During more than forty years, Bruce Kidd has combined careers as an internationally ranked athlete, coach, sports administrator, professor and dean with critical scholarly and popular writing about sport, often on the issues in which he has been directly involved. Frequently called ‘the conscience of Canadian sport’, he defines his perspective as that of ‘critical support’: while he can be savage about the inequalities and abuses of power in contemporary sport, he seeks to reform sports so that many more people can enjoy their potential benefits. This book provides a sampling of Professor Kidd’s scholarly writing. The issue begins with Kidd’s reflection on the ways in which ‘sport’ is constituted by ‘society’ and a lifetime of simultaneous scholarship and intervention. The rest of the issue is organized around three themes: the Canadian sport system, the Olympic Movement, and his ‘recovery projects’, historical writing that brought long-forgotten earlier initiatives and episodes back into public understanding. In each case, Kidd provides a brief introduction of 1000-1500 words that sets the context for the original article and provides an update on the subject matter. This book was previously published as a special issue of Sport in Society.

'Critical Support' for Sport (Sport in the Global Society – Contemporary Perspectives)

Kidd, Bruce

Reference

Routledge

Canadian sports were turned on their head during the years between the world wars. The middle-class amateur men's organizations which dominated Canadian sports since the mid-nineteenth century steadily lost ground, swamped by the rise of consumer culture and badly battered and split by the depression. In The Struggle for Canadian Sport Bruce Kidd illuminates the complex and fractious process that produced the familiar contours of Canadian sport today -- the hegemony of continental cartels like the NHL, the enormous ideological power of the media, the shadowed participation of women in sports, and the strong nationalism of the amateur Olympic sports bodies.Kidd focuses on four major Canadian organizations of the interwar period: the Amateur Athletic Union, the Women's Amateur Athletic Federation, the Workers' Sport Association, and the National Hockey League. Each of these organizations became focal points of debate and political activity, and they often struggled with each other - each had a radically different agenda: The AAU sought `the making of men' and the strengthening of English-Canadian nationalism; the WAAF promoted the health and well-being of sportswomen; the WSA was a vehicle for socialism; and the NHL was concerned with lucrative spectacles. These national organizations stimulated and steered many of the resources available for sport and contributed significantly to the expansion of opportunities. They enjoyed far more power than other Canadian cultural organizations of the period, and they attempted to manipulate both the direction and philosophy of Canadian athletics. Through their control of the rules and prestigious events and their countless interventions in the mass media, they shaped the dominant practices and coined the very language with which Canadians discussed what sports should mean. The success and outcome of each group, as well as their confrontations with one another were crucial in shaping modern Canadian sports. The Struggle for Canadian Sport adds to our understanding of the material and social conditions under which people created and elaborated sports and the contested ideological terrain on which sports were played and interpreted.Winner of the North American Society for Sports History (NASSH) 1997 book award

The Struggle for Canadian Sport

History

Americas

University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division

Canadian sports were turned on their head during the years between the world wars. The middle-class amateur men's organizations which dominated Canadian sports since the mid-nineteenth century steadily lost ground, swamped by the rise of consumer culture and badly battered and split by the depression. In The Struggle for Canadian Sport Bruce Kidd illuminates the complex and fractious process that produced the familiar contours of Canadian sport today -- the hegemony of continental cartels like the NHL, the enormous ideological power of the media, the shadowed participation of women in sports, and the strong nationalism of the amateur Olympic sports bodies.
Kidd focuses on four major Canadian organizations of the interwar period: the Amateur Athletic Union, the Women's Amateur Athletic Federation, the Workers' Sport Association, and the National Hockey League. Each of these organizations became focal points of debate and political activity, and they often struggled with each other - each had a radically different agenda: The AAU sought `the making of men' and the strengthening of English-Canadian nationalism; the WAAF promoted the health and well-being of sportswomen; the WSA was a vehicle for socialism; and the NHL was concerned with lucrative spectacles. 
These national organizations stimulated and steered many of the resources available for sport and contributed significantly to the expansion of opportunities. They enjoyed far more power than other Canadian cultural organizations of the period, and they attempted to manipulate both the direction and philosophy of Canadian athletics. Through their control of the rules and prestigious events and their countless interventions in the mass media, they shaped the dominant practices and coined the very language with which Canadians discussed what sports should mean. The success and outcome of each group, as well as their confrontations with one another were crucial in shaping modern Canadian sports. 
The Struggle for Canadian Sport adds to our understanding of the material and social conditions under which people created and elaborated sports and the contested ideological terrain on which sports were played and interpreted.
Winner of the North American Society for Sports History (NASSH) 1997 book award

University of Toronto Press

The death of hockey

New Press

This book focuses on the major social and political forces that have shaped the ways in which sport has been understood, organized, and contested in an effort to engender social change. Integrating the history of international development with the history of modern sport, the authors examine the underpinnings of sport-for-development from the mid-19th through the early 21st centuries. Including both archival research and extensive interviews with more than 15 individuals who were central to the institutions and movements that shaped sport as a force for development, this book will be of particular interest to the growing number of scholars, students, practitioners, advocates and activists interested in the possibilities and limitations of sport-for-development.

The History and Politics of Sport-for-Development: Activists, Ideologues and Reformers (Global Culture and Sport Series)

Politics & Social Sciences

Field, Russell

Darnell, Simon C.

Social Sciences

PALGRAVE~MACMILLAN

The Struggle for Canadian Sport (The Canada 150 Collection)

Educating the Body: A History of Physical Education in Canada

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Hall, M. Ann

Vertinsky, Patricia

Exercise & Fitness

A Runner's Journey

Review\n"Anyone interested in the history of Canadian sports, international track and field and the Olympic movement will find great value in this entertaining and informative memoir." ― Canadian Running Magazine\n“Every Canadian parent in the 1960s expected their children to live up to the image of Bruce Kidd.” -- Lorne Michaels, creator of Saturday Night Live\n“A must-read for anyone considering being an athlete or a community leader.” -- John Stanton, CEO and founder, Running Room\n"With this piece of work Bruce Kidd has found a way to bring out the Olympian and ally that lies within all of us." -- Donnovan Bennett, feature host, producer, and radio host at Sportsnet\n“I am so glad I read this book! Not only did I enjoy the journey Bruce took me on – his racing, his activism, and his advocacy – but I also learned a lot from this memoir.” -- Marnie McBean, OC OLY, 3x Olympic rowing champion\n“A Runner’s Journey highlights that the value of sport is not in the pursuit of excellence, but in the depth of experience it provides and the valuable lessons it teaches us. Through his story, Bruce shares the impact that one can have when they lead with courage, compassion, and integrity.” -- Rosie MacLennan, Canadian trampoline gymnast, 2x Olympic gold medalist\n“Bruce’s life story will, no doubt, provide inspiration for any aspiring athlete. In addition, his perseverance to bring justice in all its manifestations in sport is exceptional. Bruce tells it all with remarkable passion.” -- Sam Ramsamy, former anti-apartheid campaigner and IOC Honorary Member\n"Bruce Kidd's journey goes well beyond an athlete’s striving to reach the finish line first. His memoir is really about the lifelong education of an advocate and the crucially important discovery that sport is essential to the human narrative." -- Scott Russell, host of the Olympic Games, CBC Television, and co-host of CBC Sports' Road to the Olympic Games\n“Bruce Kidd was never one to ‘just stick to sports.’ It didn’t take him long to recognize the sports world didn’t treat everyone equally: women, people of colour, and those who were refused an education because they were seen as commodities. Kidd was never afraid to fight for the voice of the athlete to be heard, and he continues to ensure sport is a gift that can be given to everyone.” -- Andi Petrillo, sports broadcaster and co-host of CBC Sports' Road to the Olympic Games\n“This book takes you on a journey through many of the most significant social and political movements of the last 70 years, all through the lens of sport. In doing so, Bruce illustrates how sport has shaped and been shaped by these movements, giving us a rich understanding of the recent origins of sport as we experience it today. Bruce’s journey from celebrated athlete to activist and ally for ethical, inclusive, and accessible sport offers valuable lessons about the process of creating change and the ongoing need for visionary, committed leadership within sport and beyond.” -- Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, CEO, Canadian Women & Sport\n“Bruce’s book is yet another accomplishment that is consistent with the bravery, boldness, and humanity he has displayed through his journey in sport. He has succinctly and honestly captured his over 70 years of participation as an athlete, activist, critic, observer, and torch-bearer. This book, like Bruce’s story, will remain a symbol of his legacy, both known and unknown, for many generations of leaders in sport and beyond.” -- Dasha Peregoudova, lawyer and past president, AthletesCAN, the Association of Canada’s National Team Athletes\n“A Runner’s Journey is a reminder that sport not only provides some of the greatest joys of contemporary life but is also a vehicle for dialogue and cooperation within and between nations. It is a reminder of the opportunities and obligations that international athletes and those working with sport in our universities have to help others less fortunate. This is lived social intervention, one of t

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

Aevo UTP

Review\n"Anyone interested in the history of Canadian sports, international track and field and the Olympic movement will find great value in this entertaining and informative memoir." ― Canadian Running Magazine\n"In A Runner’s Journey, Kidd takes the reader inside the life of one of Canada’s greatest and most complex athletes. Whether it is his discussion of his unconventional athletic background (his late start in track and field, and his affinity for social activism from a young age), or analyzing his sudden skyrocketing to fame, he offers a compelling memoir from the opening page." -- Rachael Bishop ― Medium\n“Every Canadian parent in the 1960s expected their children to live up to the image of Bruce Kidd.” -- Lorne Michaels, creator of Saturday Night Live\n“A must-read for anyone considering being an athlete or a community leader.” -- John Stanton, CEO and founder, Running Room\n"With this piece of work Bruce Kidd has found a way to bring out the Olympian and ally that lies within all of us." -- Donnovan Bennett, feature host, producer, and radio host at Sportsnet\n“I am so glad I read this book! Not only did I enjoy the journey Bruce took me on – his racing, his activism, and his advocacy – but I also learned a lot from this memoir.” -- Marnie McBean, OC OLY, 3x Olympic rowing champion\n“A Runner’s Journey highlights that the value of sport is not in the pursuit of excellence, but in the depth of experience it provides and the valuable lessons it teaches us. Through his story, Bruce shares the impact that one can have when they lead with courage, compassion, and integrity.” -- Rosie MacLennan, Canadian trampoline gymnast, 2x Olympic gold medalist\n“Bruce’s life story will, no doubt, provide inspiration for any aspiring athlete. In addition, his perseverance to bring justice in all its manifestations in sport is exceptional. Bruce tells it all with remarkable passion.” -- Sam Ramsamy, former anti-apartheid campaigner and IOC Honorary Member\n"Bruce Kidd's journey goes well beyond an athlete’s striving to reach the finish line first. His memoir is really about the lifelong education of an advocate and the crucially important discovery that sport is essential to the human narrative." -- Scott Russell, host of the Olympic Games, CBC Television, and co-host of CBC Sports' Road to the Olympic Games\n“Bruce Kidd was never one to ‘just stick to sports.’ It didn’t take him long to recognize the sports world didn’t treat everyone equally: women, people of colour, and those who were refused an education because they were seen as commodities. Kidd was never afraid to fight for the voice of the athlete to be heard, and he continues to ensure sport is a gift that can be given to everyone.” -- Andi Petrillo, sports broadcaster and co-host of CBC Sports' Road to the Olympic Games\n“This book takes you on a journey through many of the most significant social and political movements of the last 70 years, all through the lens of sport. In doing so, Bruce illustrates how sport has shaped and been shaped by these movements, giving us a rich understanding of the recent origins of sport as we experience it today. Bruce’s journey from celebrated athlete to activist and ally for ethical, inclusive, and accessible sport offers valuable lessons about the process of creating change and the ongoing need for visionary, committed leadership within sport and beyond.” -- Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, CEO, Canadian Women & Sport\n“Bruce’s book is yet another accomplishment that is consistent with the bravery, boldness, and humanity he has displayed through his journey in sport. He has succinctly and honestly captured his over 70 years of participation as an athlete, activist, critic, observer, and torch-bearer. This book, like Bruce’s story, will remain a symbol of his legacy, both known and unknown, for many generations of leaders in sport and beyond.” -- Dasha Peregoudova, lawyer and past president, AthletesCAN, the Association of Canada’s National Team A

From the rural back roads near his home on the Six Nations Reserve to the track of a crowd-packed Madison Square Garden, Tom Longboat raced his way to fame as the greatest distance runner Canada has even known. The tall Onondaga athlete captured the hearts of racing fans everywhere during the early years of the twentieth century. He was a courageous competitor and served his country during World War I as a dispatch runner, taking messages from post to post under difficult and dangerous conditions. 
 Longboat's amazing career as world champion long-distance runner included spectacular races in Canada, the 1907 Boston Marathon, the 1908 Olympic Marathon, and many one-on-one races with the world's top professional runners. Thousands would gather to watch the famous Canadian shatter records. Yet for all his fame and excellence, Tom Longboat had to struggle against the vicious racism of his age. 
 In his biography of Longboat, long-distance runner Bruce Kidd gives an insider's view of the life of a great athlete in the context of Canadian social history.

Tom Longboat (The Canadians)

Children's Books

Biographies

Fitzhenry and Whiteside

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