Public Health Approaches to Sport History

Abstract

Abstract:This article explores public health approaches to sport history as an important direction for the field. Several histories have examined the professionalization of sports medicine, athletic training, and other related fields, providing insight into the relationship between medical specialties and sports. Yet broader historical examinations of the relationship between population health and sport remain relatively limited. In many ways, sports have been historically celebrated as fostering health, with athletic participation regarded as a source of physical, mental, social, and educational benefits connected with key cultural values. On the other hand, sports have also been decried for their harmful health effects, from acute and chronic injuries to hazing and abuse. The COVID-19 pandemic, and its profound implications for sports at all levels, only heightens the need for more research that places the intersection of sports and public health in historical context.