This volume, the fifth in the Biographical Dictionary of American Sports, provides biographical and bibliographical information on 620 distinguished American sports personalities. The majority of the entries represent team sports, including baseball, football, and basketball. Other entries treat individual sports, including track and field, golf, and tennis. Also included are entries covering horse racing, ice hockey, auto racing, boxing, figure skating, wrestling, swimming, cycling, cricket, speed skating, and volleyball. In addition to athletes, the book covers coaches, managers, officials, administrators, writers, and broadcasters who have played an active role in sports.

Written by some eighty-five sports historians, educators, and journalists, the entries provide full biographical data, career records, accomplishments, and honors, a discussion of the subject's achievements, and bibliographic information. In seven appendices, Porter provides extensive cross-referencing and listings covering the major sports halls of fame and sites of Olympic games. The volume will be an essential addition to the reference section of libraries with collections in sports, sports history, physical education, popular culture, or social history.