Spectator Sport Research Articles

Community and social correlates of leisure activity participation among older adults

ABSTRACT Except for social network and social support, little research was conducted to examine other social and community factors associated with older adults’ leisure activity participation. This research proposed three community and social factors of sense of community, trust and online social interaction and examined their relationships with leisure activity participation among older adults. It was based on a cross-sectional survey conducted in China in 2017. A total of 423 older adults completed the questionnaire. Regression analyses revealed that sense of community, trust and online social interaction were associated significantly with older adults’ overall leisure activity participation. Among eight individual categories of leisure activities, i.e. mass media, reading, social activities, outdoor activities, sports activities, spectator sports, cultural activities and hobbies, online social interaction was associated significantly with all categories except outdoor activities. Sense of community was associated significantly with all categories except cultural activities and hobbies. Trust was associated significantly with reading, cultural activities and hobbies. The findings highlight the impacts of community and social factors on older adults’ leisure activity participation. The findings also suggest different ways to enhance older adults’ leisure activity participation through promoting their sense of community, trust and online social interaction.

Antecedents and Outcomes of Social Capital: Evidence from a Professional Baseball Franchise.

PurposeThe empirical paper aimed to develop a theoretical model of social capital in professional spectating sports by investigating the antecedents and outcomes related to social capital from the spectator’s viewpoint.Participant and MethodBrothers Elephants, a professional baseball franchise in the Chinese Professional Baseball League, provided the research setting. The study’s participants consisted of 422 spectators of a Brothers Elephants game at its home field, Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Field. Around half of the participants were male; 46.4% of them aged between 30 and 39 years old. Data analysis was conducted through structural equation modeling.ResultsResults revealed that social interactions positively correlated with social capital, prosocial behavior, and spectator intention to re-attend the sporting event. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) also positively predicted intention to re-attend the sporting event, social capital, and prosocial behavior. Social capital significantly correlated with prosocial behavior and subjective well-being, and prosocial behavior significantly correlated with subjective well-being and intention to re-attend the sporting event.ConclusionThe results suggest that social capital can be developed through social interactions and perceived CSR in the context of professional spectator sporting events, with such social capital increasing, in turn, prosocial behavior, subjective well-being, and intention to re-attend the sporting event. From perspective of practical implication, professional sports franchise can develop more campaigns that boost sports spectators’ perceived social interactions and CSR, which can increase their social capital, prosocial behavior, subjective well-being, and their intention to re-attend the sporting event.

Analytics on Service Quality in Spectator Sports

Spectator sport events are made possible by the contributions of many different participants ranging from fans and players to coaches, managers and sponsors. Through the lens of co-creation of value in the spectator sports, we discuss how sport analytics can relate to spectator sport service quality by collecting and analyzing data from each participating actor.

Sport Spectators' Experience-based Nostalgia and Involvement in Sport Spectatorship

Sport Spectators' Experience-based Nostalgia and Involvement in Sport Spectatorship

THE EUROPEAN SPORT MODELS MANAGEMENT IN THE EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES EUROPEAN UNION

The relevance of the European model modern sports management development in the European Union countries today is a factor in the competitiveness and sports survival in crisis and instability conditions. A document published by the Commission in 1998 highlighted that the traditional sport organization model in Europe had undergone major changes since the 1980s, leading to a gradual alignment of its high level with commercial interests and a reconceptualization around spectator sport. The goal of the European model formation in modern sports management should be the changes that will occur in the European Union countries, to promote the development of an atmosphere to competitiveness and self-realization of a person in the sports world. The European modern sports management model in the European Union countries combines all the sports management resources – administrative, economic, cultural, social, technological, which contribute to the model formation as a single integral sports development project. The purpose of the research is to investigate the theoretical and practical aspects of the European model in modern sports management in the European Union countries. Research objectives: 1) to reveal the pyramidal European sports structure; 2) determine the directions of European sports model formation; 3) justify the approaches and principles to the formation of the European sports model; 4) identify the priorities of the European sports model in modern society. Setting the goal led to the use of the following methods and techniques. The following methods are used to study the theoretical and practical aspects of the European modern sports management model in the European Union countries: 1) institutional – for the organization of institutes of the European dimension of sports and their organization at the level of the national state; 2) axiological – to measure the values of European sports and their transformation in sports organizations; 3) structural and functional – identifying the functions of sport organization leaders and their implementation for the transformation of the modern sport dimension; 4) behavioral – identifying the behavioral motives of sports managers and their relationships with subordinates to the organizing feedback purpose; 5) systemic – arrangement of separate sports organizations into a single entity that creates a system. It has been proven that “European sport” is a symbolic, political and scientific construction that gives practical results. European sports activity (through the sports movement), the harmonization work of European institutions, transnational sports exchanges, the circulation of European professional athletes and the sports media work created not only a community of European thought about sports, but also a certain vision of the European and its mental map territory. The practical significance of the study is that the European Union contributes to the European sports promotion, taking into account its specificity, structure, social and educational function.

Research on the comfort of consumption in Beijing in the context of building an international consumption center city - taking sports consumption as an example

This paper qualitatively analyzes the comfort level of sports consumption in Beijing using the literature research method with reference to the requirements for the construction of Beijing as an international consumption center city. The study finds that Beijing's sports consumption has increased brand awareness, various sports events are actively organized, spectator sports are developed online, and the sports training market is growing rapidly. However, at the same time, there are also existing deficiencies such as low influence of domestic sports brands, insufficient development of sports event content, and single supply of sports training industry. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the comfort level of sports consumption by strengthening the construction of domestic brands, developing local competition business, and innovating the development mode of sports training, so as to help the construction of Beijing as an international consumption center city.

Examination of the Social Characteristics of Sport Spectators:

Examination of the Social Characteristics of Sport Spectators:

Line-Based Localisation for Augmented Reality Sport Spectators

Line-Based Localisation for Augmented Reality Sport Spectators

Developing and Validating a Scale to Measure the Perceived Value of Sport Spectators

Developing and Validating a Scale to Measure the Perceived Value of Sport Spectators

Stats on-site — Sports spectator experience through situated visualizations

With recent technological advancements in sports broadcasting, remote spectators are presented with an enriched experience. These enriched experiences include additional content such as statistics and graphics that support game understanding. However, these technological advancements are often not accessible to on-site sports spectators. In this paper, we explore the opportunities of using situated visualization to enrich on-site sports spectating. Situated visualization techniques allow us to display information in a spatial context to its physical reference and have the potential to close the gap between on-site spectating and content access. With regards to this, we developed a framework for situated visualization focusing on sports spectating. We identified components needed for such a use case and developed two novel situated visualization approaches based on the proposed framework: (1) situated broadcast-styled visualization and (2) situated infographics. To evaluate the visualization approaches and explore user preferences, we conducted a lab study and a subsequent on-site study in a stadium.

Examining the Impact of Team Identification and Leisure Participation on International Students’ Acculturation

While participating in leisure activities received its notion to help international students’ adjustment process, research regarding the effect of sports spectatorship is lacking. The main purpose of this study is to fill in the gap of the effect of being fans of college sports by examining how international students can also benefit from being fans of college sports for their acculturation. The analysis with 94 international students revealed that their team identification and social activity participation had a significant statistical causal relationship towards acculturation. The study’s implications included utilizing sports spectatorship as a future acculturation strategy for international students.

The intervention of competitive aerobic gymnastics on body posture

Practised as both a leisure activity and a mass and competitive sport, aerobic gymnastics is one of the most popular branches of gymnastics. As a mass and competitive sport, aerobic gymnastics has a complex motor repertoire that involves performing spectacular movements to music. The concept that has led to the emergence and development of competitive aerobic gymnastics is that of “spectator sport”. The physical and mental demands and rigors of a competitive sport on those who want to be at the top of national and international rankings sometimes disturb their health balance. Purpose of the study: This study aims to determine whether the practice of competitive aerobics has any influence on the development and progression of scoliosis in female athletes who train for approximately 3 hours a day. Assessment methods: The assessment methods used to identify scoliosis are somatoscopy and various anthropometric measurements characteristic of three-dimensional postural deformities. Conclusion: Competitive sport can be considered an aggravating factor in the case of physical impairments due to the many positions and movements that an athlete has to perform, and the main causes of their occurrence are the excessive overloads imposed by competitive sport on the genetic background of each pubertal individual.

The Interactive Learning Model: A theory that assists the L2 learner in achieving self-awareness

This study uses the Interactive Learning Model theory to explore the nature of self-awareness within each of three L2 learners. Using the Learning Connections Inventory (LCI), a validated and reliable learning instrument, each participant identified their combination of learning patterns. The subjects then recalled specific L2 learning experiences, relating them in first person narratives. Next, each subject composed anecdotes and reflections based on their narratives. They also participated in one-on-one interviews in which they described their learning experiences during basic L2 learning activities: vocabulary, grammar, writing, conversation, and passive listening during movies, live theatre, spectator sports, and television. Our analysis of the LCI outcomes and selfreported learning experiences demonstrated that the self-awareness gained from understanding their combination of learning patterns and expanded by the self-reflection activities, increased the participants’ ability to articulate the nature of their self-awareness and to identify evidence of their growth in self-awareness during L2 learning.

Teaching Twentieth Century American History Topics Through the Rearview Mirror of Motorsports

Over the last forty years, motorsports has grown to become one of the most popular spectator sports in the United States, second only to professional football. Often motorsports reflected the narratives of the times. The authors of this article, one a historian and one a business professor, teamed up to teach an interdisciplinary history course at a Midwestern university that combined aspects of U.S. history and motorsports. The university offered an interdisciplinary program in motorsports management housed in the College of Business. The course earned foundational studies credit under the historical studies category and was available to all undergraduate students. As a result of enrolling and completing the course, students often demonstrated an even higher level of interdisciplinary learning and American history recall than expected by the two instructors.

Influence of Multiple Interactions in Value Cocreation on Sports Spectators’ Perceived Value of Sports Events

This study analyzed the effects of multiple interactions in value cocreation activities involving sports spectators. Interaction activities for value cocreation at sports events comprise spectator-athlete and spectator-staff interactions. A survey of spectators at the 2017 Wuhan Open revealed that spectator-athlete and spectator-staff interactions increased spectator perceived value, which in turn increased spectator satisfaction and loyalty. Spectator-staff interactions had a greater effect on spectator sports event value than did spectator-athlete interactions. Therefore, organizers of sports events should effectively manage multiple value cocreation interactions to improve spectator satisfaction and loyalty. The present study’s consideration of the effect of multiple interactions in value cocreation extends value cocreation theory.

Campus sport experience as catalyst for college student adjustment and well-being

ABSTRACT Interest in college students’ adjustment is rising along with the expansion of the well-being trend. In particular, when individuals first enter a university, they are under stress and experience various challenges due to the new environment and tasks. While participating in and spectating sports provide numerous benefits at individual, interpersonal, institutional, community, and societal levels, the impact of sport-related experiences on well-being in the context of college students’ campus experiences has not been comprehensively addressed. Taking the findings into account, the purpose of this study was to investigate the impacts of participant and spectator sport experience on college student well-being through college adjustment and college life satisfaction. A total of 304 responses were collected from students who experienced both participant and spectator sport during their first-year in college. Results showed that participating in and spectating college sport did not directly affect college students’ well-being but indirectly influence college students’ well-being via college adjustment and college life satisfaction. Given the importance of college student adjustment and college life satisfaction, the findings shed light on participant and spectator sport as imperative determinants of college life well-being as well as provide practical implications in the college setting.

Expectation-achievement gaps and satisfaction in World Cup football supporters: a quasi-experiment

ABSTRACT Research question Football is the world's most popular spectator sport so supporters’ satisfaction and happiness (wellbeing) is of considerable interest. We examined how gaps between supporters’ expectations and teams’ achievements affect supporters’ wellbeing, and how social identity moderates this. Addressing previous methodological limitations, we examined such gaps objectively in a meaningful real-world scenario. Research methods We conducted a quasi-experiment around the 2018 FIFA World Cup with 278 supporters and 63 control participants, collecting data before, during, and after the championship. We also examined curvilinear effects and the moderating effect of social identity using polynomial regression surface modelling. Results and findings Supporters’ satisfaction increased when their national team's achievements exceeded expectations, decreased when achievements failed to exceed expectations, and remained stable for a control group. Happiness was unchanged in these conditions, however. Polynomial regression indicated that expectations and achievements explained a substantial 35% of incremental variance in satisfaction, and their three-dimensional curvilinear interaction accounted for a further 6% (a considerable 41% overall). The moderating effect of social identity on this relationship also approached significance. Implications Increases in achievements increase satisfaction, and disproportionately so for high achievements. However, satisfaction is also increased by lowering expectations, particularly for supporters identifying strongly with their teams. For supporters identifying less strongly, though, moderate expectations increase satisfaction most.

A comparative analysis of sports gambling in the United States

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to explore differences in demographic, self-concept and fan behavior factors that predict sports fans who bet and those who do not in legal and illegal gambling jurisdictions in the United States (US).Design/methodology/approachSeven hundred and eighty-nine sports fans and bettors from 47 states were surveyed through a partnership with a major media provider in the US. A number of demographic items, theoretically defined factors and fan behaviors were measured, and several two-way MANOVAs with interaction effects were conducted to determine differences between those who gamble and those who do not in legal and illegal jurisdictions.FindingsStatistically significant differences between those who bet and those who do not were found. Bettors look different and come from different backgrounds and locations. Psychographically, they were clearly more narcissistic. They also indicated a higher social identity and self-worth, yet perceived themselves as less worthy members of important social institutions. In general, sports bettors out consumed non-bettors as it relates sports spectatorship. In terms of differences between the groups across legal and illegal states, only a few factors were impacted. Self-worth and personal identity were factors that were found to be different between groups and jurisdictions as well as DFS participation.Originality/valueThe US sports gambling market is expected to grow US$6.5 billion in the next five years, yet very little is known, psychographically, about the US sports bettor. Sports gambling research, especially from a marketing perspective, has primarily been limited to Australia and the United Kingdom. This paper contributes to what we know about sports gambling and the emerging US market. In particular, the results uncovered fundamental trait, demographic and behavioral differences between US sports fans and sports bettors. The findings also provide similar foundational differences and similarities between those who bet in states with legal and illegal gambling.

Exhibition Review: Niki de Saint Phalle: Structures for Life

Exhibition Review: <i>Niki de Saint Phalle: Structures for Life</i>

The influence of brand positioning and event marketing on brand loyalty–The mediation roles of brand identification and brand personality: The case of spectator sport

&lt;p&gt;This study investigates event marketing and brand positioning that influence brand attitudinal loyalty and brand behavioral loyalty through brand identification and brand personality in the field of spectator sport. The current study is one of the first to demonstrate the relationship between brand positioning and attitudinal/behavioral loyalty in the spectator sport context. This work conducted the survey method and collected 240 effective customer samples in professional sport events in Taipei City. The findings showed that brand positioning substantially influences both brand attitudinal loyalty and brand behavioral loyalty through brand identification and brand personality. Therefore, a sports team should invest a long-term work of positioning its brand rather than just hold a short-term event.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;