Gems shares expertise about history of sport, locally and globally

Gerald Gems, North Central College professor of health and physical education, was interviewed by Naperville Community Television (NCTV) about the history of the marathon, its importance to Boston and its relevance to Patriots Day. His interview was part of a telecast by NCTV on the weekend of the Edward Hospital Naperville Marathon and Half Marathon, Nov. 10.

In October, he was interviewed by the BBC on the history of athletic teams being invited to the White House and any issues relative to rebuffs by individuals who chose not to attend, as in the August 2013 case of the 1972 Miami Dolphins team with three players who declined the invitation.

His article, titled “Sport and globalization: power games and a New World order,” was published in both French and English in the Movement and Sport Sciences Journal. It was coauthored with Gertrud Pfister at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Gems and Pfister describe, analyze and evaluate sport-related globalization processes with a focus on transnationalism, colonialism, imperialism and, more generally, geopolitical developments. They provide a variety of theoretical frameworks as they explore the emergence of modern sport and its dissemination around the world.

Gems has been a member of North Central’s faculty since 1988. He earned his B.A. from Northeastern Illinois University, his M.S. from the University of Arizona and his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland.