LA Sports

by Wayne Wilson (Editor), David K. Wiggins (Editor)

LA Sports brings together sixteen essays covering various aspects of the development and changing nature of sport in one of America’s most fascinating and famous cities. The writers cover a range of topics, including the history of car racing and ice skating, the development of sport venues, the power of the Mexican fan base in American soccer leagues, the intersecting life stories of Jackie and Mack Robinson, the importance of the Showtime Lakers, the origins of Muscle Beach and surfing, sport in Hollywood films, and more.

Review
“LA Sports tells the story of a major phenomenon in one of modernity’s most spellbinding cities. Compiled by leading experts, with a refreshing blend of academic and personal approaches, this volume offers a range of insights. From soccer to figure skating, sports cars to surfing, not to mention the twin Olympics with which the city is identified worldwide, it is the perfect introduction/companion to the multifaceted reach of sport in Southern California.”
—Christopher Young, University of Cambridge


“This is an important and groundbreaking collection of essays on sport in Los Angeles. Scholars from a range of disciplines engage with diverse sports across the metropolis. Themes of race, ethnicity, gender, and class underpin this timely contribution to our understanding of sport in the City of Angels.”
—Chris Bolsmann, California State University, Northridge


“An impressive effort . . . highly original, deeply researched, and thoroughly engaged with the fields of urban and sporting history.”
—Robert Edelman, University of California, San Diego

About the Author
Wayne Wilson is vice president for education services at the LA84 Foundation, where he is responsible for digital library development, research projects, conference planning, and the foundation’s coaching and education program. He is the coeditor of the Oxford Handbook of Sport History.

David K. Wiggins is professor of sport history in the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism at George Mason University. He is the former editor of Quest and the Journal of Sport History and was recently elected president of the North American Society for Sport History.