Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
14
AmericanSport–Introduction
asoccerball.TephenomenonofAmericansoccerisdiscussedin
oneoftheessays.
Tereisnolifewithoutrituals.Consequently,thereisnosport
withoutrituals.Ritualsundoubtedlygivecolortosportingcompe-
tition,buttheyarenotmerelyacuriosity.Teyareanimportantel-
ementofmanyathletes’lives.Tephenomenonofritualbehaviors
insportisverybroad,soonlyselectedaspectsofritualinAmerican
sportarepresentedinonesectionofthisbook.
Ethnicissuesalsoconstituteanimportantsegmentofsportsworld.
Bymeansofsport,ethnicgroupsdefinetheiridentityandaspira-
tions,thevaluesthatareimportanttothem,andwhatdistinguishes
themfromothercommunities,whatmakesthemspecial.Ethnicdi-
versityhasalwaysbeenafeatureofAmericansociety.Teheteroge-
neoussocietyhasbeenbecomingmorehomogenous,butontheway
ethnicgroupshaveusuallytriedtoprotectatleastsomeelementsof
theirdistinctiveness.Consequently,theprocessesofaccommodating
thenewimmigrantsdidnotalwaysgosmoothly.Inthecontextof
Americansport,ScottishAmericanshavebeenpresentedinonepart
ofthisbook.Teirnostalgia-basedreconstructionofScottishHigh-
landGamesandScottishcommunityinthenewmotherlandmakes
animpressionandisdefinitelyworthdescribing.
Terelationsbetweensportandpoliticshaveexistedsincethe
dawnofmodernsport.Politiciansliketoassociatethemselveswith
successfulsportspeopleandevents.Infact,itwouldbehardtoblame
themforusingsportfortheirownpurposes.Tecorroborationof
thefactthatAmericansareanationadoringsportsisthefactthat
manyAmericanpresidentshadalikingformiscellaneoussportsdis-
ciplines.Asleadersofthenationtheywantedtogiveagoodexample.
Tisconstitutesaninspirationofresearchinonepartofthismono-
graph.LyndonJohnsonandUlyssesGrantaswellasWilliamHow-
ardTaftplayedgolf;TeodoreRooseveltlovedboxing;JohnQuincy
Adamswasagreatswimmer;GeraldFordpractisedseveraldisci-
plines(golf,tennis,swimming,Americanfootball);GeorgeW.Bush
joggedandcycled;BarackObamaisanenthusiastofbasketball;the
currentpresidentDonaldTrumpadoresgolf.Tisisjustatinysam-
pleofwhatwillbediscussedinmoredetail.
Allmajorsportsdisciplinesconstitutetheirownseparateworlds,
fullofspecificbehaviorsofboththeplayersandthesupporters,col-
