- Table View
- List View
The Role of Self and Adaptation in Learning and Development: Chasing Excellence
by Daniel RodriguezThis book introduces readers to Psychoadaptation—a general model of change that stresses the importance of experiencing disequilibrium in the development of a healthy Self—and applies it to a range of examples across the academic, sport, and health domains. Built upon his studies of human development and learning, Daniel Rodriguez offers an overview of a model of change with a specific focus on the development of Self and conceptions of Self. The author begins by focusing on academic topics such as conducting research, teaching, and being a student, before highlighting examples from sport and health. With a clear and engaging tone, each chapter highlights how the theory behind Psychoadaptation can be applied across a variety of contexts and in the modern world. The result is a solid balance of scientific theory and practical application that readers can relate to their own circumstances and research. Offering a unique conceptualization to development, learning, and behavior change, this is a useful resource for students and scholars within these areas, as well as clinicians working in the fields of health and sport. It will also benefit individuals looking to embark upon their own journeys to Self-development.
The Routledge Handbook of Mega-Sporting Events and Human Rights (Routledge International Handbooks)
by William Rook Daniela HeerdtThe Routledge Handbook of Mega-Sporting Events and Human Rights is the first book to explore in depth the topic of mega-sporting events (MSEs) and human rights, offering accounts of adverse human rights impacts linked to MSEs while considering the potential for promoting human rights in and through the framework of these events.Drawing on the contributions of an international group of leading researchers, practitioners and advocates, the book introduces key concepts in human rights and considers how they relate to ethical, social, managerial and governance issues in contemporary MSEs, from inclusion and welfare to corruption and sustainability. It examines the role of key stakeholders in the delivery of MSEs, including organising committees, sport governing bodies, governments, athletes, sponsors and broadcasters, as well as the role of activists and advocates, and presents historical and contemporary case studies of human rights as an active issue in MSEs. The book provides new perspectives on human rights as a lens for understanding modern sport and as a guiding principle for responsible sport that protects the interests of individuals and communities, as well as offering guidance on best practice.It is essential reading for all advanced students, researchers, practitioners, policymakers and stakeholders with an interest in organisation and delivery of MSEs, as well as general sport management, sport policy, sport governance, the ethics of sport, event management, political science, development studies, ethical business or the significance of sport in wider society.
The Routledge Handbook of Mega-Sporting Events and Human Rights (Routledge International Handbooks)
by William Rook Daniela Heerdt Shubham JainThe Routledge Handbook of Mega-Sporting Events and Human Rights is the first book to explore in depth the topic of mega-sporting events (MSEs) and human rights, offering accounts of adverse human rights impacts linked to MSEs while considering the potential for promoting human rights in and through the framework of these events.Drawing on the contributions of an international group of leading researchers, practitioners and advocates, the book introduces key concepts in human rights and considers how they relate to ethical, social, managerial and governance issues in contemporary MSEs, from inclusion and welfare to corruption and sustainability. It examines the role of key stakeholders in the delivery of MSEs, including organising committees, sport governing bodies, governments, athletes, sponsors and broadcasters, as well as the role of activists and advocates, and presents historical and contemporary case studies of human rights as an active issue in MSEs. The book provides new perspectives on human rights as a lens for understanding modern sport and as a guiding principle for responsible sport that protects the interests of individuals and communities, as well as offering guidance on best practice.It is essential reading for all advanced students, researchers, practitioners, policymakers and stakeholders with an interest in organisation and delivery of MSEs, as well as general sport management, sport policy, sport governance, the ethics of sport, event management, political science, development studies, ethical business or the significance of sport in wider society.
Rugby, Resistance and Politics: How Dan Qeqe Helped Shape the History of Port Elizabeth
by Buntu SiwisaBuntu Swisa has written a vivid biography of Dan Qeqe, the legendary sportsman, powerbroker and pioneer of black rugby and the liberation of sport. His book examines the complex and questionable relationships that Qeqe had with the enemies of non-racial sport, which cemented his power base. Siwisa tells the story of Qeqe’s life and times and at the same time has written a social and political biography of Port Elizabeth—a people’s history of Port Elizabeth. As much as Qeqe was a local legend, his achievements had national repercussions and, indeed, continue to this day. Print editions not for sale in Sub Saharan Africa.
Rugby, Resistance and Politics: How Dan Qeqe Helped Shape the History of Port Elizabeth
by Buntu SiwisaBuntu Swisa has written a vivid biography of Dan Qeqe, the legendary sportsman, powerbroker and pioneer of black rugby and the liberation of sport. His book examines the complex and questionable relationships that Qeqe had with the enemies of non-racial sport, which cemented his power base. Siwisa tells the story of Qeqe’s life and times and at the same time has written a social and political biography of Port Elizabeth—a people’s history of Port Elizabeth. As much as Qeqe was a local legend, his achievements had national repercussions and, indeed, continue to this day. Print editions not for sale in Sub Saharan Africa.
Runner's High: How to Squeeze the Joy From Every Step
by Jenni FalconerTake your runner's high to new heights with tips and advice from radio presenter and host of RunPod Jenni Falconer. There is nothing quite like the runner's high you experience after pulling on your running shoes, getting outside and finding your stride; and with Jenni Falconer's advice and encouragement in your back pocket you will be ready to hit your favourite route with even more bounce in your step.Packed with research and stories from real runners, Runner's High covers everything you need to build your running routine, overcome setbacks, discover the joy of running slowly and experience the power of finding your own running community.Whether you are a seasoned marathon runner or just starting your journey, this book will remind you of all the incredible benefits running has to offer, not just for your body, but your mind too.
The Safe Standing Movement in Football: Fan Networks, Tactics, and Mobilisations (Critical Research in Football)
by Mark TurnerThis book tells the important story of the 30-year social movement against all-seated stadia in football in England and Wales that developed in the wake of the Hillsborough stadium disaster and the wider European and international significance of that movement. Examining the fan networks, relations, tactics and interactions which built the ‘Safe Standing’ movement, it reveals an untold social history of football supporter activism and represents an important contribution to our understanding of football supporter-based social movements, the sociology of football, and to social movement studies more broadly. The book argues that Safe Standing is sociologically highly significant because the restriction and partial exclusion of football fans as a social group in the timescape of English football after Hillsborough marked a moment of profound social change in the UK. Applying relational sociology, and drawing on original research and insider access, the book considers how events and ruptures, like Hillsborough, shape the dynamics of a social movement, and shows how supporters, who have been deeply affected by the all-seating legislation, are now in a position to affect the future consumption of football. The book shows how this was achieved, how a small core network of approximately 30 supporters, networked with supporter groups across Europe, now stand to impact and shape the consumption habits of a key leisure practice all over the world. This is fascinating reading for any student, researcher or policy-maker with an interest in football, sociology, political science, public policy, or cultural and social history.
The Safe Standing Movement in Football: Fan Networks, Tactics, and Mobilisations (Critical Research in Football)
by Mark TurnerThis book tells the important story of the 30-year social movement against all-seated stadia in football in England and Wales that developed in the wake of the Hillsborough stadium disaster and the wider European and international significance of that movement. Examining the fan networks, relations, tactics and interactions which built the ‘Safe Standing’ movement, it reveals an untold social history of football supporter activism and represents an important contribution to our understanding of football supporter-based social movements, the sociology of football, and to social movement studies more broadly. The book argues that Safe Standing is sociologically highly significant because the restriction and partial exclusion of football fans as a social group in the timescape of English football after Hillsborough marked a moment of profound social change in the UK. Applying relational sociology, and drawing on original research and insider access, the book considers how events and ruptures, like Hillsborough, shape the dynamics of a social movement, and shows how supporters, who have been deeply affected by the all-seating legislation, are now in a position to affect the future consumption of football. The book shows how this was achieved, how a small core network of approximately 30 supporters, networked with supporter groups across Europe, now stand to impact and shape the consumption habits of a key leisure practice all over the world. This is fascinating reading for any student, researcher or policy-maker with an interest in football, sociology, political science, public policy, or cultural and social history.
Sailing and Social Class (Routledge Critical Leisure Studies)
by Alan O'ConnorThis book explores the sociology of sailing and yachting. Drawing on original research, and employing a theoretical framework based on the work of Pierre Bourdieu, the book argues that sailing is, still, an upper-middle-class activity that has much to tell us about the wider sociology of leisure and sport. The book examines the historical foundations of blue-water sailing as established by naval and colonial shipping, to trace the roots of contemporary sailing and yachting culture. It also examines archives of sailing narratives and cruising guides, as well as the children’s books of Arthur Ransome, arguing that this archival material offers a social rather than a psychological interpretation of the ‘bodily investment’ in sailing. The book uses Bourdieu’s concepts of ‘illusio’ – an investment of time, emotion and body into a worthwhile activity – and ‘habitus’, or lifeworld, alongside contemporary data sets, to examine the yacht club as a social institution, including why many boats never go out on the water, the relationship between yacht clubs and the state, and social issues as manifested in yacht clubs, such as sexism, racism and homophobia. Offering a vigorous sociological critique of yachting and sailing, this book is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in the sociology of leisure and sport, subcultures, social theory, or social issues in wider society.
Sailing and Social Class (Routledge Critical Leisure Studies)
by Alan O'ConnorThis book explores the sociology of sailing and yachting. Drawing on original research, and employing a theoretical framework based on the work of Pierre Bourdieu, the book argues that sailing is, still, an upper-middle-class activity that has much to tell us about the wider sociology of leisure and sport. The book examines the historical foundations of blue-water sailing as established by naval and colonial shipping, to trace the roots of contemporary sailing and yachting culture. It also examines archives of sailing narratives and cruising guides, as well as the children’s books of Arthur Ransome, arguing that this archival material offers a social rather than a psychological interpretation of the ‘bodily investment’ in sailing. The book uses Bourdieu’s concepts of ‘illusio’ – an investment of time, emotion and body into a worthwhile activity – and ‘habitus’, or lifeworld, alongside contemporary data sets, to examine the yacht club as a social institution, including why many boats never go out on the water, the relationship between yacht clubs and the state, and social issues as manifested in yacht clubs, such as sexism, racism and homophobia. Offering a vigorous sociological critique of yachting and sailing, this book is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in the sociology of leisure and sport, subcultures, social theory, or social issues in wider society.
Schwimmen – Vom Anfänger bis zum Schwimmer: Das Praxisbuch für Studierende, Lehrkräfte, Trainer und Freizeitsportler (Sportpraxis)
by Maike ElbrachtWie können Anfänger Schwimmen effektiv erlernen?Schwimmen ist eine der wichtigsten Fähigkeiten, die Kinder und Erwachsene erlernen können, ob als Freizeitbeschäftigung, sportliche Aktivität oder lebensrettende Maßnahme. Neben dem theoretischen Wissen zum Anfängerschwimmen, wie z. B. dem Umgang mit Ängsten, wird in diesem Lehrbuch eine Fülle an Handwerkszeug für die Vermittlung im Rahmen der Wassergewöhnung und -bewältigung beschrieben. Durch den systematischen Aufbau bei der spielerischen Wassergewöhnung und den zu erlernenden Grundfertigkeit wie Atmen, Tauchen, Schweben, Gleiten, Springen, Drehen, Rollen und Fortbewegen, sind die Übungen sofort in der Praxis umsetzbar und stellen die Grundlage für die 1. Schwimmtechnik dar.Wie unterstützt dieses Lehrbuch die Planung eines optimalen Schwimmtrainings?Methodischen Übungskarten helfen, jede Schwimmtechnik, jeden Start oder jede Wende eigenständig zu erlernen oder dienen zur Trainingsvorbereitung. Über 90 abrufbare Videos sowie weiteres Downloadmaterial, Checklisten und Übersichten zu Technikabweichungen und Korrekturmöglichkeiten unterstützen zusätzlich den Lernprozess. Des Weiteren werden Praxisbeispiele aufgezeigt, die die koordinativen und konditionellen Fähigkeiten im Schwimmen schulen. Somit wird die optimale Grundlage für das Verständnis und die Vermittlung der vier Schwimmtechniken Delfin, Rücken, Brust und Kraul, sowie der Starts und Wenden in der Schwimmausbildung geschaffen.Wer profitiert von diesem praxisorientierten Lehrbuch?Studierende der Sportwissenschaft, Lehrkräfte, Trainer und Freizeitsportler haben die Möglichkeit mit diesem umfassenden Praxisbuch, sich und anderen den Bewegungsraum Wasser näher zu bringen, sich theoretisches Wissen anzueignen bzw. zu vermitteln, sowie Kompetenzen zu entwickeln für einen sicheren Aufenthalt im Wasser.
Science and Practice of Youth Soccer
Soccer remains the world’s most popular sport with significant numbers of the world’s population engaged in grassroots soccer, particularly during childhood and adolescence. There is considerable scientific and practical data focused on soccer science available, most of which relates to elite performers and does not address the needs to grassroots coaches in understanding the science of soccer and translating this into practical messages and learning to help coaches maximise the experiences, enjoyment and development of the more than 250 million players who play grassroots soccer worldwide.Science and Practice of Youth Soccer presents a comprehensive and accessible introduction to key topics relating to effective player and team development in youth grassroots soccer. Written by international experts and practitioners in the field and with a particular emphasis on the development of children and youth, the book provides essential guidance of how science translates into practice for coaches and those working in youth grassroots soccer. Each chapter outlines the scientific research base for each topic, highlights myths and misconceptions that are commonplace in current practice of grassroots coaches and then provides practical solutions that coaches can take and use in their coaching practice.This book is key reading to those working in or studying sport and exercise science, sports coaching and sports development and also of interest to grassroots coaches and parents of soccer players.
Science and Practice of Youth Soccer
by Michael Duncan Mark Noon André SeabraSoccer remains the world’s most popular sport with significant numbers of the world’s population engaged in grassroots soccer, particularly during childhood and adolescence. There is considerable scientific and practical data focused on soccer science available, most of which relates to elite performers and does not address the needs to grassroots coaches in understanding the science of soccer and translating this into practical messages and learning to help coaches maximise the experiences, enjoyment and development of the more than 250 million players who play grassroots soccer worldwide.Science and Practice of Youth Soccer presents a comprehensive and accessible introduction to key topics relating to effective player and team development in youth grassroots soccer. Written by international experts and practitioners in the field and with a particular emphasis on the development of children and youth, the book provides essential guidance of how science translates into practice for coaches and those working in youth grassroots soccer. Each chapter outlines the scientific research base for each topic, highlights myths and misconceptions that are commonplace in current practice of grassroots coaches and then provides practical solutions that coaches can take and use in their coaching practice.This book is key reading to those working in or studying sport and exercise science, sports coaching and sports development and also of interest to grassroots coaches and parents of soccer players.
The Science of Esports
by Craig McNulty Remco Polman Matthew Watson Kabir BubnaThe Science of Esports draws from contemporary research and coach expertise to examine esports athlete health and performance from a range of disciplinary perspectives, including physiology, psychology, sociology, and nutrition. The rapid expansion of the esports industry has elevated competitive video gaming into the realm of high performance, requiring players, coaches, and practitioners to implement interdisciplinary approaches to performance support. The book covers key topic areas such as: What esports is and similarities and differences to sport Game-specific training Physiological and psychological consideration for esports athletes Social aspects of player performance and the social environment of esports Esports coaching and structure of esports performance environments Technology and its use in esports Safeguarding, cheating, and gambling This book includes worked examples and case studies to allow immediate implementation into practice for esports athletes and coaches. It summarises the current state of research to inform researchers and identify gaps in knowledge. This book is critical reading for students of esports and related courses. It serves as the first scientific resource designed to provide athletes, coaches, and practitioners with interdisciplinary insights into esports health and performance.
The Science of Esports
by Craig McNulty Remco Polman Matthew Watson Kabir BubnaThe Science of Esports draws from contemporary research and coach expertise to examine esports athlete health and performance from a range of disciplinary perspectives, including physiology, psychology, sociology, and nutrition. The rapid expansion of the esports industry has elevated competitive video gaming into the realm of high performance, requiring players, coaches, and practitioners to implement interdisciplinary approaches to performance support. The book covers key topic areas such as: What esports is and similarities and differences to sport Game-specific training Physiological and psychological consideration for esports athletes Social aspects of player performance and the social environment of esports Esports coaching and structure of esports performance environments Technology and its use in esports Safeguarding, cheating, and gambling This book includes worked examples and case studies to allow immediate implementation into practice for esports athletes and coaches. It summarises the current state of research to inform researchers and identify gaps in knowledge. This book is critical reading for students of esports and related courses. It serves as the first scientific resource designed to provide athletes, coaches, and practitioners with interdisciplinary insights into esports health and performance.
Self-Defense For Dummies
by Damian RossGet street-smart. Unleash your inner warrior. Forget everything you thought you knew about self-defense. Those graceful martial arts moves that are so effective in the movies are likely to get you killed on the street. In fight-or-flight mode, you won’t have the calm thinking and fine motor skills to execute them. You need a simpler approach with a few fundamental moves that are easy to remember and perform yet devastating to an attacker. The solution? Self-Defense For Dummies, your guide to avoiding attacks, neutralizing attackers, and protecting yourself and your loved ones. In this book, you discover a self-defense system that works in the real world, where armed criminals target the most vulnerable and don’t fight fair. Discover strategies to make yourself a hard target, as opposed to an easy one Heighten your awareness of your surroundings and potential threats Sharpen your self-defense instincts and respond proactively to impending danger Master hand-to-hand combat basics and defend against grabs and holds Learn how to use weapons and defend against them
Self-Defense For Dummies
by Damian RossGet street-smart. Unleash your inner warrior. Forget everything you thought you knew about self-defense. Those graceful martial arts moves that are so effective in the movies are likely to get you killed on the street. In fight-or-flight mode, you won’t have the calm thinking and fine motor skills to execute them. You need a simpler approach with a few fundamental moves that are easy to remember and perform yet devastating to an attacker. The solution? Self-Defense For Dummies, your guide to avoiding attacks, neutralizing attackers, and protecting yourself and your loved ones. In this book, you discover a self-defense system that works in the real world, where armed criminals target the most vulnerable and don’t fight fair. Discover strategies to make yourself a hard target, as opposed to an easy one Heighten your awareness of your surroundings and potential threats Sharpen your self-defense instincts and respond proactively to impending danger Master hand-to-hand combat basics and defend against grabs and holds Learn how to use weapons and defend against them
Shopping All the Way to the Woods: How the Outdoor Industry Sold Nature to America
by Rachel S. GrossA fascinating history of the profitable paradox of the American outdoor experience: visiting nature first requires shopping No escape to nature is complete without a trip to an outdoor recreational store or a browse through online offerings. This is the irony of the American outdoor experience: visiting wild spaces supposedly untouched by capitalism first requires shopping. With consumers spending billions of dollars on clothing and equipment each year as they seek out nature, the American outdoor sector grew over the past 150 years from a small collection of outfitters to an industry contributing more than 2 percent of the nation’s economic output. Rachel S. Gross argues that this success was predicated not just on creating functional equipment but also on selling an authentic, anticommercial outdoor identity. In other words, shopping for the woods was also about being—or becoming—the right kind of person. Demonstrating that outdoor culture is commercial culture, Gross examines Americans’ journey toward outdoor expertise by tracing the development of the nascent outdoor goods industry, the influence of World War II on its growth, and the boom years of outdoor businesses.
The Shorter Wisden 2024: The Best Writing from Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 2024
by John Wisden CoThe most famous sports book in the world, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack has been published every year since 1864. The selected writings from the 161st edition contained in this eBook offer trenchant opinion, compelling features and an authoritative voice on the worldwide game.The Shorter Wisden is a distillation of what's best in its bigger brother – and the 2024 edition of Wisden is crammed, as ever, with the best writing in the game. Wisden's digital version includes the influential Notes by the Editor, and all the front-of-book articles. In essence, The Shorter Wisden is a glass of the finest champagne rather than the whole bottle. In an age of snap judgments, Wisden's authority and integrity are more important than ever. Yet again this year's edition is truly a “must-have” for every cricket fan.@WisdenAlmanack
The Six Pack: On the Open Road in Search of Wrestlemania
by Brad BalukjianFrom the bestselling author of The Wax Pack, comes another eye‑opening road trip adventure into a pocket of iconic pop culture—professional wrestling—starring the Iron Sheik, Hulk Hogan, Tito Santana, and many more larger‑than‑life characters of the WWF in the 1980s. "Perhaps one of the most truthful and enjoyable reads about my profession ever. I absolutely loved this book." —Former WWF Champion Bret "The Hitman" Hart In 2005, Brad Balukjian left his position as a magazine fact-checker to pursue a dream job: partner with his childhood hero, The Iron Sheik (whose real name was Khosrow Vaziri), to write his biography. Things quickly went south, culminating in the Sheik threatening Balukjian&’s life. Now seventeen years later, Balukjian returns to the road in search of not only a reunion with the Sheik, but something much bigger: truth in a world built on illusion. Balukjian seeks out six of the Sheik&’s contemporaries, fellow witnesses to the World Wrestling Federation&’s (WWF) explosion in the mid-&‘80s, to unearth their true identities. As Balukjian drives 12,525 miles around the country, we revisit the heady days when these avatars of strength, villainy, and heroism first found fame and see where their journeys took them. From working out with Tony Atlas (Tony White) to visiting Hulk Hogan&’s (Terry Bollea) karaoke bar, we see where these men are now and how they have navigated the cliffs of fame.The Six Pack combines the spirit of a fan with the rigor of an investigative reporter, tracking down former WWF employees, childhood friends, and mutually curious archivists. Wrestling is perceived as a subculture without a cultural home, somewhere between sport and theater—often dismissed as silly and low‑brow. But what makes this book so compelling is the humanity beneath each wrestler. The Iron Sheik, Hulk Hogan, and the rest of the cast were not characters in a comic book movie. They were real people, with families and feelings and bodies that could break. Most of them did, in fact, break; some have been repaired, but none of them will ever be the same.
Skateboarding For Dummies
by Daewon SongA beginner’s guide to skating for fun, fitness, and self-expression Skateboarding For Dummies teaches you the basics of the fun and popular sport of skateboarding, so you can start shredding. Author Daewon Song has been a pro skateboarder for 30 years and is considered to be the most technically gifted skateboarder of all time. He is passionate about the sport and shares his enthusiasm and experience in this easy-to-read guide. Skateboarding is a fun, challenging, and inclusive sport that can also be a powerful outlet for self-expression. With this book, you’ll learn cool tricks, safe skating, and skatepark etiquette. Plus, you’ll discover how skateboarding can bring positivity to your life, building your confidence and self-esteem. Shop for your first skateboard and essential accessories Learn the basics of riding a skateboard at a skatepark Get step-by-step instructions for performing classic tricks Discover the history of skateboardingSkateboarding is for everyone, regardless of age or background, and Skateboarding For Dummies is for anyone who wants to give this sport a try.
Skateboarding For Dummies
by Daewon SongA beginner’s guide to skating for fun, fitness, and self-expression Skateboarding For Dummies teaches you the basics of the fun and popular sport of skateboarding, so you can start shredding. Author Daewon Song has been a pro skateboarder for 30 years and is considered to be the most technically gifted skateboarder of all time. He is passionate about the sport and shares his enthusiasm and experience in this easy-to-read guide. Skateboarding is a fun, challenging, and inclusive sport that can also be a powerful outlet for self-expression. With this book, you’ll learn cool tricks, safe skating, and skatepark etiquette. Plus, you’ll discover how skateboarding can bring positivity to your life, building your confidence and self-esteem. Shop for your first skateboard and essential accessories Learn the basics of riding a skateboard at a skatepark Get step-by-step instructions for performing classic tricks Discover the history of skateboardingSkateboarding is for everyone, regardless of age or background, and Skateboarding For Dummies is for anyone who wants to give this sport a try.
Skip Novak on Sailing: Words of Wisdom from 50 Years Afloat
by Skip NovakSkip Novak is revered around the world for his sailing adventures. In this book he brings together the sum of his knowledge and the wisdom of his experience so you can follow in his wake – or create your own.Drawing from his longstanding column for Yachting World, Skip has curated, edited and updated his original missives alongside brand new material to make a collection that is both thought-provokingly bold and invaluably practical. Skip is an ardent proponent of self-reliance, and his hard-won advice will challenge you to improve your seamanship, focusing on skill, experience and problem-solving knowledge.While covering lots of traditional skills, such as celestial navigation, anchoring and docking, Skip also looks to the future, tackling innovative technologies that can make life afloat easier. Skip has a particular interest in helping new and younger sailors heed the clarion call of adventure he truly believes the ocean provides, and this interest shines through in his thoughtful guidance.Steeped in personal experience, but designed to be as inspirational as it is practical, Skip Novak on Sailing will help you become a better sailor, no matter your level of experience.
Smart Money: The Fall and Rise of Brentford FC
by Alex DuffIn 1978, when Alex Duff first went to watch Brentford, players would go on midweek pub crawls near the Griffin Park stadium. Sometimes, in no fit state to go home, they would crash out in a terraced home where one of them lived opposite the stadium gates. The next morning, they clambered into a white van which one of them would drive to training, stopping on the way for a bacon sandwich and cup of tea at a greasy spoon café. Brentford had once played in the top-flight but now, idling in the third division, were a second home for players and supporters, but there was neither the ambition nor money to revive their best days. They bumbled along until in 2005, fed up with trying to make a profit from a club with an ageing stadium in an unfashionable west London suburb, owner Ron Noades agreed to hand over the business to supporters on the condition they take over responsibility for their £5.5 million overdraft. One of the fans, an Oxford University physics graduate called Matthew Benham, was making millions of pounds from professional gambling and threw in a £500,000 lifeline to help keep the club afloat. Initially, as a sort of academic challenge, he began figuring out if he could employ the mathematics which he used in beating the bookmakers to improve the club's performance on the pitch. Smart Money is the story of how a scientist with an inquiring mind was set loose in a backwater of professional football, and how he turned a modest, little-known team into a competitor in one of the world's most-watched sports leagues.
Smart Running: The ultimate guide to becoming a fitter, stronger, more confident runner
by Jen Benson Sim BensonHave you ever wondered about the secret to becoming a better runner? Has your training plateaued and you don't know why? Do you keep getting injured or are you struggling to get back into running after some time out? Have you done a few shorter races but want to progress up to a marathon? Smart Running by Jen and Sim Benson will cut through the jargon and answer all your running questions, helping you to become a fitter, faster and stronger runner. Jen and Sim delve into the science of physiology, psychology, training and nutrition before carefully and clearly explaining how to build yourself a bespoke and customisable training plan – one that moulds around your life and will help you smash your running goals. Thorough workout descriptions are included, so you'll be confident in your training and get the results you're after. The science behind recovery, hydration, and strength and conditioning work is explained, along with how to choose the best and most sustainable kit for your adventures. Tips for race-day nerves, psychological skills to help your running, how to prevent and deal with injuries, running in the heat and cold, and finding the best routes are all covered, along with specific considerations for female and older runners.