In the United States today, parents, coaches, officials, and league administrators have to be aware of the various legal issues that can arise in youth sport. Years ago, volunteer coaches or officials would probably be thanked for their efforts, but today they are just as likely to be sued. The American fascination with litigation continues to grow, and the number of lawsuits in youth sport has more than doubled in the last ten years. Youth Sport and the Law studies various court cases to understand the legal principles involved in sport participation. The objective of the book is to provide better and safer sporting experiences for today's children. Written in an easy-to-understand style, the book features articles and human interest stories about people in youth sport at the end of each chapter. Appenzeller, himself a teacher, coach, and youth sport parent, provides guidelines and recommendations that will greatly improve sport for all concerned.

A critical analysis of some very real problems within youth sport, with issues that relate specifically to children, this book argues that the future development of sport depends on the creation of a child-centred sport system.

Written by a former Olympic consultant, this book examines youth sports in America today, from institutions that dominate organized youth sports to high-profile controversies ranging from burnout and out-of-control parents to the health risks of youth football. As organized youth sports occupy an ever-greater role in the lives of American families, critics have begun to question whether some programs and participants have lost their way. This timely book examines the state of youth sports in America today, analyzing how organized sports influence communities, discussing the potential emotional and physical benefits as well as drawbacks of youth sports, and profiling the industry's key participants, ranging from parent coaches to club sports owners to personal trainers. The work begins with a look at the evolution of youth sports in the United States, then explores such topics as burnout, self-discipline, performance-enhancing drugs, parental violence, and scholarships. The content includes coverage of 20 individual youth sports, such as basketball, softball, lacrosse, baseball, volleyball, football, soccer, cross-country, and swimming, and provides breakdowns of historical and current participation rates, injury rates, and sport-specific scholarship trends. Each summary includes contact information on important organizations specific to that sport.

This provocative critique of the youth sports movement examines the various issues surrounding children in sports and provides a plan for reform based on a change in philosophy and practice. Many American children spend more than 20 hours a week in organized sports, forgoing free time and unstructured recreational activities for the rigors of training and competition. This book offers a comprehensive critique of the youth sports movement, pitting the reality of adult-run sports programs against the needs and interests of children. It examines whether the tradeoff of "normal play time" for structured sports activities teaches discipline and leads to stronger character development, or if the pressures of the game, the physical strain of practicing, and the general overscheduling of children's lives have eroded the benefits associated with playing sports. Educator and former coach Steven J. Overman contends that youth-based sports programs require a radical change for the well-being of the young participants. The book explores the various problems in organized sports, including stress on the family, physical health hazards, violence, emotional duress, elitism, and hyper-competitiveness. Incorporating the perspectives of coaches, athletes, parents, physicians, and social scientists, the narrative scrutinizes the role of adults as promoters and coaches and concludes with a discussion of current and needed reforms.

The Oxford Handbook of American Sports Law is a timely and engaging compilation of commentaries by leading experts on the most significant issues in US sports law. The book blends analysis of historical and contemporary controversies with prescriptions for how courts and lawmakers can reconcile the competing interests of leagues, owners, and players. The Handbook also establishes a foundation for future research on sports law issues. As technology and social media alter the ways fans, athletes, and team officials interact, legal doctrine will be challenged to adapt, and the Handbook both forecasts these debates and outlines where the law may be headed.

Elite youth sport competitions have increased significantly in number in recent years, with the Youth Olympic Games representing the high point of this phenomenon. This book examines the global context within which elite youth sport has emerged and continues to grow. It explores elite youth sport policy across fifteen countries, in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia, addressing the questions of how youth talent development is organised and why elite youth sport has become so popular. Taking a comparative global perspective, the book analyses the growth in more systematic approaches to young athlete development and the increasing emphasis on early talent identification. It discusses the attitude of stakeholders (such as NGBs, governments and sponsors) towards elite youth sport, while also considering how young elite athletes’ interests are protected and how the growth in elite youth sport affects a sport’s development strategy. Written by a team of internationally renowned researchers, Elite Youth Sport Policy and Management: A comparative analysis is fascinating reading for all students, scholars, managers, policy-makers and coaches with an interest in youth sport, elite sport development, talent identification and sports policy.

"Casebook for use in upper level Sports Law course"--

Sport Law: A Managerial Approach, third edition, merges law and sport management in a way that is accessible and straightforward. Its organization continues to revolve around management functions rather than legal theory. Concise explanations, coupled with relevant industry examples and cases, give readers just enough legal doctrine to understand the important concepts that apply to each area. This book will help prepare students as they get ready to assume a broad range of responsibilities in sport, education, or recreation. Whether readers work as coaches or teachers; administer professional programs; manage fitness/health clubs; or assume roles in a high school, college, Olympic, or professional sport organization, legal concerns will inevitably be woven into their managerial concerns. This book provides knowledge of the law that helps create a competitive advantage and build a more efficient and successful operation that better serves the needs of its constituents. Special Features of the Book Managerial context tables. Chapter-opening exhibits act as organizational and study tools identifying managerial contexts in relation to major legal issues, relevant law, and illustrative cases for the chapter. Case opinions, focus cases, and hypothetical cases. Legal opinions--both excerpted (case opinions) and summarized (focus cases)--illustrate relevant legal points and help readers understand the interplay between fact and legal theory. The cases include questions for discussion, and the instructor’s manual provides guidance for the discussion. Hypothetical cases further highlight topics of interest and include discussion questions to facilitate understanding of the material; analysis and possible responses appear at the end of the chapter. Competitive advantage strategies. Highlighted, focused strategies based on discussions in the text help readers understand how to use the law to make sound operational decisions and will assist them in working effectively with legal counsel. Discussion questions, learning activities, and case studies. Thoughtful and thought-provoking questions and activities emphasize important concepts;they help instructors teach and readers review the material. Creative case studies stimulate readers, as future sport or recreation managers, to analyze situations involving a legal issue presented in the chapter. Annotated websites. Each chapter includes a collection of web resources to help readers explore topics further. Accompanying the web addresses are brief descriptions pointing out key links and the sites' benefits. Bookmarking these sites will help readers in future research or throughout their careers.

In this thoroughly revised Fourth Edition, Glenn Wong provides a comprehensive review of the various sports law issues facing professional, intercollegiate, Olympic, high school, youth, and adult recreational sports. Major topics include tort liability, contracts/waivers, antitrust law, labor law, constitutional law, gender discrimination, drug testing, intellectual property law, broadcasting laws pertaining to sports agents, business and employment law, Internet gambling, and athletes with disabilities. Significant additions here include new court decisions, agreements (contracts and collective bargaining agreements), and legislation (federal, state, association, and institutional rules and regulations). Discussions of legal concepts are supplemented with summaries and excerpts from hundreds of actual sports cases. Wong cites a variety of books, law review articles, newspaper articles, and Web links for those requiring further information on particular topics. This text-professional guide serves as an invaluable resource to those involved, or studying to become involved, in the vast industry of sports.