In the time period between August 4th and August 20th I was on a study and research stay in the USA. I was able to travel thanks to a GAJU grant project where I am working on the question of good sport and its constitutive properties. The main focus of my trip was to attend the International Association for the Philosophy of Sport (IAPS) conference held at Penn State University in State College. This conference is held once a year. It is significant because it brings together experts in the philosophy of sport from around the world. This year was special because the association celebrated its 50th anniversary. The conference was preceded by a workshop dedicated to anthropologist C. Geetz, who in 1972 published his famous text Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight. At the pre-conference workshop I presented my text "Philosophical Analysis of the Concept of Sport as a Meaningful Narrative", in which I attempted to philosophically analyse and define the concept of a meaningful sport narrative. At the IAPS conference I then presented the paper "'Good Sport': Different Dimensions and their Constitutive Properties". I did not evaluate specific sports, but rather I focused on the conditions under which we can categorize certain sporting activity as good. My paper was selected as the R. Scott Kretchmar Best Student Essay Award. The award is given to a student who writes the best essay related to the field of philosophy of sport (https://iaps.net/honours/r-scott-kretchmar-student-essay-award/). It is named after one of the most influential thinkers within this field. At the conference I had the opportunity to meet Prof. Kretchmar in person and discuss with him what he is currently working on. I also received the IAPS 2022 Travel Grant from the same association. This grant is awarded to selected students based on a recommendation of their supervisors. Approximately 100 scholars attended the conference. Not all of them had a background in philosophy, so it was possible to see the approaches from other disciplines (e.g. education, sociology, psychology, history). The conference program also included a tour around the university campus and its sports facilities. We saw the Beaver Stadium (American football) with a capacity of almost 110,000 spectators, which makes it the 4th largest stadium in the world. In addition to academic lectures there was also a room for informal discussions, which are often the most important thing at these conferences. This is because it allows one to make valuable contacts, to discuss in depth the interests and motivations of one's colleagues, and to gain insight into what is relevant within a given field. I am grateful and proud for having a chance to represent the Faculty of Theology and the University of South Bohemia at such an important event," told Lukáš Mareš.
Congratulations on the award!
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