To help teachers make use of Engaging Sports in the classroom, we have created the following “syllabus” of articles organized under some of the major topics covered in sociology of sport (updated August 2022).

COVID-19 Pandemic

The following articles may help students think about sport in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Putting School on Ice? COVID-19 and the U SPORTS to Professional Hockey Pipeline

An Uneven Playing Surface: Rethinking the Backyard Ice Rink

The Tokyo Olympics and the “Death Drive” of Capitalism

Taiwanese Nationalism and Professional Baseball in the Time of COVID-19

“Doing Nothing: During the COVID-19 Suspension of Sport

The Human Impact of a Sport-less Society

Being a Basketball Fan During the Black Lives Matter Movement and a Global Pandemic

Sport & activism

The following articles may help students consider the relationship between sport and social activism.

The Audacity of the Black Athlete: How Naomi Osaka’s French Open Protest Exposed Anti-Blackness, Racial Capitalism & Misogynoir in Professional Sports

Who’s Afraid of Naomi Osaka?

When Being Black Rises Above Being an Athlete

Being a Basketball Fan During the Black Lives Matter Movement and a Global Pandemic

Kicking Toward a Different Goal: Black Activism and Transnational Anti-Racism in English Soccer

Anything but Race: NFL Fans’ Avoidance of the Issue

The Enduring Legacy of the “Black Power” Salute

For NFL Players, Social Media is Key to Winning PR Battle Over Anthem Protests

#PlayingWhileWhite: The Colin Kaepernick Saga and the (A)political White Athlete

Gender & sexuality

The following articles may help students to consider the ways in which sports reproduce (and at times challenge) dominant ideologies related to gender and sexuality.

How U.S. Politicians are Using Moral Panics to Sideline Trans Athletes

Are You a Sports Fan? (Your Gender and Sexuality May Have Something to Do With It)

Women MMA Athletes: Challenging or Preserving Patriarchy in Intimate Relationships?

The X League: An Illegal Hold on Women’s Sporting Possibilities

New Title IX Sexual Assault Guidelines Mean Less Accountability for Athletics

Gendered Experiences in eSports

North American Women’s Ice Hockey Players Struggle for a League of Their Own

The Demise of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League: A re-cap

It’s Time to Invest in Women’s Soccer

What’s in a Name? Sexism in Rock Climbing Route Names

Engendering Fandom: Audience Building in Women’s Professional Soccer

Marchand’s “Kissing” and the NHL’s Hypocrisy

Aly Raisman and Rhetorical Activism: Complicating the “Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Conundrum”

“Hey, Pretty Girl”: Sexual Harassment in Sports Media

A Riveting Deal with the Devil(s): Advancing Women’s Professional Hockey

Quidditch: ‘Spelling’ Out Gender in Sport

From Sierens to Mowins, Challenges and Advances for Female Sportscasters

Golfing with the “Ladies”

Accepting or Subverting Norms of Femininity? The Case of Female Bodybuilders

Promoting Diversity through Solidarity: The Sports Women of Tampa (SWOT) and the Pursuit of Gender Equality

Building Inclusive Sporting Communities: The Relationship Between Academia and the You Can Play Project

Success at Last? The National Women’s Soccer League Kicks Off Fifth Season

“One Shining Moment” – NCAA March Madness and Male Emotional Expression

Better Locker Rooms: It’s Not Just a Transgender Thing

Why Minnesota’s Near Boycott Matters to Fans and Critics of College Football

Podium Girls: Time to End the “Tradition”

Sexism and the Super Bowl: What Can We Learn from Female Sports Fans?

Gender Equality Achieved? A Look at Women’s Tennis and Corporate Social Responsibility

Race, ethnicity, & nationality

The following articles may help students to consider the ways in which sports reproduce (and at times challenge) dominant ideologies related to race, ethnicity, and nationality.

“I’m Never Playing Again”: Barriers to Success for Racialized Canadian Hockey Players

Historical Memory and the Rangers vs Celtic Soccer Rivalry in Scotland

Black Girls RUN! and the Importance of Finding a Fitness Community

Orientalism and Media Coverage of the 2022 Qatar World Cup

The Audacity of the Black Athlete: How Naomi Osaka’s French Open Protest Exposed Anti-Blackness, Racial Capitalism & Misogynoir in Professional Sports

Remembering Kobe Bryant, the Black Man

Being a Basketball Fan During the Black Lives Matter Movement and a Global Pandemic

When Being Black Rises Above Being an Athlete

Kicking Toward a Different Goal: Black Activism and Transnational Anti-Racism in English Soccer

Taiwanese Nationalism and Professional Baseball in the Time of COVID-19

Celebrating Irishness in Scotland: Celtic Football Club’s Historic 1967 Victory in Europe

How India Came to Love Cricket, Favored Sport of its Colonial British Rulers

Whose History Matters? Diversity and the Canadian Outdoors

Race and Social Class in College Football Positions: Why Black Quarterbacks are Economically Poorer than Black Running Backs

I’m a Marijuana User and a “Good Person”: Race and Marijuana Use in Sport

The Ogwumike Sisters Offer a Way to Think Differently About the Black Athlete

Anything but Race: NFL Fans’ Avoidance of the Issue

The Enduring Legacy of the “Black Power” Salute

Soccer, Race and Empire: Locating the Past in the Present

What Counts as National Tragedy? The Cruel Pessimism of Humboldt

Challenging the Narrative of #HumboldtStrong: Power, Politics, and Sporting Nationalism

Who Represents South Korea? Selective Nationalism in Korean Ice Hockey

Media Coverage of the Nigerian Women’s Bobsled Team will be…Complicated

Assessing the Patterns: Race, Class, and Opportunities in American Football

The “Savage” of Savage Race

#PlayingWhileWhite: The Colin Kaepernick Saga and the (A)political White Athlete

Maccabiah 2017: The 20th Jewish Olympics

From Reviled to Respected: The Half-Century Evolution from Muhammad Ali’s “Draft Dodging”

Globalizing March Madness

#SheBelieves, But Who is She? Race, Ethnicity, and the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team

Boundaries Are a Reality For Sporting Migrants

Tennis on Colonized Land: A trip to Indian Wells, California

Race and Recruiting on College Football Message Boards

Sir Andy Murray “Down Under”

#LOL at Multiculturalism: Reactions to Hockey Night Punjabi

Social class, labor, & society

The following articles may encourage students to think critically about issues of social class and labor/work in sports and society.

The Precarious Labor of Professional Skateboarders

An Uneven Playing Surface: Rethinking the Backyard Ice Rink

The Neoliberal Legacy of “The Decision” and Media Framing NBA Free Agency

Who’s Afraid of Naomi Osaka?

Race and Social Class in College Football Positions: Why Black Quarterbacks are Economically Poorer than Black Running Backs

Women’s Soccer in the United States: A “Wealth” Of Talent

What Counts as National Tragedy? The Cruel Pessimism of Humboldt

Challenging the Narrative of #HumboldtStrong: Power, Politics, and Sporting Nationalism

Bicycles as a Tool for Development?

Assessing the Patterns: Race, Class, and Opportunities in American Football

Complicating “True Fandom”: Reflections on the Cleveland Browns “Perfect Season” Parade

Unity for What? The Togetherness Created by Sports

Media

The following articles may help raise critical questions about the relationship between sports and the media.

The Precarious Labor of Professional Skateboarders

Orientalism and Media Coverage of the 2022 Qatar World Cup

The Neoliberal Legacy of “The Decision” and Media Framing NBA Free Agency

College Athletes’ Voices Are Sidelined in Media Coverage of NIL Debate

The Critical Sports Podcast

Inequities in Media Coverage of Mental Health in Professional Sports

For NFL Players, Social Media is Key to Winning PR Battle Over Anthem Protests

#Muslim #Sportswoman: Dismantling Dominant Narratives through Digital Media

Media Coverage of the Nigerian Women’s Bobsled Team will be…Complicated

“Hey, Pretty Girl”: Sexual Harassment in Sports Media

From Sierens to Mowins, Challenges and Advances for Female Sportscasters

Are esports the Next Major League Sport?

“Stick to Sports:” Politics and the Sports Media in the Digital Age

Corporate social responsibility

The following articles may be helpful in encouraging students to consider critical questions about issues of corporate social responsibility in sport.

Are Bikes Good for the Environment?

The Tokyo Olympics and the “Death Drive” of Capitalism

Sport for Sustainable Development? Sport, Corporate Social Responsibility, and “Greenwashing” in the Extractives Industry

British Soccer Stadium Safety and Glasgow’s Ibrox Crowd Disaster of 1971

Whose History Matters? Diversity and the Canadian Outdoors

#Commongoal: Athletic Philanthropy and the Limits of Charity

To See the World through a Mountain: Mount Gariwang and the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Games

And the Circus Leaves Town…! Rio 2016’s Emerging Legacy

Sporting mega-events

The following articles may help students consider critical questions about the impacts and issues associated with sporting mega-events, such as the Olympic Games.

Orientalism and Media Coverage of the 2022 Qatar World Cup

The Tokyo Olympics and the & “Death Drive” of Capitalism

The Enduring Legacy of the “Black Power” Salute

Who Represents South Korea? Selective Nationalism in Korean Ice Hockey

Watching the World Cup Through Sociological Lenses

Winter Olympics, the Games of the Few

Desperate Times, Desperate Measures for the IOC

To See the World through a Mountain: Mount Gariwang and the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Games

Maccabiah 2017: The 20th Jewish Olympics

The IOC and the United Nations: Strategic and Strange Bedfellows?

And the Circus Leaves Town…! Rio 2016’s Emerging Legacy

Fitness

The following articles may help students consider critical questions related to fitness practices and cultures.

Black Girls RUN! and the Importance of Finding a Fitness Community

CrossFit: Reimagining the Body in a Bodiless World

The “Savage” of Savage Race

Health, violence, & injury

The following aricles may help students consider critical issues regarding the relationship between sports, violence, injuries, and people’s health.

The New “Sleep-Friendly” NBA

Concussion in Canadian Surf Culture

Combat Sports: Fighting for Community

I’m a Marijuana User and a “Good Person”: Race and Marijuana Use in Sport

Understanding the Concussion Crisis in Sport

Inequities in Media Coverage of Mental Health in Professional Sports

The Process of Becoming a Doper

Can Technology Alone Solve the “Concussion Crisis”?

Criminology

The following articles may help students consider critical questions regarding the relationship between sports and criminology.

Criminal Behavior and College Football

Sport Behind Bars: Social Control, Resistance, and the Physical Culture of Prisons

Religion

The following articles may help students consider critical questions regarding the relationship between sports and religion.

Historical Memory and the Rangers vs Celtic Soccer Rivalry in Scotland

Orientalism and Media Coverage of the 2022 Qatar World Cup

#Muslim #Sportswoman: Dismantling Dominant Narratives through Digital Media

From Reviled to Respected: The Half-Century Evolution from Muhammad Ali’s “Draft Dodging”

Tim Tebow’s Baseball Rebirth in Trump’s America

Environment & sustainability

The following articles may help students consider critical issues regarding the relationship between sports, sustainability, and the environment.

Are Bikes Good for the Environment?

“Do You Know How Few People Have Seen the View We’re Seeing Right Now?”: Outdoor Recreation and the Wilderness Ideal

A Wake-Up Call? Donald Trump, Sport, and Sustainable Development

To See the World through a Mountain: Mount Gariwang and the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic and Paralympic Games

College sport

The following articles may help students consider critical issues in college sport.

Putting School on Ice? COVID-19 and the U SPORTS to Professional Hockey Pipeline

College Athletes’ Voices Are Sidelined in Media Coverage of NIL Debate

When Being Black Rises Above Being an Athlete

New Title IX Sexual Assault Guidelines Mean Less Accountability for Athletics

In Scandal After Scandal, NCAA Takes Fall for Complicit Colleges

Are Universities Helping Athletes “Go Pro in Something Other Than Sports?”

Criminal Behavior and College Football

Jubilant Times Can Spotlight the Shadows

Globalizing March Madness

Why Minnesota’s Near Boycott Matters to Fans and Critics of College Football

Race and Recruiting on College Football Message Boards

By Sport

Below, you will find a listing of Engaging Sports articles organized according to the sport on which the article focuses.

Baseball

Taiwanese Nationalism and Professional Baseball in the Time of COVID-19

Tim Tebow’s Baseball Rebirth in Trump’s America

Soccer, Race and Empire: Locating the Past in the Present

Basketball

The Neoliberal Legacy of “The Decision” and Media Framing NBA Free Agency

Remembering Kobe Bryant, the Black Man

The New “Sleep-Friendly” NBA

Being a Basketball Fan During the Black Lives Matter Movement and a Global Pandemic

The Ogwumike Sisters Offer a Way to Think Differently About the Black Athlete

Inequities in Media Coverage of Mental Health in Professional Sports

Professional Sports Fans Will Always Be Disappointed

Jubilant Times Can Spotlight the Shadows

“One Shining Moment” – NCAA March Madness and Male Emotional Expression

Globalizing March Madness

Boundaries Are a Reality For Sporting Migrants

Combat Sports

Women MMA Athletes: Challenging or Preserving Patriarchy in Intimate Relationships?

Combat Sports: Fighting for Community

From Reviled to Respected: The Half-Century Evolution from Muhammad Ali’s “Draft Dodging”

Cycling

Are Bikes Good for the Environment?

Bicycles as a Tool for Development?

Podium Girls: Time to End the “Tradition”

eSports

Gendered Experiences in eSports

Are esports the Next Major League Sport?

Football (American)

The X League: An Illegal Hold on Women’s Sporting Possibilities

Race and Social Class in College Football Positions: Why Black Quarterbacks are Economically Poorer than Black Running Backs

I’m a Marijuana User and a “Good Person”: Race and Marijuana Use in Sport

Anything but Race: NFL Fans’ Avoidance of the Issue

Complicating “True Fandom”: Reflections on the Cleveland Browns “Perfect Season” Parade

Assessing the Patterns: Race, Class, and Opportunities in American Football

Criminal Behavior and College Football

#PlayingWhileWhite: The Colin Kaepernick Saga and the (A)political White Athlete

Why Minnesota’s Near Boycott Matters to Fans and Critics of College Football

Sexism and the Super Bowl: What Can We Learn from Female Sports Fans?

Race and Recruiting on College Football Message Boards

Football (soccer)

Historical Memory and the Rangers vs Celtic Soccer Rivalry in Scotland

Orientalism and Media Coverage of the 2022 Qatar World Cup

British Soccer Stadium Safety and Glasgow’s Ibrox Crowd Disaster of 1971

Kicking Toward a Different Goal: Black Activism and Transnational Anti-Racism in English Soccer

Celebrating Irishness in Scotland: Celtic Football Club’s Historic 1967 Victory in Europe

Women’s Soccer in the United States: A “Wealth” Of Talent

It’s Time to Invest in Women’s Soccer

Soccer, Race and Empire: Locating the Past in the Present

Engendering Fandom: Audience Building in Women’s Professional Soccer

Until Youth Soccer is Fixed, US Men’s National Team is Destined to Fail

#Commongoal: Athletic Philanthropy and the Limits of Charity

Success at Last? The National Women’s Soccer League Kicks Off Fifth Season

#SheBelieves, But Who is She? Race, Ethnicity, and the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team

Golf

A Wake-Up Call? Donald Trump, Sport, and Sustainable Development

Golfing with the “Ladies”

Ice hockey

“I’m Never Playing Again”: Barriers to Success for Racialized Canadian Hockey Players

Putting School on Ice? COVID-19 and the U SPORTS to Professional Hockey Pipeline

An Uneven Playing Surface: Rethinking the Backyard Ice Rink

North American Women’s Ice Hockey Players Struggle for a League of Their Own

The Demise of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League: A re-cap

What Counts as National Tragedy? The Cruel Pessimism of Humboldt

Challenging the Narrative of #HumboldtStrong: Power, Politics, and Sporting Nationalism

Who Represents South Korea? Selective Nationalism in Korean Ice Hockey

Marchand’s “Kissing” and the NHL’s Hypocrisy

A Riveting Deal with the Devil(s): Advancing Women’s Professional Hockey

Building Inclusive Sporting Communities: The Relationship Between Academia and the You Can Play Project

Can Technology Alone Solve the “Concussion Crisis”?

#LOL at Multiculturalism: Reactions to Hockey Night Punjabi

Outdoor/Alternative Sports

The Precarious Labor of Professional Skateboarders

Concussion in Canadian Surf Culture

Whose History Matters? Diversity and the Canadian Outdoors

“Do You Know How Few People Have Seen the View We’re Seeing Right Now?”: Outdoor Recreation and the Wilderness Ideal

What’s in a Name? Sexism in Rock Climbing Route Names

The “Savage” of Savage Race

CrossFit: Reimagining the Body in a Bodiless World

Tennis

The Audacity of the Black Athlete: How Naomi Osaka’s French Open Protest Exposed Anti-Blackness, Racial Capitalism & Misogynoir in Professional Sports

Who’s Afraid of Naomi Osaka?

New Balls Please! Recognizing the Sociological Importance of Tennis

Opening up the Game: Remembering Wimbledon’s Role in the Movement for “Open Tennis”

Tennis on Colonized Land: A trip to Indian Wells, California

Gender Equality Achieved? A Look at Women’s Tennis and Corporate Social Responsibility

Sir Andy Murray “Down Under”