It's for the Kids : Adults and the Social Construction of Children's Sport

Thousands of children participate in community sports every year, enjoying recreation time with their peers, getting healthy exercise, and learning a variety of personal and group skills. At the same time, children's sports are not without controversy: aggressive parents live vicariously through their children's exploits, competitive success is often the focus, and rising costs can limit participation. Bridging anthropology, sport studies, and childhood studies, Fields of Playoffers a rich understanding of an area that has, to date, garnered relatively little attention by social scientists. Based on nearly two decades of ethnographic field research into the dynamics of children's sporting activities, it provides vibrant and valuable insight into issues of contemporary family and community, as well as the shaping of childhood, youth, and adulthood.