Sport communication

Sports communication is an aspect of communication studies that specializes in the study of communication in a sports setting. It encompasses the study of interpersonal[1] and organizational[2] communication (both verbal[3] and non-verbal[4]) between participants within a sport (e.g. players, coaches, managers,[5] referees, and trainers), fans, and the media; and the way that sports are represented and communicated in the media.[6] Sports communication is not restricted to professionals only, it is something that happens at different levels of play, ranging from preschool to college level. Communication happens constantly in sport, and works best with people that are willing to work well as a team.[7] Studies have found that communication in sport can be both positive and negative due to evidence supporting a connection between communication and cohesion[8].   

Personal and Organizational Communication in Sport could involve intrapersonal, interpersonal, and small-group communication in sport, while organizational communication research could include intra- and interorganizational communication in sport.[9]

Careers

The various occupations that make up the field of sport communication typically involve some aspect of covering, delivering, publicizing, financing, or even shaping sport. Professionals in sport communication craft and send messages in various ways, and they may alter their modes of communication depending on the nature of their position as well as audience needs and desires. Although positions in sport communication vary in both nature (e.g., management, publicity, writing) and scope (e.g., traditional print, television, radio, online), the various career paths in the field all hinge on the ability to communicate with key audiences. These audiences also vary, depending on the type of sport entity in question, but they generally consist of whatever constituencies are deemed most valuable to the organization. Key audiences may include fans, members of the public, politicians, owners and investors, athletes, and even members of the media [10]

  • Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes.
  • Communications Teachers, Postsecondary.

Career Topics

Other fields of sport communication that are easily forgotten or not noticed, are fields in entertainment. Careers in the entertainment industry include the following careers such as video games, movies, and nontraditional aspects in the field.

In fact, some of the best opportunities in sport communication involve behind-the-scenes occupations, many of which exist in the production and operations sides of the industry. Examples include equipment technician, audio engineer, sport video grapher, and technical writer. Some sport arena and stadium jobs can be electronic technician, master control operator, public address announcer, and video engineer. [11]

Careers in Entertainment

Movies and TV shows are examples of communication through sports. Sports documentaries show the significance of the historic events in the past. Shows like 30 for 30 by ESPN allow the receiver of the show to connect to the show. The show can inform and empower the audience. Therefore, there are many different job opportunities in film that can help the audience communicate through sports and to show how we can communicate through sports.

  • Entertainers and Performers, Sports and Related Workers, All Others.
  • Public Relations Specialists.
  • Radio and Television Announcers.
  • Reporters and Correspondents.[12]


former Alabama football player Javier Arenas at a Red Cross volunteer event following Tornado of 2011 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Opportunities

Sports create a context for positive communication and pro-social behaviors that often occur off of the field or court. For example, many athletes speak in public to children or act as motivational speakers. In tough situations, such as the aftermath of natural disasters, well-known athletes can lift the moral of an affected community. Sports writer Lars Anderson wrote in his book The Storm and The Tide about how sports helped bring a town together after a disastrous tornado. Also, the situation and community coming together affected the college sports team at The University of Alabama. Andrew C. Billings, professor at The University of Alabama, discusses how sports have the ability to start meaningful conversations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU8R0bZzqfg. Sports communication theories allow for the prediction of many facets of communication such as gender, race, identity, culture, and politics.[13]

Sports communication varies vastly between individual sports and plays an important role in the success of teams and organizations. A good example of sports communication and its effects on players, organizations, and media was the well-documented conflict involving two players for the Miami Dolphins. Inappropriate, discriminatory, and abusive interactions between Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin lead to the release of Richie from the team, organizational issues, and an abundance of media coverage both negative and positive. Another example of sport communication is the recent "deflategate" scandal involving the New England Patriots apparently deflating the footballs during half-time of the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts. Head coach Bill Belichick claims that any wrongdoing was done by the team's equipment manager and ball boy, and no communication had occurred between them two at any point in the game. This reflects sports communication because it is an example of a lack of communication between an inferior member of an organization and the head coach, which eventually led to a wide spread and highly publicized scandal which could've jeopardized the Patriots' participation in the Super Bowl.

References
  1. "Interpersonal communication", Wikipedia, 2021-09-28, retrieved 2021-10-10
  2. "Organizational communication", Wikipedia, 2021-08-26, retrieved 2021-10-10
  3. "Defining Verbal Communication | Introduction to Communication". courses.lumenlearning.com. Retrieved 2021-11-01.
  4. "Nonverbal communication", Wikipedia, 2021-10-27, retrieved 2021-11-01
  5. "General manager", Wikipedia, 2021-01-04, retrieved 2021-10-10
  6. author., Pedersen, Paul Mark (23 June 2020). Strategic sport communication. ISBN 978-1-4925-9450-5. OCLC 1133661742.
  7. "Team", Wikipedia, 2021-09-26, retrieved 2021-10-10
  8. McLaren, Colin D.; Spink, Kevin S. (2021-07-15). "Testing boundary conditions in the communication–cohesion relationship in team sport: The case for psychological safety". Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice. doi:10.1037/gdn0000161. ISSN 1930-7802. S2CID 237845957.
  9. Abeza, Gashaw; O'Riley, Norm; Nadeau, John (September 1, 2014). "Sport Communication: A Multidimensional Assessment of the Field's Development". International Journal of Sport Communication. 7 (3): 289–316. doi:10.1123/IJSC.2014-0034.
  10. Pedersen, Paul M.; Laucella, Pamela C.; Miloch, Kimberly S.; Fielding, Larry W. (2007). "The juxtaposition of sport and communication: defining the field of sport communication". International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing. 2 (3): 193. doi:10.1504/ijsmm.2007.012400. ISSN 1475-8962.
  11. author., Pedersen, Paul Mark (23 June 2020). Strategic sport communication. ISBN 978-1-4925-9450-5. OCLC 1133661742.
  12. "Careers for Sports CommunicationMajors". www.mymajors.com. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  13. "Communication and Sport: Surveying the Field". Sage.
Further reading
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.