Conference Day 1: Bridge as a Mindsport (1A)

Bridge as a Mindsport in Research, in the Bridge World, in Society

Professor Samantha Punch, Dr Miriam Snellgrove and Zoe Russell (BAMSA)

Bridge: A MindSport for All (BAMSA) is an academic project that explores the social world of bridge and the benefits of mindsport. BAMSA’s research studies relate to social issues including wellbeing, healthy ageing, equality and community. Working with a network of bridge organisations and practitioners, BAMSA researchers translate academic findings into accessible resources for use by the global bridge community. In order to create positive and lasting impact, BAMSA has three key goals: to transform the image of bridge, to encourage more people of all ages to play, and to ensure the card game continues to thrive. 

The BAMSA network is an inclusive and international forum of research associates, practitioners (players, teachers, organisers) and policymakers. The project is led by Samantha Punch, Professor of Sociology, and hosted at the University of Stirling, Scotland. This paper presents the ongoing and future work of Bridge: A MindSport for All and how it links to concerns and issues in the global bridge community. It also discusses how mindsport studies relate to sport studies and leisure studies both in academia and wider society.  

Mind, Body, and/or Confidence? Using Sociological Approaches to Emotion to Understand the Physicality of Bridge

Dr David Scott, Sports Studies, Abertay University; Professor Samantha Punch, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling

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