Philosophy of Sport: Meaning and Well-Being

Philosophy of Sport: Meaning and Well-Being seeks to answer these questions and provide practical strategies for changing behavior. Rather than providing clients with “good reasons” to move and selling physical activity as “medicine,” the book reframes physical activity as a source of joy, an adventure, a challenge, and an opportunity. The text explores the art and science of promoting meaningful movement by helping individuals find and cultivate meaning that is so personal and compelling that it generates sustained action and lifelong participation.

Here’s what readers will find in this text:

• An overarching theme of meaningful physical activity
• Philosophy’s intersection with science, discussing the functions of science and how philosophy complements it
• An emphasis on wellness, health, and medicine, with practical how-to instructions for teaching, motivating, and changing behavior
• An expansive discussion of ethics, spanning five chapters
• Practical exercises and stories to practice philosophic thinking
• Tips for all physical activity professionals, including physical education teachers, kinesiologists, athletic trainers, fitness specialists, physical therapists, and professionals in the recreation field

Unlike many textbooks that cover both the history and philosophy of sport, this text is devoted exclusively to the philosophy of sport and physical activity. It is organized into five parts. Part I introduces fundamental questions about the nature of meaning, the challenges of creating meaningful experiences, and the methods philosophers use to examine value and meaning, contrasting these approaches with the scientific methods used to investigate and explain reality. Part II guides readers on a quest to understand two things: the nature of human beings and the nature of the activities we pursue. Introduced in this section are the three different interpretations of human nature: holism, dualism, and materialism. Part III examines the nature of the physical activity world and the different ways that world can be introduced and promoted—namely, work and play. It evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of work and play to promote persistence in physical activity. In part IV, important questions about the ethics of wellness, sport, and competition are addressed—specifically, what counts as “the good life” and what counts as “good behavior.” It includes a discussion of the promotion of meaning in organized youth sports. The book concludes with part V, which offers practical strategies for expanding play opportunities and fostering lifelong engagement in physical activity. It emphasizes that, despite biological and cultural differences, humans are all very much alike.

The holy grail of kinesiology—promoting physical activity across the lifespan—will remain out of reach until we better equip students (and the individuals they will one day serve) to discover, cultivate, and sustain meaning in physical activity. Philosophy of Sport offers a road map for achieving that goal.