Hey, sport! During a recent reference desk shift, a researcher in the library asked me for statistics about badminton participation. I happily recommended the Sports Market Analytics database (previously known as SBRNet).
SMA gathers in-depth analytics on both professional and hobby sports: market share, demographics, venue reports, and trade publications. Although it focuses on the United States, some sports have international data as well. When I walk in Golden Gate Park, I often see a group of people playing badminton. How big a market are they participating in? Check it out: the sport of badminton engendered a 11.5 million dollar market in 2012.
Want to take a historical look at sports? Our recent acquisition of the Sports Illustrated Magazine Archive gives you every issue from the first in 1954 until 2000. The USF Dons appear several times!
For an even more expansive perspective of the sports world, try the SportDiscus database. It indexes over 600 journals related to sports medicine and management.
Find these and more on the Sports Research Guide. Go team!
Badminton image by Mathias Dekempeneer on Flickr.