Women's Sports

“In a small volume, Jaime Schultz’s Women’s Sports presents the most up-to-date information in concise, elegant prose. Schultz poses key questions for the reader, and then provides insightful answers infused with her own incisive analysis. Because of the book’s clear explanations and reasoning, it could easily serve as an introduction to gender and sexuality studies as well as the study of women’s sports. It explores the ways gender, sex, and sexuality (in connection with race, ethnicity, religion and disability status) inform women’s athletic participation. Most of all, the book makes clear the importance of women’s sport not only to participants but to our broader knowledge of sport, culture, and society.” – Susan Cahn, Professor of History, University at Buffalo”Women’s sport is more than about games; it’s also about transformation and empowerment. In this important book, Jaime Schulz tells us how sport is rapidly changing the world’s perception of women…and why it matters.” – Kathrine Switzer, first woman to register officially and run the Boston Marathon; winner of the New York City Marathon; Author, Marathon Woman: Running the Race to Revolutionize Women’s Sports, founder of 261Fearless.org, and global women’s sports activist”Jaime Schultz’s Women’s Sports: What Everyone Needs to Know is a comprehensive examination of historical and contemporary issues that affect women’s participation in sports. This book provides just the right balance of depth and breadth to provide the reader with an understanding of how women’s experience in sports is affected by larger cultural systems of inequality based on sex, class, race, gender identity, sexual orientation and religion. This is a great book for anyone who seeks to better understand women’s sports in the context of contemporary social forces that affect women’s access to the competitive athletic experience.” – Pat Griffin, Professor Emerita, Social Justice Education, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Jaime Schultz is Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Penn State, with an affiliate appointment in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. An award-winning teacher and Fulbright scholar, Schultz is the author or editor of five books and fifty article or book chapters. She also serves as the academic editor of the International Journal of the History of Sport (Americas) and as co-editor for the University of Illinois Sport and Society series.