Sport Social Work: Promoting the Functioning and Well-being of College and Professional Athletes

Sport Social Work: Promoting the Functioning and Well-being of College and Professional Athletes provides pre-service and practicing social workers with a wide-ranging review of sport social work. The text helps social workers with an interest in athletics learn how to effectively promote the safety and well-being of athletes, advocate for athlete rights, and ensure athletes receive the recognition and help needed to become strong global leaders.

The text illustrates how, despite popular assumption, college- and professional-level athletes represent a vulnerable population, often at risk of economic, academic, and social exploitation, as well as psychosocial challenges including depression and anxiety, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, eating disorders, high levels of stress, and more. Readers learn how to raise awareness for the particular needs of athletes, how athletic competition influences an athlete across their lifespan, how the strengths of athletes can help promote safety and well-being, and how to provide athletes a voice to de-stigmatize mental health risks.

Matt Moore is an assistant professor of social work and undergraduate program director at Ball State University. He is an executive member of the Alliance of Social Workers in Sports and on the coaching staff at Butler University.

Ginger Gummelt is an assistant professor and the director of the Social Work Program at Lamar University. She is a member of the executive team of the Alliance of Social Workers in Sports. She earned her master’s degree and Ph.D. in social work from the University of Houston.