Donald Sterling. Ray Rice. The Washington Redskins. The Miami Dolphins. NCAA Athletes.
These names, among countless others, have blanketed the headlines as the media has brought global attention to several recent sports controversies. Now, Kenneth L. Shropshire, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics and Director of the Wharton Sports Business Initiative, uses these stories as a prism for exploring the leadership challenges facing team owners, management, players, and fans.
In Sport Matters: Leadership, Power, and the Quest for Respect in Sports, Shropshire examines the need for diversity, inclusion, respect, and equality in sports, focusing on the need for leadership to embrace and deliver these principles in a real and tangible way within the sports industry. He also introduces the Sports Power Matrix, a framework for understanding power within the sports industry.
Sport Matters addresses what the Donald Sterling drama can teach us about race and the need for inclusion at the ownership level; the lessons learned from the NFL and Ray Rice case; the Washington Redskins name and the economics of change; what the Miami Dolphins matter tells us about respect in the workplace and beyond; and compensation and equality in “amateur” sports.
Sport Matters, filled with disturbing revelations and uncomfortable truths, also provides hope, revealing how obstacles to achieving an ideal culture of equality and respect within the sports industry can be removed. Shropshire argues that while change matters, continued emphasis on diversity, inclusion and respect is needed to create true progress.
Industry Reviews
“Highly recommended for anyone who wants to understand the critical leadership challenges in sports today.”
—Stephen M. Ross, Owner, Miami Dolphins
“The power and money are still not available to all, regardless of gender, race, and sexual orientation. Shropshire shows how we can make deeper progress toward leveling the playing field.”
—Billie Jean King, Former World #1 Tennis Champion and Activist
“Kenneth L. Shropshire’s Sport Matters is nothing short of essential reading….This book should be read by all of those who are interested in, or even curious about, sports.”
—Charles J. Ogletree, Jr., Harvard Law School Jesse Climenko Professor of Law and author of more than one dozen books
“A seminal contribution to our understanding of the power structures…of the American sports enterprise today. A must read for all who are seriously interested in the…broader meaning and consequences of sport in America today.”
—Harry Edwards, PhD, Professor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley, and Consultant, National Football League and National Basketball Association
“The concerns and solutions set forth in Sport Matters are invaluable for those focused on improving sport and its impact around the globe.”
—Mori Taheripour, Former Senior Advisor, Sport for Development, US Agency for International Development (USAID)
“In Sport Matters, Kenneth L. Shropshire…attests to sport’s ability to combat racial, gender, and social inequities in sports and throughout society. It is a must read for anyone who wishes to see sports as a means for social change.”
—Richard E. Lapchick, Chair, DeVos Sport Business Management Program, University of Central Florida, and Director, Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport
“Sport Matters confirms that Ken Shropshire is the nation’s most thoughtful and incisive voice on issues of sport and society…. It is a brilliant exploration and a must read for anyone who questions what sport means to our society.”
—N. Jeremi Duru, Law Professor, American University, and Author, Advancing the Ball: Race, Reformation, and the Quest for Equal Coaching Opportunity in the NFL
“Highly recommended for those who wish to understand the need for respect in the world of sports and beyond.”
—Patrick T. Harker, President, University of Delaware
