Dear all,
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.
And remember, if you’re not already hooked up to one of the social media outlets that we utilize, for now they are Facebook, Bluesky, LinkedIn and X, you’re missing quite a lot of information from idrottsforum.org that never appears on the website. So, if that is the case, check out, by clicking on the names, our Facebook, Bluesky, LinkedIn and X accounts.
Have a great week,
Kjell Eriksson
Editor
New research article
Da barna inntok idretten: Etablering av og diskusjoner om Bestemmelser om barneidrett og Idrettens barnerettigheter i norsk idrett [When children entered sports: The making of and discussions of Regulations on child sport and Children’s rights in sport in Norwegian sport]
In Norwegian sports, which this article by Åse Strandbu and Hanne Sogn is about, the Regulations on Children’s Sports and Children’s Rights in Sport regulate children’s sports and are often referred to as the most important value documents in Norwegian sports. Nevertheless, we have surprisingly little knowledge about how the provisions and rights have affected Norwegian children’s sports. In this study, we have interviewed key people in the Norwegian Sports Confederation about the establishment and implementation of the regulations, and about controversies surrounding the provisions and rights. (Published in Norwegian 260209; English abstract available.
New book reviews
The history of women’s tennis from Trailblazers to Throwbacks
Analyzing the key players and political moments in women’s professional tennis since 1968, Kristi Tredway’s Social Activism in Women’s Tennis (Routledge) explores the historical lineage of social activism within women’s tennis and the issues, expressions, risks, and effects associated with each cohort of players. Our reviewer, Norwegian sports scholar Solveig Straume, finds Tredway’s study highly interesting and enlightening, and – although at times overly academic – recommends it for people that are interested in sport and society as well as feminist theories and history. (Review in English, published 260211.)
Meticulously researched and accessibly and engagingly written, this is a highly valuable contribution to the history of women’s sport
Women’s battle for a place in the male-dominated world of sports has become one of the defining stories of our age and the central story of women’s sports. Peter Radford’s They Run with Surprising Swiftness: The Women Athletes of Early Modern Britain (University of Virginia Press) tells a different and much older, forgotten story with many of the same themes. Katie Taylor found Radford’s book to be a very satisfying read in all respects, and she particularly highlights how the author deals with the historiographical issue raised in the book, the lack of primary sources and the need for, and difficulties in finding, other reliable sources. (Review in English, published 260212.)
New blog post
Politics on the piste: Sports diplomacy & the Winter Olympics & Paralympics, by David Rowe
The hands of the global sport mega event clock have turned to the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Hosted by the cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo at venues across northern Italy, around two billion people across the globe are looking at the Luge and sussing out the Skeleton on their screens. Many from warmer climes will try to unravel the mysteries of sports they barely know, tutored by commercial media in attracting and sustaining their attention. But sporting competition is only part of the spectacle. Behind the scenes, manoeuvres no less contested than the Bobsleigh and the Ski Jump are in play. These involve the expansive… (Published in English 260211.)
New Issues of scholarly journals
- The International Journal of the History of Sport, Volume 42, 2025, Issue 9 | The History of Sport in the Balkans (260209)
News items (calls for papers, vacancies, etc.)
- Call for Papers | Sport, History and Society | Manusinbjudan Idrott, historia & samhälle | Volume 2026 | Call ends June 30, 2026 (250209)
- Call for Participation | Online Launch Event: Publication “Diversity and Inclusion in International Young Adult Sports Fiction” | February 16, 2026 on MS Teams (260210)
- Årets Historiske Bog i Danmark 2025 – kan det bli en idrottshistorisk studie? Var med och rösta! (260211)
- Vacancy | Associate Professor in Sports Science (Social Sciences profile) to Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) | Apply no later than April 29, 2026 (260211)
- Call for Papers | “Emerging Adult Athletes”, Special Issue of Emerging Adulthood | Call ends April 15, 2026 (260215)
