Martina Navratilova

Homophobia in Women’s Sports

Ever since women began to publicly play sports in the late nineteenth century, female athletes have been seen as threats and subjected to suspicion.
soccer football in the stadium crowd

Soccer and European Identity

Throughout Europe, soccer matches like the FIFA World Cup have become deeply significant, in part because that continent's identity is so complex.
Bobbi Gibb

The Woman Who Crashed the Boston Marathon

In 1966, Bobbi Gibb was the first woman to run the Boston marathon. Gibb had a bigger mission, however: to overcome prejudice against women in sports.
NCAA free throw math

The Math Behind the Perfect Free Throw

The fate of a free throw is set the instant the ball leaves the player’s fingertips.
Close-up of a mans legs doing cross-country skiing in the Alps.

A Brief History of Skis

Researchers tested various ski designs dating back 4,000 years to understand how human movement on snow has evolved.
black power salute olympics

The Uneasy History of Integrated Sports in America

The integration of collegiate and professional sports parallels the civil rights movement, but in important ways it was a whole different track.
Running of the Bulls

Who Runs the Running of the Bulls?

In Spain, peñas (male recreation associations) control the safety of the annual Running of the Bulls and are responsible for much of the rowdy behavior.
70s Little League Player

How Little League Prepares Kids for Work

Little League baseball as we know it is result of child development theory and practices in America's heartland in the years directly after World War II.
Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson vs Paul Robeson: A Double Play for the Ages

In 1949, Jackie Robinson testified in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee against Paul Robeson.
Harvard-Michigan football game

How Teddy Roosevelt Changed Football

Is football too violent? It's a problem Teddy Roosevelt once tried to solve from the White House.