Two weekends ago, I watched my niece compete in the Missouri state high school track and field championships. As a graduated senior, it was the last competition of her high school career—and perhaps the last competition in this event in her life. Not surprisingly, she was a little emotional when … Read more
Kirsten Jones is a Hall of Fame NCAA Division I volleyball player, fifteen-year Nike executive, motivational speaker, Peak Performance coach, host of the interview podcast “Raising Athletes” and author of the essential sports parenting guide Raising Empowered Athletes: A Youth Sports Parenting Guide for Raising Happy, Brave, and Resilient Kids. … Read more
I have written two previous articles about the definition of a sport and the criteria that distinguish sport from non-sport (see What Is a Sport? and The Characteristics of a Sport). In a recent article, academics Giulia Sesa and Silvia Camporesi of KU Leuven in Leuven, Belgium, argue for another … Read more
A former professional cyclist, James Hamilton Hibbard studied philosophy at The University of California, Santa Cruz and DePaul University. He has received grants and been selected for workshops by PEN America and Tin House. He is the author of the book The Art of Cycling: Philosophy, Meaning, and a Life … Read more
For over a decade, I have maintained a website covering various topics related to sports without writing a word about my favorite team in sports. I have been a Chicago White Sox fan for as long as I can remember. My parents told me I learned to read in part … Read more
In 2015, the World Health Organization deemed climate change “the greatest threat to global health in the 21st century.” Unchecked global warming will lead to extreme heat, increased flooding, food and water scarcity and more prevalent disease. It will also impact countless other aspects of our daily lives, including sports … Read more
Figure skating, ice dancing, bobsledding and fake snow take center stage as I look at a variety of topics related to the recent Winter Olympics. The 2022 Winter Olympics wrapped up nine days ago, concluding a global sporting event often overshadowed by issues beyond sports. An ongoing global pandemic, the … Read more
Earlier this year, the International Olympic Committee announced that the 2024 Summer Olympics will feature breakdancing as an event. In light of this news, it’s time to once again examine the characteristics of a sport. A Working Definition In a previous article, “What Is a Sport?,” I proposed two essential … Read more
In early May, The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in favor of new regulations proposed by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). These rules would prevent female athletes who are 46 XY DSD (i.e. have an X and a Y chromosome and differences in sexual development) from competing as … Read more
One month ago, The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in favor of new regulations proposed by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). These rules would prevent athletes with differences in sexual development (DSD) from competing as females if their testosterone levels do not fall within a certain … Read more