"This volume provides an analysis of the nature of competition in contemporary American sport. This work traces American sport from American culture to the influence of the 1960s counterculture and the resulting rise of a post-Cold War ethos that continues to reinterpret competitiveness as a relic of a misbegotten past and anathema to American life"--Provided by publisher.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 257-279) and index.

Introduction -- Contemporary sport in the broader social context -- American sport and the traditional competitive ethos -- Cold War era sport and the countercultural shift -- Moral tensions within contemporary American sport -- Youth sport in America -- Self-esteem and youth in competitive sport -- A developing gulf : sport, feminism, and anti-racism -- Conclusion -- Appendix: Major American sport attendance by sport.