Satellite fans make up an important part of a sport team’s market, but little is known about how long-distance relationships are developed across different cultures. In this manuscript, we utilize the Consumer Culture Theory to examine how satellite fans develop fanship toward foreign professional sport teams. Drawing from 46 interviews with Chinese and American fans of European soccer teams, we developed four archetypal pathways through which fans form relationships with their beloved teams, reflected in the labels “Detached Admirer,” “Relational Networker,” “Industry Analyst,” and “Spiritual Follower.” The findings showed both cross-cultural and intracultural differences in the way satellite fans connect to their teams. In diverse ways, satellite fans construct their desired identities based on the meaning of their fandom, influenced by a variety of social-historical parameters. Accordingly, we bring theoretical innovation to sport fan behavior research and provide managerial actions for teams targeting the satellite fan base.
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Cross-Cultural Comparison of Satellite Fanship: A Consumer Culture Theory Perspective
Yiran Su, Xiaochen Zhou, Daniel Funk, and Jason Daniels
Whose Helmet? Reconsidering American Football’s Iconic Equipment
Noah Cohan
In this project, I examine the manner in which fans and players of American football understand the plastic safety helmet. My findings are built on a series of qualitative interviews conducted with helmet aficionados and former players. While conventional wisdom would suggest that the protective purpose is the primary function of the helmet, I demonstrate that in practice it is secondary. The foremost service of the helmet is to convey meaning through team, regional, aesthetic, and branding signifiers, which shape how individuals affiliate themselves with the game, form their fan or player identity, and consume football and football equipment. Although they do so in different ways, both groups, players and aficionados, fetishize the object; exemplifying the way in which masculinity and materiality have become intertwined in the game of football, such that the helmet functions as an abstract avatar of heteronormative manliness.
Sports Participation During Adolescence and Menstrual Cycle Education Status in Females Across Six Territories
Phoebe Law, Natalie Brown, Charles Pedlar, and Georgie Bruinvels
Introduction: There is a substantial amount of sporting dropout in teenage girls worldwide linked, in part, to the menstrual cycle (MC). Firstly, this study aimed to retrospectively quantify the reasons for decreased sport and, or, exercise (sports/exercise) participation during adolescence across different countries. Secondly, this study investigated the prevalence, source, and content of MC education received in relation to sports/exercise. Methods: A survey was distributed via the Strava app to six geographical territories. The survey captured retrospective reasons for changing sports/exercise participation levels during adolescence and the provision, content, and source of MC education received in relation to sports/exercise. Descriptive statistics were reported as frequencies and associations between countries, education, and adolescent participation levels were determined using chi-square analysis (p = .01). Results: Female Strava users (M = 40.8 years, SD = 10.7 years) from six territories completed the survey (n = 10,371). 24.8% of participants decreased their sports/exercise participation during adolescence with the United Kingdom and Ireland (39.7%) and Spain (39.1%) reporting significantly higher decreases than the other countries surveyed, χ2(10)=1,023.77, p ≤ .001. The most common reason for decreased participation was a lack of time (28.0%). 71.1% of participants had not received education. Of those that were educated, the most common source was “self-education” (69.8%) and content was “to keep levels of exercise the same” (29.8%). Conclusions: There is a need for education to be available and easily accessible for girls and women which provides instructions on managing the MC and other commitments alongside sports/exercise, and highlights the many benefits of participating in regular sports/exercise.
Fan Socializing and BIRGing: The Impact of Trait Competitiveness on Fan Behaviors
D. Todd Donavan, Mara F. Singer, and Brad D. Carlson
This research investigates the intricate dynamics between trait competitiveness and sport fan behavior, examining its relationships with situational and surface traits associated with sport consumption. By advancing our understanding of competitiveness as a key influencer in sport participation and entertainment seeking, the study contributes to our understanding of what drives sport fans. Utilizing Mowen’s 3M model and the Big Five personality traits, we explore the influence of traits on competitiveness, predicting its impact on participation and entertainment seeking and fan socializing and basking in reflected glory. The findings unveil the role of competitiveness in shaping behaviors, indicating that competitive individuals actively seek and enjoy competitive and entertaining situations. The research illuminates the paths by which personality traits affect sport consumption behaviors, providing theoretical insights into the complex dynamics of competitiveness in the realm of sport.
Baseball and Culture: A Case-Study Examination of the Korean Baseball Organization Documentary Full Count
Kevin Hull and Minhee Choi
During the 2022 season, a documentary crew followed the teams and players in the Korean Baseball Organization, resulting in a 10-episode series Full Count that debuted the following year. The series was broadcast initially in South Korea; however, a later international release through a streaming platform allowed for increased worldwide exposure for the league, teams, players, and, perhaps somewhat uniquely, the culture and traditions in the home country. Therefore, even though the focus was baseball, this program provided a unique opportunity for the world to learn about the people and values of South Korea. Using constant comparative methodology, the following themes emerged: (a) emphasizing team over individual, (b) respecting elders, (c) overcoming adversity, and (d) playing with honor.
Risk of Low Energy Availability, Disordered Eating, and Menstrual Dysfunction in Female Recreational Runners
Marissa Miles, Kelly Pritchett, Robert Pritchett, and Abigail Larson
Introduction: Running is characterized by high physiological demands with an emphasis on body weight, which may lead to a greater risk of developing low energy availability (LEA) and/or disordered eating (DE). The prevalence of LEA among recreational runners has not been well defined, and this population may lack the ability to distinguish between nutrition resources that are evidence-based or not. Purpose: This study investigated (a) the prevalence of those at risk for LEA, menstrual dysfunction (MD), and risk of DE and (b) compared the risk of DE, training volume, and body weight dissatisfaction between female recreational runners at risk for LEA versus not at risk for LEA. Methods: Female recreational endurance runners (n = 1,923) completed an online questionnaire that included the Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire to evaluate LEA risk and MD, and the Disordered Eating Screening Assessment to evaluate DE risk and body weight dissatisfaction. Results: 53.04% of participants are at risk for LEA, 42.5% are at risk for DE, and 61.7% reported MD. Conclusions: The current study suggests that recreational runners are at an increased risk for LEA and DE. Furthermore, DE, MD, training volume, and weight dissatisfaction may be associated with LEA in recreational runners. These findings highlight the need for education and preventative measures around LEA, MD, and DE among recreational female runners.
A Survey of Current Exercise and Nutritional Strategies for Management of Dysmenorrhea
Katie R. Hirsch, Trisha A. VanDusseldorp, Hailey E. Karns, Katelynn T. Persaud, Kaitlyn T. Ramey, and Catherine Saenz
This study characterized exercise and nutritional strategies being used by women to manage dysmenorrhea. Women with self-reported menstrual pain (N = 182; age, 31.7 ± 8.9 years; 73% premenopausal; 44% contraceptive users; 66% White; 70% non-Hispanic) completed a web-based survey about the presence and severity of menstrual pain, pain management strategies (exercise, medications, nutrition, others), and perceived challenges to using nutrition for pain management. Menstrual pain was reported to be greatest on Day 1 of menstruation (mean: 6.6/10) and was “sometimes” (36%) or “often” (31%) disruptive to exercise. For exercise as a strategy to manage pain, 31% reported improvements, 23% reported no change, and 11% reported worsening of pain. A majority of women reported using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (71%) or other medications to manage pain (sometimes, 25%; often, 21%; always, 25%). Almost half of women (47%) reported using some other method to manage pain (sometimes, 22%; often, 15%; always, 10%), most often heat. Less women (18%) reported using dietary or herbal supplements (sometimes, 7%; often, 7%; always, 4%) or dietary changes (sometimes, 7%; often, 5%; always, 5%). The most common reasons for not using nutrition to manage menstrual pain included not knowing what to buy or what to try, had never tried, and being unsure about supplements. The level of pain women experience with dysmenorrhea is significant and disruptive to exercise participation. However, few women report using nutritional strategies due to being unsure of what to buy or try. Quality studies targeting nutritional menstrual pain management strategies are needed.
The Cotillion Community
Maria J. Veri and Diane L. Williams
The Amy Morris Homans Cotillion, held annually from 1982 to 2014, was a safe space for lesbian professionals in kinesiology, as well as a challenge and a disruption to the misogyny, homophobia, and heterosexism that pervaded the field in the mid- and late 20th century. In this article, we highlight the lived experiences of the broader Cotillion community. We conducted oral-history interviews with American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAPHERD) convention attendees about their memories of the Cotillion and Pre-Cotillion. Through these stories, we convey the significance of these events for the women and lesbians in kinesiology/physical education departments who attended them. The article begins with descriptions of interviewees’ lives within the field, progresses to how attendees discovered and experienced the Cotillion and/or Pre-Cotillion, and then explores the impact of the Cotillion, both at AAPHERD and beyond the convention.
From the Closet to the Center
Diane L. Williams, Maria J. Veri, and Jackie Hudson
The Amy Morris Homans Cotillion and Pre-Cotillion created unique and liberatory spaces for many lesbian and allied women attending the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) convention between 1982 and 2014. In this article, we draw on feminist and queer theories to consider the multiple meanings embedded in Cotillion goers’ lived experiences. Memories of planning and participating in these events linger for attendees decades later. The impact of attending ranged from lighthearted appreciation to profound gratitude. The Cotillion events disrupted the oppressive status quo at the AAHPERD convention and within kinesiology in favor of community building, joy, and the celebration of lesbian identities. We explore the disruption of heteropatriarchal norms and the creation of alternative community spaces to learn better from the past and to help create liberatory futures for practitioners and scholars in kinesiology.