Bringing Sports Culture to the English Classroom

Learn how to use literature and informational texts related to sports as an alternative or a supplement to a canon-centric English classroom. This practical book promotes an instructional approach that honors students’ knowledge of, interests in, and experiences with sports culture to advance literacy learning. Informed by his own experiences in high school classrooms, the author documents the distinct methods employed by four secondary English teachers in rural, urban, and suburban schools. Each narrative features the voices of teachers and students and details a range of activities that readers can adapt for their unique contexts. Whether teaching traditional English courses or those focused on the study of sports literature, teachers can use this book to tap into students’ sporting interests and foster critical readings of sports culture as a mirror to our greater society.

Book Features:

• Adaptable methods for using sports-related content to foster the six language arts: reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and visually representing.
• Actionable ideas for going beyond sports fandom and, instead, reading sports culture through a critical lens.
• Implications for incorporating sports culture into the English curriculum, whether teaching traditional courses or a stand-alone sports literature class.
• Answers to frequently asked questions that can support teachers as they bring sports culture to the English classroom.

Luke Rodesiler is an associate professor in the School of Education at Purdue University Fort Wayne and a former public high school English teacher and coach.

“Luke Rodesiler demonstrates that moving beyond traditional canonical texts and topics contributes to an understanding that racism, sexism, inequity, and inequality of all kinds are current ongoing problems. When we expand our teaching to include new topics and new voices, we can invigorate our teaching in ways that make it matter more—in both the immediate and the long term.”
—From the Foreword by Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Distinguished Professor, Boise State University

“In Bringing Sports Culture to the English Classroom, Luke Rodesiler makes a rock-solid case for sports-based literacy and how it not only engages students but also fosters inquiry and stimulates profound discussions on ethics, fairness, and how sports can be a window for thinking about American culture.”
—Thomas Newkirk, professor emeritus, University of New Hampshire; author, Misreading Masculinity: Boys, Literacy and Popular Culture

“This book offers a deeply immersive, engaging experience for practicing and preservice teachers, curriculum coordinators, and teacher educators—those who identify as sports fans and those who don’t. Through a lively and thoughtful investigation of four sports literature courses offered in high schools across the United States, the text moves beyond the presentation of compelling activities to the consideration of sport as a tool for criticality, honoring the creative work of educators and elevating the voices of young people as they work collaboratively to consider and critique dominant narratives of sport.”
—Wendy Glenn, professor of literacy studies, University of Colorado Boulder