Sports Officials Research Articles

Post Pandemic Assessment of Availability and Compliance with Covid-19 Preventive Protocols by Athletes, Coaches and Spectators in Sport Arenas in Southwestern, Nigeria.

The study investigated the availability and the level of compliance of athletes, officials, and coaches with the Covid-19 preventive in sports arena in Southwestern Nigeria. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The population for the study comprised all officials, athletes and spectators in sport arenas South-west Nigeria. Sample size comprised 220 respondents. The multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted for the study. Two questionnaires, titled: “State Athletes Welfare and COVID-19 Preventive Protocol Questionnaire” (SAWCPPQ) and the State Sports Administrators Questionnaire (SSAQ) were used to elicit information on the athletes’ welfare and compliance with COVID-19 preventive protocols. Data collected were analysed using appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics The findings also showed that there was moderate level of compliance with the Covid-19 preventive protocols among the athletes (63.1%), sports officials (61.9%) and spectators (61.1%), as 69 (31.36%) complied with the protocol all the time, while 151 (68.64%) only complied sometimes. The study concluded that there were preventive protocols in place at various sports arenas to ensure prevention of Covid-19. However, there were low level of compliance with the preventive protocols among the sportsmen and sportswomen during training and competitions in South West, Nigeria

Football and Nation Branding: A Case Study of Saudi Arabia's Strategy for Global Football Recognition

Nation branding is an important factor of international image management which has gained increasing importance for nations worldwide. Since 2018, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has embarked on a journey to enhance its global sports recognition and reputation by strategically investing in football. This research article examines the efforts and challenges Saudi Arabia faces in investing in football as an important tool for country branding. The research will adopt a quantitative approach through the analysis of Twitter to explore the impact of football on Saudi Arabia's nation branding initiatives. It focuses on various dimensions, such as how culture is promoted, economic development, tourism, and global visibility achieved through football as a brand. The findings of this research provide insights into the field of nation branding which can be of further use to policymakers, academicians, and sports officials who are interested in the intersection of sports, culture, and nation branding. The study aims to focus on Saudi Arabia's government-centric approach to nation branding through football and focuses on finding out the complex nature of utilizing football to promote the country's pursuit of global recognition and reputation enhancement.

ПРИЧИНЫ ДИСФУНКЦИЙ МОДЕЛИ УПРАВЛЕНИЯ МИРОВЫМ СПОРТОМ

The article presents materials related to the analysis of the causes for management dysfunctions in modern sports and further prospects for the development of sports in a changing world order. Paradoxically, the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine and the subsequent reaction of sports officials of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and international sports federations (IFS) made it possible to really look at the existing models of management of individual sports and the entire Olympic system from an applied aspect. Governance and power in sport is viewed through the lens of theories of symbolic capital, critical realism, dominance theory and the three-level dimension of power in sport. In the analytical part, the focus is on the fact that international sport does not adhere to a unitary or federal model of governance, but corresponds to the principles of a polycentric management system, since power in sport is asymmetrical and dispersed across separately established bodies with overlapping jurisdictions, which are not always in a hierarchical relationship with each other. That is why IOC President Thomas Bach made recommendations to remove Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions, cancel competitions on the territory of these countries and ban Russian and Belarusian state symbols. The IOC leadership has no other management levers to make decisions. The author identified that dysfunctions in the management model led to the dependence of the Olympic movement on American capital and unfair distribution of income; creating a trend towards the development of regional sports projects and the formation of a new geopolitical economy of sports

Ordinal Logistic Regression Analysis of Factors Affecting Mathematics Literacy Achievement of Junior and Senior High School in West Manggarai Regency

This study aims to analyze the significant factors that affect mathematics literacy achievement, especially in junior and senior high schools in West Manggarai Regency. It begins by presenting descriptive information regarding mathematics literacy achievement at junior and senior high schools in West Manggarai Regency, especially in relation to other factors measured in the national assessment. This study is a quantitative study. The data analyzed were secondary data obtained from the Education, Youth and Sports Office of West Manggarai Regency in the form of Education Report. The analysis was carried out descriptively first, then analyzed with ordinal logistic regression. The results showed that the achievement of mathematics literacy at junior and senior high schools in West Manggarai Regency is still not optimal, both in general and in terms of each factor. The results of this study also show that the factors that significantly influence the achievement of mathematical literacy at junior and senior high schools in West Manggarai Regency include the level of the education unit, increased of learning quality score, increased of instructional leadership score, and increased of the algebraic content score.

Sports officials and parents as spectators: Diffusing tensions on the sidelines

Youth sport competitions are often emotionally charged events, with children, parents, coaches, and officials reporting emotions ranging from anxiety and stress through to enjoyment because of their involvement. One of the sources for the negative emotions and experiences associated with youth sport is the behaviors displayed by spectators on the sidelines. Typically, in youth sport events, these spectators are the parents of the children involved in the competition. Recognizing the detrimental consequences that arise for children when parents are inappropriately or negatively involved on the sidelines, sport psychology researchers and practitioners have increasingly targeted interventions at improving parents’ involvement in competitions. Although such interventions are valuable and important for improving children’s youth sport experiences, their focus is typically exclusively upon the interactions and relationships between parents and their children. However, negative behaviors from parents on the sidelines can also impact others in the environment, particularly sports officials who report abuse and aggression from the sidelines as one of the primary reasons for leaving their roles. As officiating numbers decline, sporting organizations are considering how to best tackle these attrition rates and one area that may be worthy of consideration is the interaction between parents and officials. To-date, limited consideration has been given to the bi-directional interactions between parents and officials or to steps that could be taken to improve interactions. To this end, the purpose of this commentary is to increase awareness, initiate conversations, stimulate research, and enhance applied practice targeting the interactions between officials and parents in youth sport.

Community and motivation among tennis officials: a cross-cultural multilevel analysis.

Sport officials are pivotal to the development of the game at every level. Yet, the exploration of these officials' job satisfaction and turnover intentions, especially within tennis, remains largely neglected. This study undertakes a cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Referee Retention Scale (RRS) in a Chinese context (RRS-CN) and uses multilevel models (MLM) to explore the influence of perceived administrator consideration, mentoring, continuing education opportunities, remuneration, stress, and ecological factors on tennis officials' sense of community and officiating motivation. Data from 523 tennis officials across 26 provinces in China were gathered via an online survey. Through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, the RRS-CN was validated as a culturally adaptive 25-item scale. In the following, MLM results revealed that officiating levels, socioeconomic status, perceived administrator consideration, mentoring, and levels of continuing education significantly predict officials' sense of community. Additionally, we identified that continuing education, mentoring, and remuneration significantly influences officiating motivation. These findings underscore the importance of fair assignments, mentorship, and ongoing professional development in enhancing job satisfaction and retention. Future explorations are encouraged to extend the analysis to more ecological variables and further investigate their potential effects on systematic partial nesting, enhancing the generalizability and precision of measurement in job satisfaction and turnover studies across diverse cultural landscapes.

The handball referee’s personality through the lens of players and coaches

Refereeing in handball is a complex exercise involving numerous decisions and interactions among players and coaches. To meet the demands of officiating a game, (e.g., withstand the pressure generated by spectators or managing critical situations), referees need to have a certain personality type. Since the sport of handball faces an acute shortage of referees and the recruitment of suitable individuals becomes increasingly difficult, personality research can provide practical guidance for the identification of potential candidates. When determining the personality characteristics necessary for refereeing, taking an external perspective and collecting information from others can provide a more objective assessment of an individual’s personality than self-assessment. For this reason, an online qualitative survey was conducted to collect data from 89 German handball players and 35 coaches. Based on the principles of qualitative content analysis, a large part of the responses could first be structured and assigned to the five-factor model. The remaining responses were then categorised, which allowed four categories to emerge: (i) character and leadership, (ii) judgement and decision-making, (iii) game management, and (iv) physical fitness and cognitive demands. The findings contribute to expanding knowledge about the crucial personality characteristics that shape handball referees’ personality and suggest that the performance profile of handball referees shows similarities to that of other team sports officials. In our conclusion, we outline research directions with high practical relevance for the recruitment and development of referees, e.g., the study of referees’ assertiveness, need for evaluation, preference for consistency, or self-efficacy.

The Show Can Go On! The Non-existent Effect of Corruption in Fandom (Evidence from Portugal)

One of the key premises of the official sports integrity narrative is that the perception of widespread of corruption in sports leads to a decline in people’s interest in sports and to the consequent cultural and financial collapse of the sector. With evidence gathered through a representative survey conducted in Portugal, this article proves this premise to be inaccurate. Despite football being commonly perceived as a corrupt industry, the interest of fans remains unalterable regardless of gender, ideology, political preference, age, or place of residence. This article holds relevance in the ongoing discussion about the implications of sports integrity policy-making processes as it shows that maintaining supporters’ level of engagement is not significantly impacted by concerns over integrity itself. The conclusion discusses the ethical implications that this situation generates and proposes a series of recommendations to enhance integrity and good sports governance.

Pengaruh Efektivitas Penerapan E-bupot Unifikasi, Dan E-billing Terhadap Kinerja Bendaharawan Dalam Melaksanakan Pemotongan/Pemungutan Pajak Pada Dinas Pendidikan, Kepemudaan Dan Olahraga Provinsi Bali

This research was conducted with the aim of knowing the effect of the Effectiveness of the Implementation of E-Bupot Unification, and E-Billing on the Performance of Treasurers in Implementing Tax Withholding/Collection at the Office of Education, Youth and Sports of the Province of Bali. The population in this study were school treasurers (boss fund treasurers/treasurers who operate the web and tax applications at schools) in the work units of the Bali Province Education, Youth and Sports Office. The number’s of sample in this study were 141 schools. The data in this study were obtained through the results of distributing questionnaires and were analyzed using multiple linear regression analysis techniques. Based on the result of testing the data thats has been carried out in this study, it was found that the application of e-bupot and e-billing had a positive and significant effect on taxpayer compliance. Based on the results of the research and the constraints encountered in this research, development is still needed to make this research better.

Behind the political scenes of world sports: the USSR and international sports organizations in the second half of the 20th century

The 20th century was marked by the active introduction of politics into big sport, the targeted use of athletes and their achievements for political purposes. After the Second World War, the USSR began to position itself as a great sports power, and Soviet athletes were tasked with winning in international sports arenas and setting world records for the glory of their Motherland. At the same time, in order to participate in the World and European Championships and the Olympic Games, the USSR's membership in official international sports organizations (ISO) was required. Issues related to the entry of the Soviet Union into these organizations, the struggle for influence in them, the participation of the USSR in the development of the international sports movement and the determination of its main directions became important elements of Soviet policy in the second half of the twentieth century.

Kontribusi Sektor Pariwisata Terhadap Pendapatan Asli Daerah Kota Bukittinggi

This study aims to analyze how big the contribution of revenue growth from the Tourism Sector to Regional Original Income (PAD) in the City of Bukittinggi, as well as to determine the development trend of the tourism sector in the City of Bukittinggi in the 2010-2030 period. This research includes descriptive and associative research with a quantitative approach using secondary data obtained from the Tourism, Youth and Sports Office and the Central Bureau of Statistics for the City of Bukittinggi. The analysis used in this research is proportionality analysis and trend analysis . The highest contribution results show in 2010 of 38% while the lowest shows in 2020 of 23%. Meanwhile, the results of forecasting the income of the tourism sector in this study show that from 2021-2030 the highest figure will be in 2030 of IDR 55,293,321,325

Sport Officiating as Aggression Work: A Positioning Analysis of Gendered Emotion Management

This study documents how sports officials negotiate aggression from cisgender male athletes as a key feature of their occupational role. Through an ethnographic case study of a collegiate intramural athletic organization, sports officials ( N = 24) were observed while officiating and interviewed about their experiences with athlete aggression. Utilizing a phronetic iterative approach and positioning theory as an analytic framework, three organizational storylines were identified that contribute to the implicit, often gendered, rules related to the experience and expression of aggression in this context. Findings also indicated that male and female officials differed in their positioning strategies in response to athlete aggression, through (a) confidence positioning, (b) stoic positioning, (c) expert positioning, and (d) coercive positioning. Implications for how aggression work and positioning theory might build on past emotion management literature are discussed.

Promotion Strategy Of Pacu Jawi Event in Pariangan District, West Sumatra Province

Introduction:
 This study aims to determine the promotion strategy for the Pacu Jawi (cow race) event in Pariangan District, West Sumatra Province. There are three indicators of the promotion strategy used to promote the Pacu Jawi event in Pariangan District, West Sumatra: identifying the target audience, designing messages, and choosing appropriate media. These three indicators need to be a concern to help the Youth and Sports Tourism Office in Tanah Datar Regency to attract tourists and compete with other tourism events in West Sumatra so that in the future, the Pacu Jawi Event is right on target, according to the needs and interests of tourists, and visitors who are targeted are more effective and efficient.
 Methodology:
 The research method used is a descriptive qualitative approach with a case study design. The subjects of this study consisted of six informants, two main informants from the Youth and Sports Tourism Office Tanah Datar Regency, one supporting informant from the chairman of the Pariangan District Tourism Travel Awareness Group (Pokdarwis), one Head of Pacu Jawi Association (Porwi), and two informants from the Travel Agents. Data collection techniques and data sources were carried out using interview methods with interview guidelines and documentation in the form of direct photos and voice recordings from the informants.
 Findings: 
 The results of this study show that research informants identify target audiences using special techniques by expanding the selected audience based on tourist visits. Is there any increase or decrease? Identifying the target audience is also through the Pacu Jawi photography competition; the target is photographers and domestic tourists who can affect economic growth for residents and are expected to increase the amount of regional income because many tourists come from outside of the region. Besides that, designing messages by creating an attractive event calendar design and uploading it on social media, such as Instagram, every week for the Pacu Jawi event and making it a tour package is one of the strategies to promote the event. Another strategy is to spread messages through the event calendar, namely the flagship program of the Tanah Datar Regency Government, namely the One Nagari One Event Program. The flagship One Nagari One Event program has been facilitated by the Tanah Datar local government since 2022 to revive the tourism sector and rise from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This program is expected to be able to attract tourists to Tanah Datar Regency, West Sumatra, Indonesia. In addition, traditional culture and traditions that have disappeared are now reappearing, and also through this program, it is possible to drive tourism and the creative economy. On this event calendar, there are black, red, and yellow symbols, which symbolize the Marawa (a tricolor flag consisting of three vertical charts showing the typical Minangkabau colors, that is black, red, and yellow) as the official flag of Minangkabau. In designing the message, it has fulfilled the aspects and paid attention to the content of the message to be disseminated. However, it should also be noted that before creating a message, it is important to use communicative sentences to make it easy for the audience to understand. Media selection is made personally and non-personally. Personal media is communication carried out face-to-face between two or more people as done by the Tourism, Youth and Sports Office of Tanah Datar Regency, which is attending events and promoting them directly through making videos containing information about the Pacu Jawi event. Meanwhile, non-personal communication is carried out indirectly or with the help of print / online media such as social media (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), flyers, and posters.
 Conclusion: 
 The Pacu Jawi Event Promotion Strategy in Pariangan Regency, West Sumatra Province, uses three indicators; the first is identifying the target audience using special techniques in determining the target audience by inviting photographers for the Pacu Jawi photo competition and classifying demographics that target audiences of all ages, genders, and professions. The second is designing messages with simple language, which does not mean simplifying the concept but presenting information in a way that is more easily understood by the audience and also telling an overview of the content of the philosophy of Pacu Jawi in Pariangan itself to attract tourists with events in Nagari Pariangan. The design of the message has a particular meaning and is different for each message conveyed because the message depends on the event to be promoted. Third, the selection of media used is based on print media such as posters and billboards and online media such as social media like Instagram, Facebook, Tanah Datar District Government website, TikTok and uploading documentary videos about the Pacu Jawi event and through radio broadcasts.
 Keywords: Promotion Strategy, Pacu Jawi, Event, Pariangan

Управление организацией спортивных мероприятий в Санкт-Петербурге

The article examines physical activities and sports events, its trends and peculiarities of state regulation in the St. Petersburg region in the conditions of modern political and economic reality. An original comprehensive approach to the study of problems in this industry is presented. Since the basis of management in the organiza-tion of sports and physical culture events is formed by legal regulation tools and personnel specialists from different fields, a legal analysis was carried out and regulatory regulators at the federal and regional levels were investigated, information on the personnel shortage was also structured for the first time based on the results of a sociological study, and a methodology for determining the main and additional personnel needs was applied. The statistical analysis of official sports and physical culture events was conducted in order to identify trends in the organization of sports events in the St. Petersburg region. Based on the analyses’ results, it is proposed to create an integrated form of interaction between specialists in education, economics and sci-ence, which formed the developed management structure of the sports events organization. In order to achieve the goal of increasing the level of economic indicators of the St. Petersburg region, including by increasing the volume of sports tourism, it is proposed to develop a priority direction, the basis of which is the holding of phys-ical culture events in the rank of national and international competitions.

Analisis Organisasi & Pengembangan Kapasitas Kelembagaan Pada Sektor Wisata

The problems that exist in the Pekalongan Regency Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports Office (Disporapar) on the one hand are problems in the organisational structure, especially in charge of Tourism, which has no sub-fields, even though the workload is very high. Another problem is that many tasks in the tourism sector have not been handled properly, such as the implementation of the licensing process and public services in the tourism sector, the implementation of qualifications and administration of tourism services, coordination and formulation of standards, norms and tourism promotion, and facilitation of tourism product development and the tourism business world and the creative economy in the tourism sector. On the other hand, it is a heavy responsibility for Disporapar to coordinate, communicate and socialise due to the low participation of the community to become "people aware of tourism".The purpose of the study was to analyse efforts to develop institutional capacity in public services in the field of tourism in Disporapar Pekalongan Regency. Analyse the factors that hinder and support capacity development efforts in public services in the field of tourism in Disporapar Pekalongan Regency. The data used are primary and secondary data. With data collection techniques using interviews, observation and documentation. Data analysis techniques through four stages that must be passed, namely information collection, data reduction, data presentation and drawing conclusions.Based on the results of the analysis of the above research, the conclusion is that first, the development of institutional capacity in coordinating public services in the tourism sector at the Pekalongan Regency Disporapar is not yet sufficient internally, such as budget improvement, improvement of organizational structure, recruitment of human resources apparatus, and provision of infrastructure facilities. Second, externally, there has been no development and improvement of tourism objects that are adequate for the consumption of local and foreign tourists in Pekalongan Regency. Thirdly, there is a lack of participation and awareness of the people to form "Rakyat Sadar Wisata" groups, but more people are not aware of tourism, so there is still "robbery" and destruction of tourist attraction facilities, illegal parking in tourist attraction areas, inadequate number and condition of tourist attraction facilities, and a lack of investors. However, there is a relief in the support from the Provincial and Central Governments as well as the availability of large areas of coastal, inland and mountainous land in Pekalongan Regency and the many potential natural resources in Pekalongan Regency that have not been utilised. However, there is a relief that there is support from the provincial and central governments as well as the availability of large areas of coastal, inland and mountainous land in Pekalongan Regency and there are still many potential natural resources in Pekalongan Regency that have not been utilised to create new tourism objects.

Possible Future Legislative and Social Trends in the Protection of State, National, and Community Symbols in Slovakia

The paper deals with possible options and suggestions for changing the constitutional and legal regulations of the protection of state, national, and community symbols in Slovakia. In terms of constitutional regulation, the paper concludes that its change is not necessary—even in the context of the low overall rigidity of the Slovak constitution. In relation to the Act on State Symbols itself, only a change in the regulation of the use of the state emblem on the jerseys of the official national sports teams is proposed. Regarding the area of criminal law and administrative punishment, there is somewhat unclear distinction between the criminal offence of disorderly conduct and the infringement under Article 42(1)(a) of the Infringements Act. The distinction between misdemeanors and infringements is defined in the Criminal Code by means of substantive corrective. Thus, the relationship between the two offences in question is not dysfunctional and the ne bis in idem principle will not be infringed. However, the unclear relationship between the merits of the criminal offence and the infringement casts doubt on compliance with both the requirement of legal certainty and the requirements arising from the principle of nullum crimen sine lege certa. Despite the shortcomings of this approach, the only solution appears to be to leave the boundary between the respective criminal offence and infringement for the judiciary. The paper outlines how the courts approach the assessment of cases of defamation. However, the jurisprudence of Slovak courts in this matter is scarce and currently does not provide answers to all relevant questions. The decisions show the need for an individual and contextual assessment of the social danger of every case of defamation. The paper contains a proposal to create a new criminal offence—the defamation of a state symbol of the Slovak Republic. Criminal protection for foreign state symbols would continue to be provided in the context of the crime of disorderly conduct. This paper also provides proposals to change the regulation of the use of state symbols in public sports events. These amendments are intended to close the loopholes of the current regulation, which reduce its regulatory effectiveness. Furthermore, it is proposed to harmonize the rules governing the use of official stamps with state symbols—coat of arms—and with self-government symbols in relation to municipalities and self-governing regions.

An Analysis of Sports Management by District Sports Office, Jalgaon with Reference to Softball Tournament

Sport management refers to the management of various business functions in sports and recreation organizations. Depending on their specific job title, sport management professionals might plan, direct, organize or budget within a sports-related organization. Sports should be a major part of the school curriculum because if students stay emotionally and physically healthy, they can easily focus on their studies. Softball is a modified form of baseball, played on a smaller field with a larger, softer ball, seven rather than nine innings, and with underarm pitching. There are two main types of softball: fast pitch and slow pitch. Softball differs from baseball in that the pitchers throw underhand (with hand below shoulder level). Objectives of the study are: - To study Overall system of District Sport office, Jalgaon, To study the role of sports in life and its importance and To study information about soft ball tournament. Researcher observe the eligibility criteria for enrolling and also procedure of enrolment. There is general procedure of tournament which have some limitations. Some changes are required in selection method of team members. The case study analysis of the Sports Management by the District Sports Office in Jalgaon with reference to the Softball tournament exemplifies effective planning, execution, resource management, stakeholder engagement, promotion, and continuous improvement. These factors played a pivotal role in the successful organization and execution of the tournament, showcasing the District Sports Office's competency in sports management. • A player can participate in any one age group in one sport. School competition will be organized in under 11, 14, 17, 19 age groups. If the match is tied during the tournament, then as per the rules of the single District/State Association of that sport the result will be given. • Taluka level competition, venue will be decided by Taluka Sports Committee. In school sports competition, travel, accommodation, food expenses and state level travel expenses from taluka level to division level are to be borne by the concerned institution/school/college. Accommodation and food arrangements for state level competition will be intimated to you by letter of players in the prescribed sample of Sports Authority of India before proceeding to the Divisional / State level competition

Superior Culinary Products Maninjau Wisata West Sumatra Province

This study aims to analyze the superior culinary products of Maninjau Tourism Village from the indicators of the type of product processing, product packaging and product marketing. This research uses a descriptive approach with qualitative data. Data sources were obtained from the Tourism, Youth and Sports Office of Agam Regency, Tanjung Raya Sub- District Head, Maninjau Nagari Wali, Traditional/Religious Leaders, Culinary Traders and Visitors/Tourists. Data collection was carried out directly in Nagari Maninjau using interview, observation and documentation methods. Data analysis was carried out using data reduction techniques, data presentation and drawing conclusions. The results of the study found that the superior culinary products of the Maninjau Tourism Village were processed rinuak fish, bada fish and pensi. Processed forms are rinuak fritters, rinuak crackers, rinuak jerky, rinuak palai, crispy rinuak, rinuak rakik, fried bada, bada smoked and pensi soup. While the packaging uses transparent plastic and leaves. Then the marketing is still conventional. This superior culinary product of the Maninjau Tourism Village has the potential to be developed further both in the form of processed products, product packaging and product marketing.

Methods for increasing the number of participants in official computer sports competitions in the Sverdlovsk region

Relevance. The main problem of official computer sports in the Russian Federation is the low motivation of gamers to participate in official sports events. Gamers do not seek to become athletes and fulfill all the requirements imposed by accredited federations to participate in official sports competitions. The purpose of the study is to determine the reasons for the decrease in the number of esports athletes participating in official competitions of the Sverdlovsk region. Methods and organization of research. The authors took to analyze the economic indicators of the development of the sport "computer sport" (the identical term esports), prize payments were selected in the Dota2 game for highly qualified athletes, namely Tier 1 and Tier 2 teams of the world ranking. Payments were recorded for a ten-year period from 2011 to October 2022 for each level. The analysis of the socio-economic characteristics of Dota2 tournaments for Tier 1 and Tier 2 teams showed that there are prerequisites for the formation of professional computer sports and its individual characteristics, such as: the number of tournaments; the number of teams in the Tier 1 tournament; the number of teams in the tournament and the average prize pool for Tier 2 teams. The consequence of low motivation are such problems as low awareness of potential competitors. Lack of motivation to participate in official competitions. Lack of motivation to solve technical problems of organizing your workplace, to participate in competitions. Insufficient number of athletes from the region applying for official competitions to meet the discharge standards. Low social responsibility of athletes in the team types of the program, the lack of stable teams. Analysis of the causes of low awareness, insufficient number of athletes to meet the discharge standards, and ways to solve them. Conclusions. The method of personal notification of athletes allows solving the problem of their low awareness of the dates of official sports competitions.

Ontarians’ perceptions of “Hockey English”

This article focuses on how Hockey English (HE) is perceived and represented by Ontarians. It is based on a three-part online survey which was completed by a total of 249 respondents. Interest in this community of practice emanates from the strong link between Canadian identity and hockey, as hockey has been Canada’s official national winter sport since 1994. This study finds that, in the popular imagination of Ontarians, there exists a particular form of Canadian English (CE), spoken among ice hockey players that respondents describe in terms of lexical features and associate with a lack of education and with rurality. According to them, use of this speech is not restricted to the context of hockey; rather, it can be heard in everyday conversation as well. The findings highlight that more than 50% of the respondents perceive no gender differences in HE. Despite the perceived differences between CE and HE, some participants report that “sounding Canadian” is a way to identify speakers of HE.