Dear all,
Last week the following items were published on idrottsforum.org (see below; language and publication date, 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
«Seinare utvikling, mindre fakta og meir synsing»: Idrettsteknologi, kjønn og trenarrolla i fotball [“Later Development, Fewer Facts and More Guesswork”: Sports Technology, Gender, and Coaching in Football]
Therese Hareide Holstad’s and Anne Tjønndal’s peer review article examines the gendering of technology in sports coaching focusing on football coaches. The following research question is explored: What experiences do football coaches for men’s and women’s teams have with sports technology and how are these technologies gendered? The article is based on qualitative interviews with 12 football coaches for men’s and women’s football teams in Norway. The analytical framework is comprised of research on technology in sports coaching combined with feminist theories of technology and the digital divide. (Published in Norwegian 250306.
Book Review
Social Issues in Sport, Leisure, and Health, by Sine Agergaard & David Karen (eds.)
Sine Agergaard’s and David Karen’s edited collection Social Issues in Sport, Leisure, and Health (Routledge) presents a series of in-depth descriptions of grassroots sport, urban lifestyle sport, physical activity across the life course, and sport for children with special needs. Karin Andersson’s insightful review maps out the theoretical directions at the basis of the study and, while also offering some critical points, concludes that the volume provides a crucial counterpoint to the prevailing individualism by illustrating how broader social determinants shape health, sport participation, and leisure activities. (Review in English, published 250304.)
Gender Performativity in Sports and Physical Education, by Håkan Larsson
Håkan Larsson’s new book, Gender Performativity in Sports and Physical Education (Common Ground) explores a perspective of gender called gender “performativity,” coined by Judith Butler in the early 1990s. It starts from the idea that gender is something people do rather than something they are. Karin S. Lindelöf finds Larsson’s application of Butler on sports and physical education of great interest, presenting important theoretical concepts in a comprehensible way. The book, she concludes, is political in the best academic way: aiming to promote change. (Review in English, published 250305.)
Ice in Their Veins: Women’s Relentless Pursuit of the Puck, by Ian Kennedy
In Ice in Their Veins: Women’s Relentless Pursuit of the Puck (Tidewater Pess), Ian Kennedy, a secondary school teacher and journalist with a passion for sport and storytelling, dissects the structural barriers that kept women out of the game with unflinching honesty. Our reviewer, hockey historian Tobias Stark, is impressed by Kennedy’s ability to balance two narratives: the celebration of women’s ice hockey as a space of extraordinary skill and perseverance, and the persistent critique of the systemic inequalities that have constrained its growth. (Review in English, published 250308.)
New Blog Post
Of rules and rulers, by Erkki Vettenniemi
With all due respect to the lovers of snow sports whose favorite season still reigns supreme in the Arctic, I would like to dedicate my first blog post of 2025 to the National Football League fans. For the uninitiated, the NFL is a business association headquartered in New York City, just a few minutes’ jog from the headquarters of the Biggest Businessperson Alive. Thanks to an exclusive interview with the above-mentioned Businessperson, we now know what’s in store for the game of (American) football soon. First the good news, though. When asked to opine on the “tush push” controversy… (Published in English 250304.)
New Issues of Scholarly Journals
(We’re currently reviewing this service, since it’s a rather time-consuming undertaking. In the meanwhile we’re presenting some of the journals in line with the Forum’s core mission.)
European Journal for Sport and Society, Vol. 22, 2025, Issue 1 (250305)- The International Journal of the History of Sport, Volume 41, 2024, Issue 12 | The Genesis of the ‘International’ Sports Federations before 1914 (250305)
- Sport, Ethics and Philosophy, Volume 17, 2023, Issue 3 | Sport and Species (250306)
- Sport, Ethics and Philosophy, Volume 18, 2024, Issue 5 (250306)
- Journal of Sport for Development, Vol. 12, 2025, Issue 1 | Open Access Journal (250306)
- Sports Law, Policy & Diplomacy Journal, Volume 2, 2024, Number 2 | Open Access Journal (250307)
- Performance Enhancement & Health, Vol. 13, 2025, Issue 1 (250307)
- Performance Enhancement & Health, Vol. 11, 2023, Issue 3 (230507)
