Modern Sport Ethics: A Reference Handbook

(Paperback, 2nd edition)

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The descriptions and examples of unethical behaviors in sport in this book will challenge readers to rethink how they view sport and question whether participating in sport builds characterespecially at the youth and amateur levels. Sport potentially can teach character as well as social and moral values, but only when these positive concepts are consistently taught, modeled, and reinforced by sport leaders with the moral courage to do so. The seeming moral crisis threatening amateur and youth sportevidenced by athletes, coaches, and parents alike making poor ethical choicesand ongoing scandals regarding performance-enhancing drug use by professional athletes make sports ethics a topic of great concern. This work enables readers to better understand the ethical challenges facing competitive sport by addressing issues such as gamesmanship, doping, cheating, sportsmanship, fair play, and respect for the game. A compelling read for coaches, sport administrators, players, parents, and sport fans, the book examines specific examples of unethical behaviorsmany cases of which occur in amateur and educational sportsto illustrate how these incidents threaten the perception that sport builds character. It identifies and investigates the multiple reasons for cheating in sport, such as the fact that the rewards for succeeding are so high, and the feeling of athletes that they must behave as they do to "level the playing field" because everyone else is cheating, being violent, taking performance-enhancing drugs, or doing whatever it takes to win. Readers will gain insight into how coaches and sport administrators can achieve the goals for youth, interscholastic, intercollegiate, and Olympic sport by stressing moral values and character development as well as see how specific recommendations can help ensure that sport can serve to build character rather than teach bad behavior in the pursuit of victory.

Reviews

This research handbook is a timely addition to the Contemporary World Issues series. It will provide yeoman's service to high school, undergraduate, and other researchers. * Booklist *
[A]n extensive presentation of historical and present day ethics in a variety of sports settings. . . . Overall, this book provides a thorough investigation of ethics in sportsboth past and present. It will serve as an excellent resource for those individuals who are interested in the study of ethics in sports. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; general readers. * Choice *
This insightful book supports the premise that coaches, players, administrators, parents, and fans need to teach, role model, and reinforce character developmentincluding positive values. . . . Recommended for public, high school, and college libraries. * ARBA *

Author Bio

Angela Lumpkin, PhD, is professor and chair in the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX.