Dear Serena, I’m sorry for all the pressure I’ve put on you

In the wake of her US Open loss to Naomi Osaka, Furaha Asani writes an open letter to tennis star Serena Williams Read More

How to raise a champion

by Jendella Benson  So I’ve been thinking about buying life insurance, and also about writing a will. Apparently these are the things that you’re meant to do when you become a parent. I need to think about my kid’s future and how I can secure it on his behalf. The cheerful daytime TV adverts that… Read More

When the white gaze is automatically seen as informed opinion

by Shane Thomas What do you know about the Large Hadron Collider? Personally, I know it’s a science thing, and… that’s about it. So what would you think if I declared I was going to talk at length about the LHC in this piece? You would be entitled to think me asinine, and wonder how on… Read More

Serena vs. Tennis. There’s Only One Winner

by Shane Thomas In The Departed – the movie that finally got Martin Scorcese an Oscar – the first words spoken are from Jack Nicholson’s baleful Frank Costello: “I don’t want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me”, he declares in a racist opening monologue. You… Read More

#LoveSerenaHateRacism A Discourse On Western Attitudes Towards Serena Williams

It was a tough crowd out there … the story of my life. ~ Serena Williams I once said that I am the most underestimated Grand Slam winner. Every article says “she overpowered her opponent.” It is a lot more than I never get credit for mental and it is kind of frustrating. ~ Serena… Read More

“The Wrong Kind of Athlete”

by Shane Thomas 2012 was a memorable year in British sport. At the forefront of that was Jessica Ennis-Hill[1], who managed to deal with the intense pressure of being billed as the face of the 2012 London Olympics, and to win gold in the heptathlon to the delight of a rapturous home crowd. The victory… Read More

Sport and Objectification

What Does Physical Attractiveness Have To Do With Sport? by Joy Goh-Mah Picture the following scenes. It’s November 2012, and President Obama has just won the US election. Amid the celebrations, keyboard warriors take to social media to comment, “Obama? President? What a joke, he can’t tap dance at all.” Or perhaps a group of… Read More