Literature of Sport

LITERATURE OF SPORTS Honors 162 College Prep 161 2.5 credits

Sports are an intricate fabric of our culture. In Literature of Sport, we will examine several core questions: How can participating in athletics, by playing or by following a team, positively impact our lives, families, and communities? Are professional athletics a healthy influence on our culture? How much have fantasy sports affected the way we experience professional sports? How has the statistical revolution in professional sports impacted the way athletes are evaluated? Students will read selections from Season of Life by Jeffrey Marx, The Breaks of the Game by David Halberstam, The Culture of Narcissism by Christopher Lasch and Moneyball by Michael Lewis. Through this study, students will develop an awareness of the social forces that lead to healthy and unhealthy relationships, how the infusion of money into professional sports has changed them, and how sports have united people in times of crisis. Writing assignments will emphasize the development of the analytical essay. Assessments will also include creative, research-based, and community-based assignments.