History of Sport

Catalog description

The course provides an introductory description and interpretation of the historical development of sport from ancient civilizations to the present. Sport and its many forms will be examined including historical forces, institutions, and personalities which have shaped sport. The focus ranges from sport in early civilizations of antiquity including Greece and Rome to the amateur ideal and Olympism of the 20th Century; and from the influence of religious forces on the mind-body dichotomy to developments in college athletics and elite sport of modern times. Recurring themes will be identified and significant individuals and events that have impacted the history and evolution of sport will be discussed to gain a better understanding and appreciation of the many inherent values of sport. HA