Westport Library

CRISIS ON THE FIELD: ATHLETES AND AMERICAN VALUES
July 9, 2006

American society is currently debating the topic of corruption and debasement in sports as a reflection of larger social issues facing this nation.

These and related resources are available at the Westport Public Library. Please contact our reference department for additional information at (203) 291-4840 or ref@westportlibrary.org.

BOOKS
College Sports

Dealy, Francis X. Win At Any Cost: The Sell Out of College Athletics. 1990. An indictment of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and an examination of the business, greed and scandals that plagued it.

Sperber, Murray. Beer and Circus: How Big-Time College Sports is Crippling Undergraduate Education. 2000.
A scathing review of the pernicious effects of big-time college sports on undergraduate education and values.

Zimbalist, Andrew. Unpaid Professionals: Commercialism and Conflict in Big-Time College Sports.1999.
A critical account of the symbiotic relationship between corporate sponsorships and college sports.

Drugs

Bryant, Howard. Juicing the Game: Drugs, Power, and the Fight for the Soul of Major League Baseball. 2005.
A history of the steroid era in baseball and its effects on the players, fans and the integrity of the game.

Donohoe, Tom, and Neil Johnson. Foul Play: Drug Abuse in Sports. 1986.
A history and scientific accounting of the insidious use of doping substances by Olympic athletes.

Fainaru-Wada, Mark and Lance Williams. Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroids Scandal that Rocked Professional Sports. 2006.
The story of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative that supplied banned drugs to elite athletes.

Kuhn, Cynthia. Pumped: Straight Facts for Athletes About Drugs, Supplements, and Training. 2000.
A description of how chemicals work in the body and how they can enhance and impair performance.

Taylor, William N. Anabolic Steroids and the Athlete. 2002.
This book tells the history, clinical uses, and potential adverse effects of anabolic steroids and also describes the use of growth hormones by athletes.

Youth

Bigelow, Bob. Just Let the Kids Play: How to Stop Other Adults from Ruining Your Child’s Fun and Success in Youth Sports. 2001.
The various problems associated with recreational youth leagues are addressed.

Sheehy, Harry. Raising a Team Player: Teaching Kids Lasting Values on the Field, on the Court, and on the Bench. 2002.
This practical, informative guide provides ways for parents and coaches to turn stress-induced sports into positive, enjoyable experiences.

Thompson, Jim. The Double-Goal Coach: Positive Coaching Tools for Honoring the Game and Developing Winners in Sports and Life. 2003.
Methods and techniques are employed and explained for changing the dynamics of youth sports from frenzied, anxious moments to memorable, valuable experiences.

Wolff, Rick. Good Sports: A Concerned Parent’s Guide to Little League and Other Competitive Youth Sports. 1993.
The author offers guidelines to ensure the enjoyment of organized youth sports leagues for all.

Players

Canseco, Jose. Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big. 2005.
Recipient of Rookie of the Year and MVP awards, Canseco’s memoir details the lurid, outrageous and secretive use of performance-enhancing drugs by major league ballplayers.

Daly, John. My Life In and Out of the Rough: The Truth Behind All That Bull**** You Think You Know About Me. 2006.
The colorful 1991 PGA champion describes his addictive battles with alcohol, gambling, food and women.

Louganis, Greg. Breaking the Surface. 1994.
The winner of four Olympic diving medals describes his unhappy childhood, his private torment over his sexual orientation and his ongoing struggle with AIDS.

Ripken, Cal and Mike Bryan. The Only Way I Know. 1997.
A candid account of the man who broke Lou Gehrig's record of 2130 consecutive games played.

Rose, Pete. My Prison Without Bars. 2004.
Pete Rose’s colorful version of his life in baseball and his gambling problems.

ARTICLES - (click on article title for full text)

Brownlee, Christen. “Gene Doping: Will Athletes Go for the Ultimate High?” Science News v166 i18 (Oct 30, 2004): 280-282.
The positive and negative aspects of gene doping for athletes are explored.

Deford, Frank. “The Rise and Fall of Kirby Puckett: The Media and the Fans in Minnesota Turned the Twins’ Hall of Famer into a Paragon of Every Virtue—and that Made His Human Flaws, When They Came to Light, All the More Shocking.” Sports Illustrated v98 i11 (March 17, 2003): 58-69.
A description of the tumultuous life and actions of baseball player Kirby Puckett.

Deford, Frank. “Just Say No: Hard-charging IOC Veteran Dick Pound Has a New Mission—To End Drug Use in the Games.” Sports Illustrated v97 i24 (Dec 16, 2002): R9+.
As the new chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Dick Pound is expected to stop illegal drug use in the Olympic Games.

Genzlinger, Neil. “In Youth Sports, You Just Can’t Win.” New York Times (February 24, 2002): 14NJ.1.
A summation of a panel discussion on “Values vs. Victories: What Are We Teaching Our Children in Sport?” held at Rutgers University.

Mitten, Matthew J. “Is Drug Testing of Athletes Necessary?” USA Today (Magazine) v134 i2726 (Nov 2005): 60-63.
Both the Federal government and sports governing agencies have complementary, vital roles in the quest to halt the use of banned performance-enhancing drugs by athletes.

Mulhall, Stephen J. “A Critique of the World Anti-Doping Code.” The Advocate v64 i1 (January 2006): 29-40.
The issues and principles of the World Anti-Doping Code are critically analyzed and discussed.

Wise, Mike. “A Mixed Message Helped Spawn Steroid Use.” Washington Post August 7, 2005): E09.
The American obsession of winning at all costs has pushed professional athletes to test their limits and experiment with performance-enhancing drugs.

WEBSITES

Citizenship Through Sports Alliance
The Citizenship Through Sports Alliance (CTSA), a coalition of twelve professional and amateur athletics organizations throughout the United States, focuses on character in sport and promotes fair play at all levels.

U. S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)
This is the official national anti-doping agency for the Olympics in the U. S.

U. S. Office of National Drug Control Policy: Drugs and Sports
This government office advises and educates athletes, coaches and parents on the dangers of drugs. It publishes “The Coach’s Playbook Against Drugs”.

World Anti-Doping Agency
This independent international anti-doping agency works with international sports federations, national and international Olympic committees, governments, and athletes to coordinate a comprehensive drug testing program.

6/06
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