Winners and Losers: Sport and Physical Activity in the '90s

Patricia Pickard is an assistant professor in the School of Human
Movement and vice-dean of Professional Schools at Laurentian University.

Jill le Clair has produced an in-depth study of the Canadian philosophy
and administrative structure of sports within the global context. The
references provide an excellent source of information for Canadian
scholars.

Some criticisms pertain. First, although the text is accessible, the
layout is often confusing, particularly with respect to the placement of
the charts and the boxed material. Second, “sport” would have been
more appropriately defined in the first chapter. Third, some of the
athlete profiles seem misplaced. It is difficult to understand why the
commentaries on Ian Millar and Big Ben, as well as on superstition in
sport, are included in the section on violence and aggression, or why
the Elizabeth Ashton profile does not appear in the chapter on women in
sports. Finally, “positive” and “negative” aggression could have
been more clearly delineated.

All in all, however, Winners and Losers will make a welcome addition to
the libraries of Canadian college and university professors who teach
courses in the philosophy of sport and physical education.