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The Olympics are the pinnacle of athletic competition. The gold medal goes to the best of the best.
Bonnie Blair, Katarina Witt, Dan Jansen - names we remember because we celebrate our Olympic champions and honor them with hero status.
But sports isn't just about medals and competition. Whether we're spectators or participants, whether it's Olympic competition or family
softball games, sports plays an important role in our lives. And the benefits of athletic activity can carry over into our personal and
work lives, too. |
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What important psychological and social needs do sports fulfill?
Sports, Games, and Play: Social and Psychological Viewpoints Edited by Jeffrey H. Goldstein
Fair Play: Sports, Values, and Society By Robert L. Simon
Sport as Ritual: Interpretations from Durkheim to Goffman In Social Forces, by Susan Birrell
Anthropology, Sport, and Culture Edited by Robert R. Sands
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How does athletic involvement help children?
Sports in the Lives of Children and Adolescents: Success on the Field and in Life By Robert S. Griffin
Adolescent Worlds: Drug Use and Athletic Activity By M. F. Stuck
Facilitating Social Skills in Urban School Children Through Physical Education In Peace and Conflict, by Crystal F. Branta & Jacqueline D. Goodway
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How do athletic teams become unified groups?
The Relationship Between Leadership Behaviors and Group Cohesion in Team Sports In Journal of Psychology, by David Lyle Light Shields, Douglas E. Gardner, Brenda Jo Light Bredemeier, & Alan Bostro
Developing Team Cohesion: A Comparison of Cognitive-Behavioral Strategies of U.S. and Australian Sport Coaches In Journal of Psychology, by Todd A. Ryska, Zenong Yin, Dean Cooley, & Rebecca Ginn
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What role do teams play in our work lives?
Teamwork and the Bottom Line: Groups Make a Difference By Ned Rosen
Groups at Work: Theory and Research Edited by Marlene E. Turner
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The Olympics aren't all about sports -- they have political aspects, too:
The Political Olympics: Moscow, Afghanistan, and the 1980 U.S. Boycott By Derick L. Hulme, Jr.
The Olympic Movement and the End of the Cold War In World Affairs, by Lincoln Allison
More Than a Game: Sports and Politics By Martin Barry Vinokur
Global Television and the Politics of the Seoul Olympics By James F. Larson & Heung-Soo Park
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