Although sport is often touted as a vehicle for positive experiences, many investigations into sporting cultures – particularly high performance sport – have highlighted how predatory or abusive behaviour by coaches can emerge and be tolerated. The potential for (and reality of) abuse in youth sport is based on various factors. This includes the reputation […] … learn more→

Now that the beginning of the school year is approaching, it is time for parents to decide what extracurricular activities our children will do. Will they continue with the swimming lessons? Or do we better target them for math reinforcement? It is normal that, in these circumstances, we doubt if we are not saturating the little ones […] … learn more→

Two weeks before the start of the Tokyo Olympics, a state of emergency has been declared by the Japanese government in its latest attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19. It’s another setback for these Olympics, which have already been postponed for a year and will now go ahead without any spectators. With concerns that the Tokyo […] … learn more→

The petition presented to parliament last week calling for trans women to be excluded from women’s sport is simply the latest round in a difficult and volatile global debate. Organised by Save Women’s Sport Australasia, the petition challenges Sport New Zealand’s “draft guiding principles for the participation of transgender players in sport” for failing to consult widely enough. […] … learn more→

Less than a decade after 18-year-old Kobe Bryant got drafted into the NBA in 1996, the league made all players spend at least one year in college or playing overseas before they could enter the professional basketball league. That rule may be about to be rescinded, paving the way for today’s star high school players to […] … learn more→

1. Will this measure bring new opportunities for student athletes? I think that remains to be seen. For the few college superstars in football and mens’ basketball, there will potentially be more marketing opportunities at the large-scale level, such as national and international endorsement deals, camp appearances and apparel contracts. For others, there may be […] … learn more→

When high schools compete against each other in sports, often the winner is not the school with the best talent, it’s the one with the most financial resources to help develop and support its athletes. Perhaps nowhere is that stark reality more evident than in Des Moines, Iowa. From 2009 through 2018, football teams at […] … learn more→

The California state legislature has approved a bill that allows college athletes to earn money through athletic endorsements starting in 2023. The governor hasn’t said whether he’ll sign the bill into law. Jasmine Harris, an expert on student athletes, addresses how the bill, known as “Fair Pay to Play Act,” would alter college athletics if it […] … learn more→

When the NFL draft takes place, it will represent a professional dream come true for the 224 college football players who get picked. For most players, however, going pro will never be more than a fantasy. Fewer than 2% of college student-athletes ever play professional sports at any level for any amount of time. But that statistic often fails […] … learn more→

As millions of people tune in to watch the Final Four, much of their focus will be on the numbers on the scoreboard. But a March 2019 report from U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, calls attention to numbers of a different sort. The report – titled “Madness, Inc.” – details just how […] … learn more→