"These vivid, insightful stories will inevitably change how readers think about sports, how they watch sports, and perhaps even how they play sports. Should be required reading for college athletes and anyone hoping to pursue a career in sociology or sports."

--Mariah Burton Nelson, author of The Stronger Women Get, the More Men Love Football

"With the careful introductions and excellent suggestions for films, discussions, and projects, Inside Sports will be an excellent reader for any undergraduate course in the sociology of sports."

--Gary Fine, Northwestern University

Routledge Web Site, May, 2000

From baseball and hockey to golf and gymnastics, this is a unique collection of stories of people involved in sports. Researchers interviewed athletes and supporters, including elite athletes and little league parents, to explore a wide range of physical activity. The contributions not only show how sport studies can contribute to the wider study of society, but also describe the methodologies, difficulties and challenges involved in research of this kind.

Inside Sports is divided into four sections that cover the major social processes of sports experiences for different people in different settings: being introduced to sports; becoming an athlete; doing sports; and life beyond the playing field. It includes discussion questions, film and video suggestions, and lists of further reading. This book uncovers dimensions of experience that challenge popular beliefs about sport participation and its impact on people's lives.