Not Playing Around

This book reveals how sports provide spaces for marginalized communities and create unique platforms that shift how society defines identity. Each chapter delves into how those identities—such as race, gender, disability, and sexuality—have developed and influenced social change.

Dr. Andrew M. Colombo-Dougovito is assistant professor of sport pedagogy and motor behavior at the University of North Texas. Dr. Tracy Everbach is professor of digital/print journalism at the Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas. Dr. Karen Weiller-Abels is associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion and Recreation at the University of North Texas.

Contents Acknowledgments Introduction: At the Confluence of Sport and Identity  Andrew M. Colombo-Dougovito, Tracy Everbach, & Karen Weiller-Abels SECTION I: Spaces that Define  1. "Keep it in the Locker Room": How Athletic Departments Stifle Controversy and Dissent Frank D. LoMonte & Dionne L. Koller  Response: Restricting Athletes Speech Puts Athletic Programs at Risk Paula Lavigne 2. On Balls, Players, Tackle Boxes, and Other Footballing Options: The Politics of Being in the NFL Rulebook Joshua D. Rubin  Response: Football Louis Jenkins 3. Shattering the Glass Ceiling Twice: Sports Journalism Framing of Katie Sowers  William P. Cassidy Response: Women Succeed in Coaching and Family Life Lisa Carlsen 4. Queer Recreation: LGBTQ Sporting Spaces, Community, and Impact  Austin R. Anderson & Eric Knee  Response: Voices From the Field Warren Perry 5. A "Permissible Prejudice": An Exploration of the Systemic Ableist Barriers to Sport and Leisure Activities for Disabled People