Encyclopedia of World Sport

Sports tell us about who we are, and who we want to be.Sports are about myth—about legendary physical prowess, determination, stamina, and teamwork.Whether and how the mythic importance of sport can survive labor disputes and commercialization is one of the great questions for sports enthusiasts today. But we have no doubt that sports can and will survive as an important, even essential, part of many people’s lives. Sports bring peoples and nations together. They create a shared language, shared passions; they highlight our aspirations and values, our ways of interacting with one another, and our appreciation of competition, achievement, and adventure.We talk about “sport” and we talk about “sports.” By “sport” we mean the social processes and institutions that make up what we think of as the sporting world.This world is a complex mix of people, activities, events,rituals, and material objects, as well as the beliefs and values associated with the practice of sports. By “sports” we mean actual games and practices, such as football, gymnastics, and stock car racing.