ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of part III of this book. The book captures the dynamic essence of the field of sport history as they engage with and feature emerging ideas, topics, approaches, and cross-disciplinary directions. It discusses the ways in which historians of sport have utilized technologies such as statistical software, spreadsheets, the Internet, and social media, pointing to the ways some sport history scholars have embraced digital technologies. The book suggests that teachers and learners will both need to grapple with new technologies to produce and share digital histories, but they will also need to develop new methodological skills to contend with the ways sport engagement is transforming and is mediated through virtual, augmented, and simulated environments. It traces the histories of online competitive gaming and esports to the 1950s, suggesting that only recently have virtual sports taken a more prominent place in the global sports landscape.
