- Table View
- List View
It’s Not Banter, It’s Racism: What Cricket’s Dirty Secret Reveals About Our Society
by Azeem RafiqTHE STORY OF ONE MAN WHO CHANGED THE FACE OF CRICKET FOREVER.'Azeem's first legacy - a legacy carved at great personal expense - was to expose how cricket works. His second gift may be to expose how this country works, too.' Jonathan LiewWhen Azeem Rafiq was a young boy playing cricket near his home in Pakistan, he could never have foreseen that this sport would change his life forever. He fell in love with the game quickly and it wasn't long before the white flannels and green grass felt like home to him. When he moved to England, he became the youngest man to captain a Yorkshire side and the first person of Asian descent to do so. His talent was undeniable, and doors were opening for him.But there was something Azeem was bottling up and it was about to explode out of him and shake the whole cricket world, and wider society, out of their slumber. It's Not Banter, It's Racism is the never before-told truth behind the racism accusations that shocked a nation, from the moment Azeem spoke up to the resulting events that have altered his world entirely. With heartbreaking honesty, Azeem reveals why he will always use his voice in a society that would prefer him to be voiceless.'Azeem has stood up to the world, spoken back against evil. He has had victories. He has failed. He extends charity to others and he says no: no to racism. Because we must be better than our worst.' Stan Grant'Azeem's dream was to help England win the Ashes. That wasn't to be. But maybe, one day we'll reflect that his legacy to the game is far greater than winning any amount of Test series.' George Dobell'A principled whistleblower who stood up for what was right, Azeem has changed cricket forever.' Jennifer Robinson'Honest, open and powerful.' Baroness Warsi
Routledge Handbook of Sports and Exercise Therapy (Routledge International Handbooks)
by Keith WardThe Routledge Handbook of Sports and Exercise Therapy is a methodically detailed, authoritative, contemporaneous and practical reference source for all those involved in sports and exercise therapy, whether students, established practitioners, educators or researchers. This comprehensive handbook cohesively presents foundational subjects and introduces principles and applications to support the development and practice of sports and exercise therapists.These are presented alongside new essential and evolving topic areas. Such a blend of fundamental underpinning and applied and experiential practical guidance gives this handbook a real sense of relevancy, and a contribution which can help to consolidate the positioning of sports and exercise therapists as key practitioners in an advancing landscape of health, exercise, sport, research and education. The handbook has been produced to create a seamless reference source for readers, but each of its chapters are also designed to be stand-alone presentations in their own right. The following areas are covered: Learning and teaching Evidence-based practice Anatomy and physiology Pathology of injuries Health and safety Clinical assessment Therapeutic modalities Injury rehabilitation Sports and exercise as medicine Sports and exercise nutrition Sports and exercise psychology Professionalism and ethics Structural and cultural competency Sideline sports injury management Management of regional injury conditions Case studies in sports and exercise therapy Employability and career development The handbook is comprehensively referenced and multi-authored. Its design incorporates numerous photographs, figures, tables and detailed sample document templates. It can be considered as an essential and topical resource for anyone involved in sports and exercise therapy, whether in their first year as an undergraduate or already working in professional practice.
50 Ways Into Football: Dream Jobs On and Off the Pitch
by Dan Freedman Daniel GeeyThe ultimate playbook to dream jobs on and off the pitch. Inspiring stories from football legends and hidden heroes in the industry for football fans aged 9+. By bestselling authors Dan Freedman and Daniel Geey, with a foreword from Arsenal and England superstar, Declan Rice.Are you obsessed with football and do you want to know how to make it your future? Well, now you can!Football isn't just about becoming a pro. In fact, there are hundreds of people who help make magic on the pitch, whether it's the architect who designed the stadium, the coder who created your favourite game or the physio who got the star player fighting fit again. 50 Ways into Football gives you access to 50 leading experts who have made a career out of the beautiful game, from footballing legends to top-flight sports commentators and the people behind the scenes that ensure the smooth-running of the sport. This fantastic guide to the beautiful game will help you get excited about your future, so you can eventually score your dream job on or off the pitch.Contributors include:Declan RiceAlessia RussoLiv CookeSeb HutchinsonTekkz Reshmin ChoudhuryWill StillDavid Ornstein SmokeyChris Kavangah Flo Lloyd Hughes50 Ways Into Football is Dan's and Daniel's first book together - hopefully the first of many!
The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon
by Kevin FedarkoFrom one of Outside magazine&’s &“Literary All-Stars&” comes the thrilling true tale of the fastest boat ride ever through the Grand Canyon, atop the legendary Colorado River flood of 1983.In the spring of 1983, massive flooding along the length of the Colorado River confronted a team of engineers at the Glen Canyon Dam with an unprecedented emergency that may have resulted in the most catastrophic dam failure in history. In the midst of this crisis, the decision to launch a small wooden dory named &“The Emerald Mile&” at the head of the Grand Canyon, just fifteen miles downstream from the Glen Canyon Dam, seemed not just odd, but downright suicidal. The Emerald Mile, at one time slated to be destroyed, was rescued and brought back to life by Kenton Grua, the man at the oars, who intended to use this flood as a kind of hydraulic sling-shot. The goal was to nail the all-time record for the fastest boat ever propelled—by oar, by motor, or by the grace of God himself—through the heart of the Grand Canyon atop the Colorado River from Lee&’s Ferry to Lake Mead. Did he survive? Just barely. Now, this remarkable, epic feat unfolds here, in The Emerald Mile.
The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance
by W. Timothy GallweyThe timeless guide to achieving the state of &“relaxed concentration&” that&’s not only the key to peak performance in tennis but the secret to success in life itself—part of the bestselling Inner Game series, with more than one million copies sold!&“Groundbreaking . . . the best guide to getting out of your own way . . . Its profound advice applies to many other parts of life.&”—Bill Gates, GatesNotes (&“Five of My All-Time Favorite Books&”) This phenomenally successful guide to mastering the game from the inside out has become a touchstone for hundreds of thousands of people. Billie Jean King has called the book her tennis bible; Al Gore has used it to focus his campaign staff; and Itzhak Perlman has recommended it to young violinists. Based on W. Timothy Gallwey&’s profound realization that the key to success doesn&’t lie in holding the racket just right, or positioning the feet perfectly, but rather in keeping the mind uncluttered, this transformative book gives you the tools to unlock the potential that you&’ve possessed all along. &“The Inner Game&” is the one played within the mind of the player, against the hurdles of self-doubt, nervousness, and lapses in concentration. Gallwey shows us how to overcome these obstacles by trusting the intuitive wisdom of our bodies and achieving a state of &“relaxed concentration.&” With chapters devoted to trusting the self and changing habits, it is no surprise then, that Gallwey&’s method has had an impact far beyond the confines of the tennis court. Whether you want to play music, write a novel, get ahead at work, or simply unwind after a stressful day, Gallwey shows you how to tap into your utmost potential. No matter your goals, The Inner Game of Tennis gives you the definitive framework for long-term success.
Knockout: The Boxer and Boxing in American Cinema
by Leger GrindonKnockout: The Boxer and Boxing in American Cinema is the first book-length study of the Hollywood boxing film, a popular movie entertainment since the 1930s, that includes such classics as Million Dollar Baby, Rocky, and Raging Bull. The boxer stands alongside the cowboy, the gangster, and the detective as a character that shaped America’s ideas of manhood. Leger Grindon relates the Hollywood boxing film to the literature of Jack London, Ernest Hemingway, and Clifford Odets; the influence of ring champions, particularly Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali; and controversies surrounding masculinity, race, and sports. Knockout breaks new ground in film genre study by focusing on the fundamental dramatic conflicts uniting both documentary and fictional films with compelling social concerns. The boxing film portrays more than the rise and fall of a champion; it exposes the body to reveal the spirit. Not simply a brute, the screen boxer dramatizes conflicts and aspirations central to an American audience’s experience. This book features chapters on the conventions of the boxing film, the history of the genre and its relationship to famous ring champions, and self-contained treatments of thirty-two individual films including a chapter devoted to Raging Bull.
Physical Education for Young People with Disabilities: A Handbook of Practical Ideas Created by Practitioners for Practitioners
by Rebecca Foster Lerverne BarberPhysical Education for Young People with Disabilities explores a range of methods that will support teachers to be more inclusive in their practice when planning and teaching Physical Education. Offering many practical ideas to include pupils with specific additional needs across a range of activity areas, such as athletics, dance, gymnastics and swimming, this book will increase practitioners' confidence, enabling them to feel equipped to meet individual needs and include all pupils in their lessons. The range of authors provides a wide perspective and wealth of experience, and all the ideas have been trialled with students and young people, both nationally and internationally.Written by practitioners for practitioners, this book is a valuable resource for trainee teachers, in-service teachers and practitioners working in a practical or sporting context with young people, and will support Physical Education lessons and physical activity sessions.
Sports Nutrition: Enhancing Athletic Performance
by Bill I. CampBellWith the constant flow of information related to sports nutrition coming from scholarly journals, it is difficult to sift through it all and determine what is relevant. Sports Nutrition: Enhancing Athletic Performance helps in this endeavor, with more than 1,000 references from top academic journals, offering critical knowledge concerning nutrient
Deal Breaker: A gripping thriller from the #1 bestselling creator of hit Netflix show Fool Me Once (Myron Bolitar #1)
by Harlan CobenThe first Myron Bolitar thriller from the Number 1. bestselling author and creator of the hit Netflix show Fool Me Once. Talent agent Myron Bolitar is poised on the edge of the big time. So is Christian Steele, a footballer and Myron's prized client. But when Christian gets a phone call from a former girlfriend-a woman who everyone, including the police, believes is dead-the deal goes dangerously wrong. Trying to unravel the truth about a family's tragedy, a woman's secret, and a man's lies, Myron discovers the dark side of his business-where talent make you rich, but the truth can get you killed.
Rugby, Soccer and Irish Society: 1921-1990 (Routledge Research in Sports History)
by Conor MurrayThis book is the first academic all-island history of either rugby union or association football, two of the three most popular male sporting pastimes in Ireland, across the seven decades that followed the political partition of that country between 1920 and 1922.It moves beyond the occasionally simplistic explanations of the development of Irish sport that have focused on political and sectarian divisions, and goes deeper into the social, cultural and geographical dynamics of the island of Ireland to explain why certain people have played certain games in certain places. Drawing on historical and archival sources as well as cutting-edge geographical information systems, the book brings to life the spatial trends in each game’s administrative development and geographical distribution, that have not normally been a feature of many previous histories of Irish sport. The book also examines first-and-second-hand accounts of athletes and administrators involved in rugby and football during that period, to explore what it meant to represent a province or country at these crucial moments in Irish history and compares the Irish experience of both sports with experiences in other comparable countries.Shining important new light on the interactions between Irish rugby and football and the political, social, economic and cultural trends of Ireland in the twentieth century, this book is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in the history of sport, Ireland or the UK.
Communication and Sport: Surveying the Field
by Andrew C. Billings Michael L. ButterworthCommunication and Sport: Surveying the Field provides students with an understanding of sports media, rhetoric, culture, and organizations through an examination of a wide range of topics. Authors Andrew C. Billings and Michael L. Butterworth address everything from youth to amateur to professional sports through varied lenses, including mythology, community, and identity. A comprehensive focus on communication scholarship gives attention to the ways that sports produce, maintain, or resist cultural attitudes about race, gender, sexuality, class, and politics. The Fourth Edition includes new interviews with prominent figures in the field and new discussions on current events like the Black Lives Matter movement and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Communication and Sport: Surveying the Field
by Andrew C. Billings Michael L. ButterworthCommunication and Sport: Surveying the Field provides students with an understanding of sports media, rhetoric, culture, and organizations through an examination of a wide range of topics. Authors Andrew C. Billings and Michael L. Butterworth address everything from youth to amateur to professional sports through varied lenses, including mythology, community, and identity. A comprehensive focus on communication scholarship gives attention to the ways that sports produce, maintain, or resist cultural attitudes about race, gender, sexuality, class, and politics. The Fourth Edition includes new interviews with prominent figures in the field and new discussions on current events like the Black Lives Matter movement and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Tao of Equus (revised): A Woman's Journey of Healing and Transformation through the Way of the Horse
by Linda KohanovAfter more than 20 years in print, an updated edition of the evocative and transformational classic about the powerful bond between women and horses When Linda Kohanov wrote The Tao of Equus over twenty years ago, she posed questions that few were asking: Do horses make choices? How do they seem to know what people are thinking and feeling? Are horses spiritual beings? What do they have to teach people? Why are women so attracted to horses? The answers, detailed in this extraordinary chronicle that synthesizes science, behavioral research, and personal insight, transformed how we think about one of humanity’s oldest companions and established Kohanov at the vanguard of the emerging field of animal-assisted learning/therapy. In this updated edition, Kohanov weaves new developments in neurological science and scholarship into her original exploration of spiritual awakening, cultural history, and mythology. The Tao of Equus delves into the mental and spiritual processes behind the magical connections that people often experience with horses. It remains a powerful exploration of the feminine wisdom horses model, subtleties that women riders have intuited for centuries.
Wat Takes His Shot: The Life & Legacy of Basketball Hero Wataru Misaka
by Cheryl KimThe stirring biography of Japanese American basketball star Wataru Misaka--the first person of color to play in the NBA!As a kid, Wataru Misaka channeled his endless energy into playing sports. Every Sunday, he raced to the park where his Japanese American community came together to play basketball. Wat wasn't the tallest on the team, but he was fast and loved the game! Encouraged by his father to always do his best, Wat applied this mentality to every aspect and challenge in his life. Wat was a college student when the US government forced more than 122,000 Japanese Americans living on the West Coast into incarceration camps during WWII. He overcame racism and segregation to join his college's basketball team but despite Wat's impressive skills, he was treated as an outsider because he was Japanese American. Wat kept his eye on the ball, and his team-player mentality made him shine on and off the court. He became an inspiration to his Japanese American community. After helping Utah University's basketball team win the national championship in 1947, Wat was drafted by the New York Knicks, making him the first person of color to play in the NBA. Wat's motivational story of rising to any challenge and bringing your best to everything you do is a reminder of the power we each have to inspire others--if we just take our shot!
Nutrition and Supplements in Cycling
by Lewis A. Gough S. Andy SparksNutrition and Supplements in Cycling provides a blueprint for all the key nutritional aspects a cyclist should consider from health to macro- and micro-nutrients, and the finer details, such as sports supplements to improve competitive performance. As a result, cyclists and coaches can use this book as a handbook to help with supporting their own (or their athletes') health and performance through evidence-based nutrition.The nutritional demands of cycling are as diverse as the number of disciplines in the sport. To address this issue, this book covers the nutritional strategies for short- and long-distance disciplines and considers the implications of training and racing in a variety of environmental conditions. The book is divided into two distinct parts that are structured around the nutrition demands and practices of cyclists and an evaluation of novel and existing supplements that are currently being used or considered by riders.This book represents a go-to resource for cyclists, performance nutritionists, coaches, and students looking for the most effective and up-to-date evidence-based nutritional strategies for enhancing cycling performance. It brings together a team of emerging and world-leading academics, along with practitioners and riders from the UCI World and Pro Tours, to provide insightful evaluations of the latest science and to translate that knowledge into practical recommendations. Finally, it presents a model of reflective practice designed to enhance the performance nutrition practitioner’s development and practices.This book is key reading for active cyclists, cycling coaches, and athletes, as well as researchers and students of sport and exercise science, nutrition, human performance, and exercise physiology.
Football, Fandom and Collective Memory: Global Perspectives (Critical Research in Football)
by Przemysław Nosal, Radosław Kossakowski and Wojciech WoźniakThis book examines the topic of identity and collective memory in football fandom. Drawing on global research in history, sociology and political science, the book looks at how, where and why football fans and supporters’ groups introduce particular role models into their self-identity and performative narratives.The book presents original, cutting-edge research that illustrates the complex, multidimensional nature of the (re-)formulation of collective memory and the elevation of role models. It looks at the processes by which some supporters’ groups celebrate historical and contemporary figures – including political leaders, warriors, revolutionaries, or armed resistance groups – that they believe embody patriotic, regional or nationalist virtues, as well as supporters’ groups who define their patriotism in opposition to these figures. The book presents cases ranging from Ukrainian football ultras in the shadow of Russian aggression, and Jewish role models in Germany’s collective football memory, to the symbology of Che Guevara and Diego Maradona in Brazilian and Argentinian football, to hero formation and the myths of national identity in Australian football.This is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in the sociology, culture or politics of sport, or in fandom, identity, nationalism more broadly in sociology, political science or history.
Moon Florida Gulf Coast: Best Beaches, Wildlife, Everglades Adventures (Moon U.S. Travel Guide)
by Joshua Lawrence Kinser Moon Travel GuidesWhether you're kayaking through mangroves, bodysurfing with manta rays, or sunbathing with a piña colada in hand, soak up the Sunshine State with Moon Florida Gulf Coast. Inside you'll find: Flexible itineraries including a 5-day family vacation, a baseball spring training trip, and a 10-day road trip covering all 700 miles of the Florida Gulf Coast The best spots for outdoor adventures like kayaking, hiking, biking, bird-watching, and fishing, and the best beaches for swimming, sunsets, and seclusion Top activities and unique experiences: Discover the vibrant performing arts scene in Sarasota or stroll through quaint riverfront towns and secluded island enclaves. Unwind on shell-scattered beaches or spot gators in the swampy Everglades. Ride the coasters at Busch Gardens, browse art galleries in Naples, or catch a college baseball game during Spring Training. Sail through the canals of Tampa, kick back at a beachfront oyster bar, and sip a local brew as the sun sets over the ocean Expert advice from Florida local Joshua Lawrence Kinser on where to stay, what to eat, and how to get around by car, bus, or boat Full-color photos and detailed maps throughoutBackground information on the Gulf Coast's landscape, wildlife, history, and culture Experience the best of Florida's Gulf Coast with Moon. For more of the Sunshine State, try Moon Florida Keys.About Moon Travel Guides: Moon was founded in 1973 to empower independent, active, and conscious travel. We prioritize local businesses, outdoor recreation, and traveling strategically and sustainably. Moon Travel Guides are written by local, expert authors with great stories to tell—and they can't wait to share their favorite places with you. For more inspiration, follow @moonguides on social media.
Make It Count: My Fight to Become the First Transgender Olympic Runner
by CeCé TelferAN AMAZON BEST BOOK OF THE MONTH PICK By turns harrowing and hopeful, MAKE IT COUNT is the inspiring story of the first openly transgender woman to win a NCAA title, following her traditional upbringing in Jamaica, her fight to become a US citizen, and her efforts to achieve her Olympic dreams. CeCé Telfer is a warrior. The first openly transgender woman to win an NCAA championship, she has contended with transphobia on and off the track since childhood. Now, she stands at the crossroads of a national and international conversation about equity in sports, forced to advocate for her personhood and rights at every turn. After spending years training for the 2024 Olympics, Telfer has been sidelined and silenced more times than she can count. But she's never been good at taking no for an answer. MAKE IT COUNT is Telfer's raw and inspiring story. From coming of age in Jamaica, where she grew up hearing a constant barrage of slurs, to beginning her new life in Toronto and then New Hampshire, where she realized what running could offer her, to living in the backseat of her car while searching for a coach, to Mexico, where she trained for the US Trials, this book follows the arc of Telfer's Olympic dream. This is the story of running on what feels like the edge of a knife, of what it means to compete when you're not just an athlete but treated like a walking controversy. But it's also the story of resilience and athleticism, of a runner who found a clarity in her sport that otherwise eluded her—a sense of being simply alive on this earth, a human moving through space. Finally, herself.
The Price She Pays: Confronting the Hidden Mental Health Crisis in Women's Sports—from the Schoolyard to the Stadium
by Katie Steele Tiffany BrownTwo experts in mental health and sport lift the veil on the crisis in women&’s athletics, offering parents and coaches urgently needed advice and support and showing how female athletes can find joy in whatever sport they choose, at whatever level they compete. No matter the sport, the message to girls and women is the same: Be aggressive, but not too aggressive. Win at all costs, but be polite while doing it. Get strong, but not too big. Female athletes have long been conditioned to perform under these standards, gracefully and without complaints. Yet, behind the scenes, female athletes are suffering from disordered eating and substance use; depression and anxiety; emotional and sexual abuse; racism and discrimination; self-harm, and even suicide ideation. When global tennis star Naomi Osaka and gymnastics world champion Simone Biles took breaks from competing to tend to their mental health, many were compelled to ask: What is causing this mental health crisis in women&’s sports? In this urgent yet &“hopeful roadmap for systemic change.&” (Jessica Mendoza, Olympic medalist), Katie Steele and Dr. Tiffany Brown illuminate where we are going wrong—and how we can correct course. Through first-hand accounts, research, and reporting, they reveal the deep layers of trauma and mistreatment women experience in their pursuit of excellence in sport. They show parents, coaches, and athletes how to recognize the signs of mistreatment and mental health issues, and reveal how, by focusing on the wellbeing of the whole person—not just the athlete—we can provide women and girls with the support they need to thrive, in whatever sport they choose, at whatever level they compete.
Hearts on Thin Ice: A Novel
by Katie KennedyA pro hockey player falls for an interior designer in this charming debut sports romance. For fans of Icebreaker and Set On You, this flirty workplace rom-com explores mental health, belonging, and finding your way in the world.Nick Sorensen had once been one of the fastest men in hockey—until the devastating plane crash that took the lives of his best friends, leaving him the only survivor. Now he&’s physically ready to get back on the ice, but his coach is concerned Nick isn&’t doing as well mentally as he says he is. Case in point: Nick&’s apartment is completely empty, apart from a single chair and a mattress on the floor.To prove he&’s fine, really, Nick hires Alyssa Compton, an up-and-coming interior designer, to decorate his space. Alyssa&’s thrilled at the chance to prove herself to her demanding boss—with job security at last, maybe she can finally put down roots and create a home for herself too. But Nick turns out to be infuriatingly stubborn and impossible to work with, and just when Alyssa decides to throw in the towel on the whole thing, Nick shows up for her in a way she never could have expected. The icy path ahead of these two lost souls may be slippery and cracking, but when it comes to love, sometimes all you need is someone on your team.
10 Little Race Cars (10 Little Vehicles)
by Annie BaileyFans of cars and trucks can count down from ten to one as they follow ten classic race cars zooming around the track. This sturdy board book is perfect for the youngest readers!Ten little race cars ready to compete.Time for some fun—Brummmm! Crowd is on their feet.It's the car race of the century! On each page of this action-packed board book, young readers can count down race cars from ten to one. Along the way, motorsport fans will spot cars inspired by some of the legends of the history of racing, including the Porsche 917, Lancia Stratos, McLaren MP4/4, and Bugatti Type 35. With noisy words on every page, this is the perfect book to read aloud with your little race car fan.Also available:10 Little Tractors10 Little Excavators10 Little Construction Trucks
Better Faster Farther: How Running Changed Everything We Know About Women
by Maggie Mertens&“From foot-binding to corsets, patriarchal societies have found ways to immobilize women, but now, marathoners and Olympians are proving that women can run like the wind!&” —GLORIA STEINEM "A look behind the curtain that all women who love running and sport should read.&” —KARA GOUCHER, Olympic runner and New York Times-bestselling author of The Longest RaceMore than a century ago, a woman ran in the very first modern Olympic marathon. She just did it without permission. Award-winning journalist Maggie Mertens uncovers the story of how women broke into competitive running and how they are getting faster and fiercer every day—and changing our understanding of what is possible as they go. Despite women proving their abilities on the track time and again, men in the medical establishment, media, and athletic associations have fought to keep women (or at least white women) fragile—and sometimes literally tried to push them out of the race (see Kathrine Switzer, Boston Marathon, 1967). Yet before there were running shoes for women, they ran barefoot or in nursing shoes. They ran without sports bras, which weren&’t invented until 1977, or disguised as men. They faced down doctors who put them on bed rest and newspaper reports that said women collapsed if they ran a mere eight hundred meters, just two laps around the track. Still today, women face relentless attention to their bodies: Is she too strong, too masculine? Is she even really a woman? Mertens transports us from that first boundary-breaking marathon in Greece, 1896, to the earliest &“official&” women&’s races of the twentieth century to today&’s most intense ultramarathons, in which women are setting all-out records, even against men. For readers of Good and Mad, Born to Run, and Fly Girls, Better Faster Farther takes us inside the lives and the victories of the women who have redefined society&’s image of strength and power."An essential read to normalize women's existence, excellence, and humanity within the sport of running.&” —ALISON MARIELLA DÉSIR
Proceedings of the 14th International Symposium on Computer Science in Sport (Lecture Notes on Data Engineering and Communications Technologies #209)
by Hui Zhang Martin Lames Arnold Baca Yingcai WuThis book is a compilation of selected papers from the 14th International Symposium on Computer Science in Sport (IACSS 2023), held on September 27-30, 2023 in Hangzhou, China. The work focuses on the application of computer science and technology in the field of sports (such as intelligent data collection, data mining, visual analysis of game data, virtual reality, machine learning, computer vision, match prediction models and performance analysis). The contents make valuable contributions to academic researchers, college students, coaches and athletes, and sports management personnel (such as managers of sports associations, training bases, and professional clubs). Additionally, readers will encounter new ideas for realizing a more efficient and convenient training and exercise system.
A Baseball Gaijin: Chasing a Dream to Japan and Back
by Aaron FischmanLike many American boys, Tony Barnette yearned to one day make it to &“The Show,&” playing baseball professionally. The Arizona State pitcher was drafted in 2006 by the in-state Diamondbacks. Gradually ascending the minor-league ladder, it looked like this was the beginning of a blessed life, where he could play the game he loved on the grandest of stages in front of family and friends. But things don&’t always work out the way we want. On the verge of achieving his lifelong dream after notching a league-high 14 wins in Triple A, Tony looked ahead to 2010 with optimism. That&’s when Japan came calling, offering a significant salary hike in exchange for forgoing a likely forthcoming big-league debut. The Diamondbacks agreed to release Tony so he could play for Tokyo&’s Yakult Swallows, the renowned Yomiuri Giants&’ intra-city rivals. At the time, the only thing he had in common with the country was a love for baseball. He did not know the language and was unfamiliar with Nippon Professional Baseball and essentially everything else. On his own in a strange land, the burning desire to one day make the major leagues never subsided. He knew the odds were against him, as less than one quarter of gaijin (Japanese for &“foreigner&”) ballplayers who go to Japan appear in the majors at any point thereafter. First-year struggles led to multiple demotions and his end-of-year release. But when you&’re chasing a dream, you expect to encounter several obstacles. Tony refused to be deterred. Over six seasons in Japan, the starter became a reliever and then a closer. After a strong 2015 season, in which he guided his long-suffering Swallows to the Japan Series, he finally got the call he had been waiting for. Signing with the Texas Rangers in December, Tony would make his first major-league appearance on April 5, 2016, at age thirty-two. He&’d go on to pitch four seasons with the Rangers and Chicago Cubs, fulfilling a lifelong dream. Through extensive research and reporting, Aaron Fischman worked directly with Tony to tell his story of perseverance, determination, and never giving up on your dream.
Super Slugger (Cal Ripken Jr.'s All Stars #2)
by Cal Ripken Jr.Cody Parker is the new kid in school. He's overweight, scared and hates his new life in Dullsville, Maryland, aka Baltimore, where he's a target okay, a big target for brutal teasing. But he loves baseball. And despite his size, he plays third base like a dream. Too bad he's competing for the starting job on the Orioles of the Dulaney Babe Ruth League against budding hoodlum Dante Rizzo, who vows to squeeze Cody's head like a grape if he beats him out. Life gets even more complicated when Cody's school, York Middle, is beset by a rash of mysterious thefts, a crime wave that threatens to sideline Cody and ruin a golden season for the Orioles. Will Cody ever succeed in getting people to see him for who he really is?