For those who are not familiar with your cluster, can you offer a brief summary of your topic? Is this a new or an already existing collaboration?

The goals of the Interdisciplinary Sport Studies research cluster emphasize expanding sport-related scholarly work and teaching across the University of Illinois by gathering scholars from different disciplines and departments with a shared interest in sport. Our cluster studies sport from a variety of disciplines, including history, sociology, philosophy, kinesiology, anthropology, African American studies, and gender and women’s studies. Although some of us have been connected in a variety of spaces, we began collectively meeting in August 2023. Since receiving the HRI support in fall 2024 we have truly expanded our opportunities to collaborate and further our interests in sport studies.

How does being part of an HRI Research Cluster support your research?

Sport studies is a relatively small field of study with no single academic home. The type of work that we do as individuals tends to be more marginalized in comparison to the fields that dominate our respective departments. Sport is an inherently human activity and cannot be understood without understanding human experience. Many scholars use sport to explore complex questions related to race, gender, ability, fairness, governance, performance, and so much more, yet there are few formal structures to foster the study of sport as a field of study. While sport can be understood as a microcosm of society, this global cultural phenomenon also directly shapes society. Creating a space to bring multiple perspectives together through our interdisciplinary cluster enriches our understanding, inspires us to pursue new intersections, and just as often raises new and exciting questions!

The HRI Research Cluster funding allowed us to bring back an alumnus / mentor as well as support the growth of a junior faculty member, both as invited lectures. It supports our individual research agendas through opportunity to share our interests and gather feedback. Most importantly it provided us formal support to continue to collaborate. We worked together on 5 conference presentations, revised an online course, gathered undergraduate and graduate students, and connected with new colleagues in addition to continuing our respective research and teaching work.

What does interdisciplinary collaboration in the humanities look like (through the lens of this project)? How do you engage collaboratively? 

The ISS research cluster really emerged out of conversations regarding the value of interdisciplinary communication and collaboration and the desire to ‘bridge the gap’ between two departments within the same college where faculty are engaging with sport from a variety of perspectives. The three co-directors of the cluster are housed in adjacent departments in the College of Applied Health Sciences, Health and Kinesiology and Recreation, Sport, and Tourism. What started as ad-hoc meetings to discuss ideas and opportunities for collaboration led to a proposal to formalize the ISS.

This year, with the support of the HRI, we collaborated on a new research project centered on the University of Illinois Ice Arena. Each of us brings different perspectives to the project from the sociocultural role of physical activities and sport in communities, to histories of intercollegiate athletics, speed skating, and ice hockey in the United States. Our interdisciplinary approach includes gathering evidence from archives, ethnographic observations, interviews, and novel methods for researching bodies in motion to develop a richer understanding of the significance of sport and physical activity at the University of Illinois, and in collegiate, national, and international contexts more broadly. Different branches of this project involved presentations at conferences for sport sociology and for sport history, which although related were new spaces for some of us.

We also supported graduate students preparing to present at the November 2024 North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Conference by providing a small meet and greet opportunity. Similarly, we have collaborated to mentor undergraduate students working on a variety of sport studies projects including historical work about the university ice arena, adaptive ice skating and physical education, and mental health outcomes for aging athletes. Along the way we supported each other in recruiting new graduate students to study at Illinois and occasional informal mentorship of our current students.

Are there any upcoming initiatives from the cluster that we can share? 

Yes! In mid-May we are hosting an end of the year research celebration. We are inviting new and existing members of the research cluster, including undergraduate students, graduate students, and interested faculty members to share current research projects intersecting with sport. We hope this can become an annual tradition for the campus to come together and support sport studies research and build research networks for the coming year.

Why should other humanists at Illinois consider applying for HRI research cluster support?

The support from HRI gave us momentum to tackle new ideas, future projects, and develop networks across campus that we hope will last a lifetime. Having this support gave our ideas and passions a platform to reach more people and aligned directly with our goals of applying for this support in the first place; to foster expanded dialogues about the interdisciplinary study of sport. It was incredibly encouraging to demonstrate that the humanities are everywhere and to help us strengthen humanist approaches across campus.