A Games Changer
From the emergence of the COVID pandemic in early 2020 through the delayed staging of the Tokyo Olympic games in summer 2021, A Games Changer takes the reader behind the scenes to explore the myriad challenges the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Japanese officials faced during the months of uncertainty leading up not only to the postponement of the Games but also to their delayed. Drawing on a thorough review of contemporary newspaper and magazine coverage as well as personal interviews with current and former IOC officials, Stephen R. Wenn and Robert K. Barney examine Japan's rising excitement in 2019 as preparations for the Games accelerated; whispers of a mysterious disease spreading first in China, then worldwide; organizers' initial resolve to press forward with the Games; the tumultuous discussions that ultimately resulted in the joint March 2020 decision by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and IOC President Thomas Bach to postpone the Games; and the numerous negotiations with venues, media, and sponsors required to extend contracts and protect all parties' health. Wenn and Barney reveal how human relationships--among planners, politicians, competitors, and vaccine researchers--were vital to presenting an Olympics where, in July and August 2021, world records were set, deferred dreams were achieved, and fears of a superspreader event went unrealized. While tracing the struggles of multiple athletes who had to pause their Olympic hopes and training as COVID-19 closed the world, Wenn and Barney focus on the journey of Canadian decathlete Damian Warner and his coach, Gar Leyshon. Denied his usual training venues, he prepared for the rescheduled Games with ingenuity, determination, and adaptability, reflective of the resilience demonstrated by Tokyo's Olympians around the globe. The authors' close account of Warner's two days in Tokyo recaptures the excitement and drama of sport that home viewers sorely needed amid pandemic lockdowns and incalculable personal loss.
Bo Belinsky
This work proves the adage of all that glitters is not gold. David Krell has written the first full-length biography of one of baseball's most notorious figures, using archival newspaper articles to reconstruct the colorful career of Bo Belinsky. Belinsky began in the Minor Leagues in the mid-1950s, gained a spotlight with a no-hitter for the Angels during his rookie season, and endured severe ups and downs. Along the way, he dated the most famous actresses in America, including Mamie Van Doren, Connie Stevens, and Tina Louise. What the fans didn't know about was the disastrous effect of Belinsky's alcoholism and drug abuse. Three marriages resulted in divorces. He couldn't get traction in rehab or AA. But in the 1990s, he moved to Las Vegas where he embraced sobriety and worked with one of the city's most successful car dealerships. Included interviews with Belinsky's friends and colleagues show a different side to this controversial player balances rumor with reality and shows that fame has its benefits but also terrific costs.
Valuable Book on the Handling and Subduing of Wild and Vicious Horses and Their Proper Treatment
True Honey
Silas Shore is losing control of everything.Harbor University's resident Chief athletics physician and second richest man in Harbor, Rhode Island is struggling to keep his head above the water. The team is in pieces, people are keeping secrets, his criminal father is about to take over the family shares from prison and Silas is desperately trying to keep his ducks in a row. But no matter how hard he tries it feels like he's fighting a losing battle. That is until his Grandfather gives him a choice...Find a wife, or lose the family fortune.Drew Courtney can't stop running.From her life, from her anxiety, worst of all from her depression. She's doing her best but it seems no matter what she does, she manages to screw it up and slip into a place she can't come back from. A waitress and single mother to her son, August. They never stay in one place very long but she's trying to give him everything she can. When she finds herself in the alley of Hilly's bleeding with Silas bandaging up her hand, a solution prevents itself.Find a husband, find a home.
The 1980 Moscow Olympics
Although the United States boycotted the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, the Games went on. NBC held the rights to air the Olympics, but the stateside coverage was reduced to mere minutes each day. The Moscow Olympics essentially occurred without anyone in the United States knowing or caring. As a result, the participating countries saw their accomplishments, records, and scores--their entire experience at the Games--forgotten. This history attempts to address this situation, presenting a closer look at the competitions, events, and athletes of the Games, recording each medalist's results. It also tells many untold stories of the Games, including a food fight in the Olympic Village, a pirated TV signal in Florida, the arrest of the rainbow-wigged John 3:16 activist, and the two Jimmy Carters. This book demonstrates that the 1980 Summer Games, despite the U.S. boycott, were truly unforgettable.
From Out of the Smokies
Knoxville native Charlie Tombras may be best known for his fifty-seven-year leadership of the nationally recognized advertising firm the Tombras Group, but in his moving memoir, From Out of the Smokies: Stories of Fly Fishing and Life, he chronicles his personal journey, letting business take a backseat. Born and raised in the Smokies, Tombras grew up exploring mountains and streams, fostering an appreciation for nature and fly fishing that would follow him through a tour of duty in Vietnam and into adulthood. With a relatable, often humorous style, Tombras recollects adventures spanning eight decades and the resulting lessons of friendship, loss, and love that he learned along the way. Emphasizing the value of hard work and perseverance, Tombras thoughtfully examines his lifelong love of fly fishing and leaves no stone unturned as he takes readers from childhood to adulthood in vivid memories and captivating prose. From exhilarating tales of white-water canoeing in Northern Labrador to grief-stricken seasons of loss, Tombras's memoir of spirit and adventure provides a nuanced portrait of a successful man--in business and in life. Through his sporting adventures and other personal experiences, Tombras continues to learn how to weather storms in whatever shape they may take and how to grow in the face of adversity. Much like the wild rivers that Tombras explored and loved, From Out of the Smokies will inspire readers to accept and marvel at forces beyond our control.
Night Swimming
For wild swimmers and those wishing to deepen their nature connection, this is the first book on the wellbeing benefits of night swimming, from international big wave surfer Al Mennie. Discover the unmatched beauty of wild swimming by night. Combining motivational writing with evocative storytelling, international big wave surfer and night swimmer Al Mennie gives readers the tools to discover their own methods of navigating through darkness to find clarity and focus. Weaving together swim stories with the practicalities of how and when he swims at night, along with the benefits that connecting with nature has on the mind, this book is perfect for wild swimmers who want to experience their favourite waterhole after sundown. Discover what drew Al into the waters of the North Atlantic, how he found community after initially seeking isolation, his pre-swim rituals, and everything he has learnt along the way, including how he "found his moon" - something that shines brightly in his life. The book will feature: Tides, currents, weather and seasonsHow the senses adaptNavigating by landscape, moon and starsPreparation, what to wear, pre-swim rituals Route planning, back-up plans and support teamsThe importance of community With illustrations of landscapes, moon phases, constellations and tidal patterns, and templates for planning routes and logging swims, this book will help readers find a new perspective on life, opening their mind to a deeper connection with themselves and with their local environment.
Inspiring Mental Toughness Workbook for Junior Sports Stars
The Accidental Tour-Ist
'Hilarious' - Cadel EvansIn the follow up to the bestselling How I Won the Yellow Jumper and the award-winning 1923, this is a lap of honour for everything that Ned has been lucky enough to have experienced during his commentating career. Join Ned once more as he brings his cycling stories up to the present day - full of recollections of chaotic, memorable and sometimes surreal encounters with all the key riders. While the Tour de France takes centre stage, his horizons expand far beyond its confines to take in races across Europe as well as to fascinating locations in the Middle East, China and Malaysia. There are behind-the-scenes chapters on life at the Giro d'Italia; the growth of women's racing; forays into podcasting; replacing the great Phil Liggett as ITV's main commentator; the Flemish classics; and the life and times of Chris Froome and Mark Cavendish. Ride along as Ned travels around the UK with a stage show about the Tour de France, and on the many days that he and David Millar have spent quixotically riding folding bikes up and down enormous mountains.
Inspiring Mental Toughness Workbook for Junior Sports Stars
Routledge Handbook of Sport Security
This book provides an in-depth analysis of security issues and concerns in contemporary sport. Featuring the work of leading researchers and practitioners from around the world, it offers practical, evidence-based commentary and guidance.Drawing on the latest research evidence, the book examines the multiple stakeholders, agencies, and organizations involved in providing a safe space for spectators, participants, staff, organizations, communities, and sponsors. It considers the coordination of private and public entities in the sports security ecosystem, including facility management, event management, law enforcement, emergency management, emergency medical services, and state/federal government partners, as well as the private sector organizations providing support services. The book also offers a comprehensive analysis of key issues and debates in contemporary sport security, including terrorism, cybersecurity, spectator violence, planning and assessment guidance for sport venues and events of all sizes, management and policy considerations for leaders and decision-makers, and the lessons learned from critical incidents. It introduces the core principles of research methods in sport security and looks ahead at future developments in this rapidly changing field.This is essential reading for any advanced student, researcher, practitioner, or policy-maker with an interest in sport studies, security studies, event studies, criminal justice, management, or public policy.
Leaving War
You can leave War, but war never truly leaves you.From the blood-soaked ridgelines of Afghanistan's Pech Valley to the windswept stones of Hadrian's Wall, Leaving War is the haunting and redemptive journey of a soldier trying to make peace with a war that still echoes in his mind.In this unforgettable memoir, Salinas carries readers through the savage experience of combat, the ghosts that follow home, and the long, silent pilgrimage toward healing during his hike on Hadrian's Wall. With each step along that windswept Roman frontier, he tries to shed the burden of war - mile by mile, stone by stone - until he begins to understand the new person he has become after surviving the horrors of close combat. This is not just a story of war. It is a story of return.Of walking ancient paths to heal fresh wounds.Of remembering who you were - so you can become who you must be.
Spirit of a Team
Experience the leadership and life paths of the top football coaches from high school to college to the NFL mixed with CEOs who have succeeded in business on the field, as Coach Lee Owens interviews all of them to give readers a look at the path to excellence. Coach Lee Owens (Ashland University, Ohio State University, and Massillon High School), has been writing this book for the past forty-five years. During his coaching career, he had the opportunity to take over six struggling high school and college football teams. Each time the challenge was different, but the message was the same. He told each team they would be champions, and each time it happened. The blueprint for achieving team excellence works in the locker room, but it can also work in the boardroom. Motivating a team of football players is no different from motivating a team of salespeople or motivating your team at home. The Spirit of a Team gives readers real-life examples of how actual CEOs, coaches, and players used these skills to achieve success in the biggest arenas of business and sport. Lee Owens and Larry Phillips sat down with multiple individuals who exemplify leadership. Read the stories of Matt LaFleur, Luke Fickell, Dwight Schar, Sue Ramsey, Steve Clinkscale, Nate Moore, Matt Kaulig, Carl Johnson, Dan Niss, Bob Sebo, and more. Their stories are not only inspiring, but also a validation of the building blocks to team excellence that The Spirit of a Team outlines, mixed with Coach Lee Owens's twenty-six years of coaching experience and Larry Phillips's thirty-five years of journalistic insights.
