1922 Women's World Games athletes

How a Paris Meet Changed Women’s Track and Field

In the early twentieth century, women were discouraged from competing in track and field. The First International Track Meet for Women helped change that.
American athlete Nancy Voorhees clears the bar as she trains for the high jump event ahead of the 1922 Women's World Games, during a training session at Weequanic Park in Newark, New Jersey, 1922

Sport in America: A Reading List

Covering the colonial era to the present, this annotated bibliography demonstrates the topical and methodological diversity of sport studies in the United States.
World welterweight champion Emile Griffith in training at the Thomas a Beckett Gymnasium in London, for his upcoming fight against Britain's Dave Charnley, November 20th, 1964

Masculinity, Boxing, and the “Wild Brawl” That Changed the Sport

Bennie “Kid” Paret and Emile Griffith were both ready to fight, but it was unlikely either boxer was prepared for the outcome of their final bout.
Bob Gutowski, 1957

Pole Vaulting Over the Iron Curtain

When it became clear that the United States and its allies couldn’t “liberate” Eastern Europe through psychological war and covert ops, they turned to sports.
Illustration of women fighting from 19th century.

How to Fight Like a Girl

Women have been punching each other in the face (during boxing matches) since the early 1700s.

The Sweet Sixteen of Sneakers on JSTOR

Why should basketball fans have all the March Madness fun? We're running a basketball sneaker bracket. Play along on Twitter.
Male and female runners on a blue background

Gender Incommensurability In Sports

Cultural systems have historically defined sex segregation. The imperfect science has led to failures in policing gender in sports.
Golfers in Minnesota in the 1940s

Fairness on the Fairway: Public Golf Courses and Civil Rights

Organized movements to bring racial equality to the golf course have been part of the sport since the early 1900s.
A Kentucky Wildcats cheerleader performs in th first half against the Florida Gators during the Championship game of the 2014 Men's SEC Basketball Tournament

When Men Join Cheer

What happens when former football players, accustomed to practicing and playing in all-male environments, join gender-integrated cheerleading squads?
Althea Gibson of the United States plays during Wimbledon in 1956

Serving Goodwill: US Women’s Tennis and Cold War Diplomacy

By dispatching women tennis players on world tours, the US Department of State hoped to garner approval for the American way of life.