Dear all,
Frequently… well, not quite, at least not frequently asked. Likely frequently considered, but either way here is the question I was asked the other day: “You keep reminding me that my deadline for the review is approaching, and then later that I’ve missed the deadline and soon I’m six weeks late. These thing happen, but now that I have submitted the review, why isn’t it published? It’s been four weeks!”
Yes, well, you see, this is the way it works. Within each category of publication, submissions are published according to the first come, first served, principle. The book review category is special, since each review is solicited and a submission day is agreed upon. Roughly about 25 percent of book reviews are submitted on the agreed date. At any given point in time we have between 20 and 40 books placed with a reviewer, to guarantee a constant input and steady output of reviews. Every now and then fewer reviews than expected are submitted, and we’re panicking. At other times there is an unexpected inflow of reviews, which makes us feel relaxed but tends to vex reviewers that are eagerly waiting for their own piece to be published.
So, there it is. It’s us panicking, or some of you wonderful contributors being vexed. However, we’re doing our very best to keep all of you as well as ourselves in a state of mellow contentment. And rest assured, each and every submission will be published, sooner or later.
Last week the following items were published on idrottsforum.org (see below; language and publication dates, YYMMDD, in brackets). Click on the red headings to go to content. Utilize the Google Translate service to turn Scandinavian language pages into (some sort of) English.
Have a great week,
Kjell Eriksson
Editor
Research Article
‘The only person you can delegate tasks to is yourself’: Leadership challenges and turnover in national federations of sport

Between 2015 and 2019, 52 per cent of the Secretary Generals (SGs) of Norwegian sport federations left their positions. The rate is significantly higher than in the Norwegian labour market in general and poses a further difficulty for a Norwegian sport system already facing many challenges. This article by Hans Erik Næss and Tor Anders Hanssen examines why this is the case. The article provides a contribution to sport leadership research and shows how the lack of continuity among SGs in national sport federations demonstrates the need for organisational change. (Published in English 230301.
Feature Article
Motorik, kognition och lärande. Öppet brev till politiker, skolledare, elever och föräldrar [Motor skills, cognition and learning. Open letter to politicians, school leaders, students and parents]

In this open letter to politicians, school leaders, students and parents, Ingegerd Ericsson argues for an increase in physical activity at school, in an organized form and led by trained physical education teachers, as well as special support for students with poor motor skills. She refers to the extensive research that unequivocally demonstrates the connections between physical activity and learning ability; there is a large consensus on this among researchers worldwide. (Published in Swedish 230227.
Book Review
Harry Haft: Survivor of Auschwitz, Challenger of Rocky Marciano, by Alan Scott Haft
In his book Harry Haft: Survivor of Auschwitz, Challenger of Rocky Marciano (Syracuse University Press), Alan Scott Haft provides the first-hand testimony of his father, Harry Haft, a holocaust victim with a singular story of endurance, desperation, and unrequited love. Joseph D. Lewandowski’s review essay about this “unparalleled work in the history, ethics, and sociology of sport” recounts Harry Haft’s traumatic experiences in Auschwitz and his attempts to turn his life around as a pro boxer in New York after the war. (Review in English, published 230227.)
The Tyranny of Talent: How it compels and limits athletic achievement… and why you should ignore it, by Joe Baker

Joseph “Joe” Baker is a proficient and frequent contributor to the body of academic publications on talent, having (co-)authored numerous journal articles as well as book chapters, and being the editor of several books on the topic of talent since 1998. His latest effort is entitled The Tyranny of Talent: How it compels and limits athletic achievement… and why you should ignore it (Aberrent Press), and it is reviewed here by Leah Monsees, soon to be a PhD with her own project within the field of talent. (Review in English, published 230303.)
New Issues of Scholarly Journals
(We rely heavily on journal publishers delivering on their promises of new issue alerts. Sometimes they don’t.)
Journal of Sport Behavior, Vol. 45, 2022, No. 2 (230227)
- Kinesiology Review, Volume 12, 2023, Issue 1 | Proceedings of the National Academy of Kinesiology’s 2022 Meeting: Translating and Implementing Kinesiology Research Into Society (230227)
- Event Management: An international journal, Volume 27, 2023, Number 1 (230301)
- European Journal for Sport and Society, Vol. 20, 2023, Issue 1 (230301)
- International Journal of Event and Festival Management, Volume 16, 2023, Issue 1 (230301)
- Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education, Volume 14, 2023, Issue 1 (230302)
- “Physical Education in Early Childhood Education”, Special Issue of Journal of Early Childhood Education Research (Vol. 12 No. 1, 2023) (230302)
- Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, Volume 28, 2023, Issue 2 (230305)
- Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, Volume 94, 2023, Issue 2 (230305)
- International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, Volume 15, 2023, Issue 1 (230305)
- International Journal of the Sociology of Leisure, Vol. 5, 2022, Issue 4 (230305)
- Sport, Education and Society, Volume 28, 2023, Issue 2 (230305)
News items (calls for papers, vacancies, etc.)
-
(Shutterstock/Ground Picture) ISSI-konferensen 2022 – konferensrapporten tillgänglig (230227)
- Call for Papers | “The Representation of Race in Sports Journalism and Media”, the Sports Media Identity Network Event #3 | Sheffield Hallam University, June 30, 2023. Call ends April 21, 2023 (230302)
- Call for Papers | The 20th Sport Marketing Association Annual Conference | Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront Hotel (FL), October 25–27, 2023. Call ends April 1, 2023 (230302)