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Through analysis of coaches’ playing history and players’ post-retirement career choices in these fields in Israel, this article identifies significant different patterns in the transition from the role of player to that of a coach in basketball and football. In football the majority of coaches are former senior players, and the majority of senior players go on to become coaches, whereas in basketball the situation is the complete reverse. Explanations for these significant differences are related to the athletes’ social status in each field, the substantive and philosophical differences between the fields, and their different social norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the way novice marathon runners experience and respond to a change -- becoming marathoners. It utilises Victor Turner's concepts of liminality and communitas to illustrate the complexity and challenges experienced by novice runners. The scope of sociological research regarding distance runners over the last two decades has expanded, nevertheless, very little has been written in reference to the process of the liminal phase per se. Therefore, the contribution of this paper is to address this lacuna of research and focus on the link between the process of 'becoming' and concepts such as solidarity, hierarchies, and standing norms, which play significant roles and constitute key components in the process of liminality. An ethnographic research design of three years was implemented in two running groups, using participant observation and semi-structured interviews. The data presented suggest that embarking on a marathoner identity requires a phase of betwixt and between wherein the 'traditional' borders of liminality and communitas are not fixed and often negotiable. Moreover, the relatively advanced age, similar socioeconomic status and military background among the running members serve as loopholes in liminality for novice runners towards 'interested solidarity' with veteran runners in achieving their new status as marathoners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on an ethnographic study the article explores ageism in the context of gyms in Israel. It questions perceptions of 'old age' as having self-evident existence. As bodily characteristics are prominent in the social surrounding of the gym, this context serves as a convenient sphere for examining ageism. The findings reveal that fitness activity is perceived by all gym participants as serving to mitigate physical fragility. They also demonstrate that the attitude toward older exercisers shifts from encouragement to contempt and disregard. However, significant differences were found, depending on the contexts and situations, the specific sites, the extent of social integration, and other characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a widely known phenomenon among gym goers. For many of them, experiencing DOMS the day after working out in the gym is often perceived as rewarding and something of which to brag and be proud. Although existing work within the biomedical field has undoubtedly shed light on coping with and managing DOMS, there remains little in-depth qualitative research on the gym goer's lived experience regarding this phenomenon. Following Becker's conceptual framework of using marihuana for pleasure, the article will examine the way gym goers learn to attain pleasure and gratification in times of DOMS through a process of reframing and socialization. Ethnographic research was conducted for two years in two gyms, using a combination of participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Findings illustrate three coherent stages a novice gym goer experiences while becoming an experienced gym goer and enjoying DOMS: (1) learning the proper "working-out" technique required to experience positive effects; (2) recognizing the effects of DOMS and their connection with the workout; and (3) enjoying the effects of DOMS caused by working out. Moreover, once gym goers manage to change the definition of negative sensations and interpret them as enjoyable, DOMS often becomes an indispensable experience that has to be religiously pursued. In this context, the audience in front of which the gym goers perform their DOMS serves as a "front region of behavior" for gaining social recognition by instrumentalizing their pain to strengthen and solidify their gym goer identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For many gym goers, grunting in times of bodily exertion is perceived as a voluntary performance, a self-evident expression for which they can waive any responsibility. Drawing on a symbolic interaction approach, this paper provides a novel examination of grunting as a social phenomenon. It demonstrates the role of grunting as a social symbol and its connection to social spaces and identities, gender norms, and power relations. The scope of sociological research on grunting in times of bodily exertion is relatively limited and often relegated to the context of biomedicine. Therefore, the contribution of this paper is to address the lacuna of research that focuses on the link between grunting as a socially constructed phenomenon and its sociocultural implications. Ethnographic research was conducted for 3 years in two gyms, using a combination of participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Key findings illustrate three themes toward the role of grunting: grunting and socialization; grunting and space; and finally, grunting and situational adjustment. It is argued that grunting at the gym is socially constructed, a rational and voluntary action that is negotiated, controlled, and adjusted according to the situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of sportsmen and sportswomen in social places, [17] show how high-profile professional athletes experiencing difficulties perpetuate their "athlete" persona. Therefore, the coach must consistently act "like a coach" in the eyes of their players as part of the sporting environment (the setting) in order to establish and maintain the appropriate and expected interaction ([19]). In the context of our paper, it was found that coaches and star athletes and players that are leaders exhibit different types of leadership behaviors ([13]). Halberstam's I Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the world he made i ([9]) was written after Jordan's second retirement and was the first try to take full measure of Jordan's epic career and the larger forces that converged to make him the iconic figure he became. [Extracted from the article]

This article aims to suggest an alternative, theoretical, and methodological framework for exploring how sociocultural, underlying realities construct dominant gendered discourses within the Israeli context. This article also attempts to shed light on the link between the discourse of militarization and its implicit penetration into Israeli civil society and sports. Moreover, this article argues that, to some extent, these underlying, contextualized, flowing discourses marginalize women and some men from decision-making positions in sports organizations. Therefore, this study provides an interesting perspective from which to analyze voices and narratives of the (predominantly female) "other" through post-structuralist feminist lenses. The study also elaborates on the historical, contextual construction of current discourses of masculinity that shape the culture of Israeli sports organizations and society as a whole. This article also introduces readers to the theoretical and methodological processes of narrative revisions, critical discourse analysis (CDA), and the context of the production of gendered knowledge. By using constructivism, rather than positivist ontology, this study elaborates upon, and reveals, how different societal discourses produce and reinforce gender inequities in Israeli sports organizations, which continually (and to some extent, implicitly) exclude women from gaining access to leadership positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For many amateur long-distance runners the marathon is not merely an event – it is a demanding activity, both physically and mentally. While being immersed in this activity they enter the running social world and undergo a process of identity transformation. This process encompasses immersion into a 'zone' that is often outside the partnership of marriage and includes absorption into social networks that are unlimited in time and place. In this study, an ethnographic research design was utilized, employing a combination of participant observation, interviews, and website analysis. Key findings illustrate both the complexity and the fragility regarding the encouragement of the non-running partner. It is suggested that, even if the non-running partner is supportive, embracing a serious marathon identity by the running partner can jeopardize the marriage. In other words, the partnership may crumble due to the identity transformation of one of the partners when the other doesn't play an active part in the new social world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem statement: This article reviews the dilemmas, costs, and benefits of raising young athletes in the framework of a boarding school, away from home and their familiar neighborhood. Purpose: The challenges discussed focus on lessons learned from assessing 12 years (2005-2017) of management at the Wingate Academy of Sports Excellence (WASE) in Israel. Approach: The article relies upon the firsthand experience of the first two authors, who held key positions at The Wingate Institute and the WASE, respectively. We believe that using a qualitative approach enables the identification of meanings, insights and significant conjunctions for the research questions discussed in this specific case. The study raises two main conflictual and moral themes: Theme 1: The Military Ethos, i.e.athletic career versus meaningful military service; this theme is relevant to young talented athletes at the WASE and present a unique cultural ethos for the Israeli society. Theme 2: No Pain- No Gain,i.e. theethical and moral dilemma of an injured athlete and the professional team. It reviews the philosophy as well as pedagogical, managerial and moral decisions taken by the managerial and professional staff of the WASE, often on the background of dis-accordance between stakeholders: the Ministry of Sport, National Sport Federations, theMinistry of Education, all of them who envelop the athletes along the journey to the top. The article points to the importance of our awareness of existing importance to other sport academies world wide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]