37: Sports Literacy

Many social and cultural fields have a vocabulary that is unique to them. These vocabularies provide practical terms that are crucial in the progress and success of the activities in the field. One such example is seen in the world of sports.

The vocabulary of sports can be broken down into three interrelated categories: the rules, the inward aspects, and the outward aspects. The rules include the definitions, the procedure of play, and the official signals; knowledge of specific plays and sportsmanship encompass the inner aspects of sports; the outer aspects of sports include the residuals of the game, both positive and negative, such as knowledge of gambling terms and cultural affinity and dependence. In this chapter we will examine each of the major sports in American society and describe the literacies that promote the success of these sports.