PURPOSE This study focuses on the experiences of novice tennis enthusiasts in Korea, aligning with the rising popularity of tennis as a burgeoning cultural phenomenon. METHODS Employing an ethnographic approach, we included eight participants with <5 years of tennis, in addition to three auxiliary participants. RESULTS The primary findings of this study are as follows: First, novice tennis players from the MZ generation actively employ tennis as a means of personal expression, sharing their tennis-related fashion and experiences on SNS. Second, most novice tennis players report a sense of detachment from the traditional club-centric tennis culture, gravitating toward casual court usage, spontaneous activities, and flexible membership structures. F inally, despite their modest technical proficiency, they avidly engage in knowledge-based consumption, displaying a profound grasp of tennis-related information. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide valuable insights into comprehending this burgeoning cultural phenomenon in Korean society, stemming from the escalating interest in tennis, and can serve as a valuable benchmark for establishing development strategies for tennis.
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the integrated marketing communication (IMC) attribute of professional baseball teams, their fans’ perceived value, and voluntary behavior related to the parent company. METHODS In this study, the target population consisted of spectators watching a professional baseball game. A survey was conducted on 360 fans watching the KIA tigers’ and kt wiz’ home game using the convenience sampling method. Finally, a total of 261 were used for data analysis, and frequency, confirmatory factor, reliability, correlation, structural equation model analyses using SPSS 20.0 and AMOS 20.0. RESULTS Main findings are as follows: First, interactivity of professional baseball teams’ IMC had positive effects on the emotional value. Second, interactivity and reminders from the parent companies of professional baseball teams’ IMC had positive effects on social value. Third, stakeholder connectivity and reminders from parent company of professional baseball teams’ IMC had positive effects on altruistic value. Fourth, with regard to the social aspect, the fans’ perceived value had positive effects on loyalty, customer participation and customer cooperation of voluntary behavior related to parent company. Lastly, with regard to the altruistic aspect, the fans’ perceived value had positive effects on customer cooperation of voluntary behavior related to the parent company. CONCLUSIONS Therefore, professional baseball teams should identify the IMC elements that fans perceive as important and establish effective marketing communication strategies to enhance the perceived value of their brand among their fans, ultimately increasing their voluntary engagement with the parent company.
PURPOSE This study aimed to identify movement pattern differences in the running of youth soccer players with and without lateral ankle sprain (LAS) histories. METHODS A total of 12 participants were recruited and assigned to the LAS group or the control group. All participants were assessed for anthropometric data, and they filled in the subjective ankle function questionnaires. Then, reflective markers were attached to their bodies, and they were instructed to run at the preferred speed on the 9-m runway thrice. 3D joint angles for ankle, knee, and hip joints were exported, and their mean values and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Ensemble curve analysis was conducted to compare running kinematics between the groups. RESULTS The LAS group exhibited fewer dorsiflexion angles and more inversion angles compared to the control group. Excluding the dorsiflexion deficits and more inverted ankles, there were no significant differences between the groups. CONCLUSIONS Although the ankle kinematic patterns found in this paper are not considered LAS risk factors, it will be able to identify precise LAS risk factors with prospective design (e.g., lower extremity movement patterns) as well as intrinsic risk factors.
PURPOSE This study aimed to examine the associations between accelerometer-measured physical activity and both cardiometabolic disease risk factors and metabolic syndrome in Korean adults. METHODS We performed a retrospective cohort study with age-sex matched case-control using data from the 2014-2016 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which was administered to South Korean adults (n=320). Individuals were categorized into quartiles based on accelerometer-measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Demographic and physical characteristics, waist circumference, visceral adiposity index, blood pressure, lipid profiles, and TG/HDL-C were observed. The associations between MVPA status and cardiometabolic disease risk factors as well as metabolic syndrome were determined using multiple logistic regression. RESULTS For the waist circumference, SBP, DBP, MBP, visceral adiposity, triglyceride, and a surrogate estimate of insulin resistance, the Q1 and Q2 groups had higher means compared with the Q3 and Q4 groups. HDL-C was higher in the Q3 and Q4 groups compared to the Q1 and Q2 groups. Odds ratios for cardiometabolic disease risk factors and metabolic syndrome decreased in a curvilinear manner with the increasing quartile of MVPA. CONCLUSIONS Adults with higher MVPA participation were strongly associated with cardiometabolic disease risk factors and metabolic syndrome.
PURPOSE This study aimed to a) develop suitable screening tools for identifying gambling severity in Korea and b) explore factors that affect the gambling severity index in order to prevent Korean sports betting users from easily falling into gambling addiction, thus providing practical and useful guidelines in this regard. METHODS This study examined Korean sports fans who had experiences of participating in sports betting (Sports Toto), a legal sports betting system in Korea. Toward this end, an online survey was conducted from May 10 to June 25, 2022. A total of 214 questionnaire results, excluding 23 who gave insincere and/or incomplete answers, were analyzed for normal distribution through skewness and kurtosis, and subscale scores were calculated after performing exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis using Cronbach’s α. RESULTS A psychological gambling severity index and behavioral gambling severity index were developed based on a stepwise regression analysis, which was conducted using the demographic characteristics of domestic sports betting participants and their lifestyle habits (e.g., smoking and drinking, problem gambling severity index, self-control scale, and gambling expectation scale). CONCLUSIONS First, factors affecting the psychological gambling severity index were identified (having a job, job stability, and security) along with lifestyle habits (smoking and drinking). Second, gender, occupational characteristics, full-time employment, confidence in self-control, and desire for self-improvement were indicated as significant factors that influenced the behavioral gambling severity index.
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to understand the athletic identity of youth football players and to trace its changing trend. METHODS Participants of this study included 93 players in 2005 and 94 players in 2021, who were in middle and high schools. All participants answered open-ended questionnaires. After the results of the inductive content analysis, the changing trend of the results was assessed. RESULTS The athletic identity of youth football players were collected from 811 raw data samples collected in 2005 and 741 collected in 2021 and categorized into 19 sub-categories and 5 categories. The results show a tendency to be specific to football. The athletic identity of a football player itself is weakening, being replaced by the identity of being a student. The role of the camp is also weakening, while more privacy and autonomy are allowed to the players. As a result, efforts to secure the players’ right to study were accepted by the players, and expected to decrease as camp life with limited privacy is on the decline, and as senses toward one’s physical competence are changing. CONCLUSIONS Sociocultural contexts, including changes in the system and social modifications, are reflected in the football player's athletic identity and its changes. The athletic identity of youth football players has changed from its 2005 version of unacademic camp life with limited privacy to the 2021 version, where the player leaves camp to be provided with privacy and attend classes.
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament injury using the Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) and muscle activity during the drop vertical jump for overweight females. METHODS The body mass index was 18.5-22.9 kg/㎡ for normal weight females and 23-24.9 kg/㎡ for overweight females among 10 participants aged 20-30 years classified into groups of participants without any injury history and those who were right-footed. An automatic heigh-tweight machine, body composition analyzer, diagnostic imaging, electromyography with the LESS, and muscle activity analysis were used for measurements. The difference in muscle activity between the normal weight and overweight females was evaluated by independent t-test. RESULTS Overweight females had a smaller angle of knee bending during the drop vertical landing, leading to a smaller knee curve angle. In addition, they landed with an unbalanced foot touch on the ground inclined backward, thereby breaking the whole body balance. Overweight females had an incorrect posture compared with normal weight females, with higher LESS points. The muscle activity of the rectus femoris was higher than that of the biceps femoris, indicating a higher load on the muscle. CONCLUSIONS Overweight females take more load on the knee joint and cannot absorb the impact force properly. These results suggest a higher risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury in overweight females.
PURPOSE This study aimed to test the impact of sport consumers‘ self-construal levels on their responses toward an athlete scandal by conducting a cross-cultural experimental study. In particular, it focused on sport consumers’ subsequent responses toward an athlete scandal, such as the perceived target of responsibility and perceived the main agent for the public apology. METHODS Participants (total=151; KOREA=75, USA=76) were selected for a cross-national comparative study. MANCOVA and Descriptive Statistical Analysis were conducted using the SPSS Windows program version 26.0 to validate the research hypothesis. RESULTS The results indicate that sport consumers’ responses to an athlete scandal vary across the countries. Participants from Korea reported perceived responsibility to the athlete, team, and league. Conversely, those from the United States reported perceived responsibility only to the athlete. CONCLUSIONS There are cultural differences in sport consumers’ subsequent perceptions of an athlete scandal. The present study's findings are expected to provide stakeholders such as teams and leagues with practical implications to understand better sport consumers’ responses to athlete scandals in the globalized sports industry.
PURPOSE This study aimed to develop a positive psychological intervention program for a college ice hockey team and test its effects based on application to the team. METHODS The demands of 78 college ice hockey players were asked through open questionnaires. Collected results underwent integrated analysis to develop the desired program through the participants who were also observers of the team. The objectives of the program were established, and an appropriate program was developed based on the analyzed data, expert opinion, and precedent research. The developed program was applied to 26 players of a college ice hockey team to verify its effects. Tasks included writing experience reports and in-depth interviews. The Happiness Measures 1, Strength Knowledge, and Team Interaction Questionnaires were also administered. Collected qualitative data were categorized to follow inductive analysis procedures, while paired t-tests were performed for quantitative data using SPSS 25.0. RESULTS To improve the application of the program in real situations and maintain credibility and validity, the program was developed based on analyses of individual and team demands, methods of the participant as an observer, expert opinion, and other considerations. Statistically meaningful differences in positive psychological mind, happiness, recognition and utilization of strengths, team interactions, team cohesion, and so on were found using paired t-tests comparing data before and after the developed positive psychological intervention program. CONCLUSIONS Providing opportunities to recognize individual and team strengths and have valuable experiences for each player could enhance interactions between teammates and create a favorable team environment.
Purpose This study aims to explore migration factors of Korean male footballers who have moved from South Korea to Southeast Asian countries. Methods Qualitative case study was conducted with 9 footballers, 4 their agents and 2 K-league staffs as the participant. Results As a result, by regarding their migration as involuntary decision, this study could provide academic and practical discussion on sport labor migration. First of all, this study established theoretical framework for involuntary migration of the participants through ‘Push-Pull Theory’ which focuses on demand and supply on the labor force. Second, this study found that a local rule (FA compensation system) of Korean professional football league (K league) and hierarchical collectivist culture contributed to their migration, which has not been reported by previous studies focused on the voluntary migration of mainstream players and it reflected local context of K league. Conclusions In conclusion, this study confirmed that sport labor migration was also considered as social phenomenon and reflected a cross section of a particular society. Through the migration of athletes, we can provide a variety of viewpoint on economic (market) structure, related policy and system in a particular society, and understand migration motives in terms of agency (subculture).
