall, and redemption or following a team's improbable triumph on the field, sports have been a favorite theme of filmmakers almost since movies were first produced. And whether focusing on soccer (Bend It Like Beckham), boxing (Rocky and its sequels), hockey (Slap Shot), baseball (Bull Durham), football (The Longest Yard), basketball (Hoosiers), cycling (Breaking Away), or tennis (Wimbledon), such films capture the competition and thrill of sport. All major films with a primary focus on athletic endeavor are contained in Encyclopedia of Sports Films. In this volume, more than 200 fictional feature-length movies released between 1925 and 2010 are described, including comedies, dramas, and biopics. While the focus is on Hollywood productions, independent films and foreign releases are also represented. Though boxing and baseball films have tended to dominate the genre, many other sports are also included here, including skiing, curling, and cricket. Arranged alphabetically by title, each main entry contains a synopsis of the film, principal production information, and a critical analysis. In addition to the main entries, credits and brief descriptions for more than 200 films are also provided. DVD and VHS distributors are included, if available. Appendixes include made-for-television movies, documentaries, and films based on or inspired by true events and persons. For teachers who wish to incorporate films into their lesson plans, as well as librarians ordering titles for their patrons, Encyclopedia of Sports Films will be a valuable resource.