Sports & Society

NPR's Tom Goldman in Laramie, Wyo., for the changing face of sports series.

Enter the photo gallery
Check out Links & Resources
Watch a slideshow of excerpts

April, 2001 -- In a three-part series Morning Edition examines the changing face of sports in America. In part one, NPR's Tom Goldman heads to Laramie, Wyoming, to examine why America is attracting more athletes from overseas than ever before. He visits two Nigerian cousins who dream of playing in the NBA some day.

In part two, Debbie Elliott looks at the difficulty of managing athletes in an era with little team loyalty. She finds head coaches are no longer gruff guys with few social skills.

And in part three, Uri Berliner examines how sports has opened many doors for women athletes -- and the pitfalls that come with it. He reports from Orange County, California, where many girls have softball fever.

Uche Nsonwu-Amadi (L) and his cousin Ugo Udezue(R) (Photo: Tom Goldman © 2001 NPR Online)

Wednesday, April 25:
Some of the most sought-after players in sports these days come from overseas. Many of them are recruited to America to refine their skills -- either in high school, college or in minor league baseball. Pro athletes Hakeem Olajuwon, Dikembe Mutombo and Pedro Martinez are among a few success stories, but there are many more.

NPR's Tom Goldman reports from Laramie, Wyoming, on two cousins from Enugu, Nigeria -- 6' 8" Ugo Udezue and 6'10" Uche Nsonwu-Amadi -- who are chasing their dreams of one day playing in the NBA while shooting hoops at the University of Wyoming.

Udezue played for the Nigerian National Team as a youngster. In 1997, he was ranked as the second best player in the world by the International Players Recruiting Service. He starred as Wyoming's center two years ago, but has battled injuries since.

His cousin Nsonwu-Amadi transferred to Wyoming last year after playing basketball in the African state of Niger. He's now Wyoming's third leading scorer and second leading rebounder.

This year, the two cousins helped lead the Cowboys to a post-season NIT tournament bid. Could the NBA be in their future? And what happens to them if they fall short?

White Sox Manager Jerry Manuel (far R) tries to make a personal connection with each player (Photo courtesy Chicago White Sox)

Thursday, April 26:
A generation or so ago, the typical professional team manager or head coach was a tough guy, a 'guy's guy' -- both with the public and with his players. Today, most managers or head coaches can be described essentially as "players' coaches." And in many ways, the job is more challenging and fraught with stress. How does a modern-day coach or manager deal with spoiled athletes, demanding owners and impatient fans in an era when the players are as likely to ride in limos as team buses and have their own business enterprises?

NPR's Debbie Elliott reports from Tucson, Arizona, on one of Major League Baseball's most successful managers -- Jerry Manuel of the Chicago White Sox. Although hardly a household name, Manuel was voted the American League's Manager of the Year last year, for helping guide a young team to the top of its division.

But the thanks may be short-lived -- his top player pouted throughout the winter about being underpaid and the team is being counted on to perform even better this season.

One of the Orange County Bat Busters practicing her "windmill" pitching. The top female athletes can throw the ball close to 70 miles per hour (Photo: Tom Bullock © 2001 NPR Online)

Friday, April 27:
There are more opportunities than ever for women to participate in sports. The success of the U.S. women's soccer team and the increasing popularity of the WNBA are among the most visible signs. But this trend is actually prevalent at a much younger level. A growing number of girls play serious year-round softball, not only on school teams but on highly competitive traveling squads.

In girls softball, the pitcher is especially important. Firing so-called "windmill" pitches approaching 70 miles per hour, a top pitcher can completely dominate a game. They're so much in demand that they often have their pick of college scholarships. But are the rewards of a strong self-esteem and college scholarships worth the downsides of burnout and families' overcommitment of time and money to the sport?

NPR's Uri Berliner reports from Orange County, California, where girls start developing their pitching techniques early -- sometimes when they're 8 years old.

Links & Resources

To learn more about the impact foreign athletes are having on American sports, visit the The Center for the Study of Sports in Society at http://www.sportinsociety.org/

Read more about the University of Wyoming's men's basketball team on their Web site.

The official White Sox Web site

The Web site of Major League Baseball, and to find out more about Jerry Manuel's career as a player and a coach, read his official biography.

Learn more about softball on this page. ASA is the governing body of amateur softball in America (the Amateur Softball Association).

Find out more information at the Web site for the professional women's softball league.

You can follow the UCLA Bruins womens' fastpitch softball team on their Web site.