Brisbane Boys' College Library: Senior: 11 & 12: Term 2: Sociology of sport in Australia / Handball

About Media and Sport

Wikiversity
Available from https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/User:WatsonS/Women_in_Sport

Consistent and positive media coverage is one of the prime goals of all sports administrators and players. The reason for this is simple. Sport and the media are two of the most powerful influences that affect how society works. They are also intertwined in that both affect how people think and shape ideas and emotions. Consistent media coverage can benefit a sport in a number of ways. It can provide a visual profile, create positive role models and, by increasing spectator appeal, help attract lucrative sponsorship opportunities for the sport. How the media portrays a particular sport or athlete can also impact on both the sport and/or the athlete’s credibility.

Teach PE: Sport and the Media
Available from http://www.teachpe.com/gcse_society/media.php)

The media includes any form of promotion of sport, such as:

TV and Radio - Show (or commentate on) matches and competitions. There are also highlights; documentaries and quiz shows about sports!
Cable and Satellite TV - These show events on a pay-per-view basis
Internet - All teams and major athletes have their own websites where you can find all kinds of information about the team/athlete/matches
Newspapers and Magazines - Print predictions and results, as well as articles about athletes and clubs
Books and Films - Biographies are big business for ex sports players.

The role the media plays in creating opportunities and access to physical activity is comprehensively examined in the structural level of Figueroa’s Framework. At this point, however, it may be noteworthy that the media itself can be considered a socialising agent (a group or organisation where the process of socialisation is enabled).

To a large degree the media – and the beliefs, values, attitudes and behaviours it displays – is shaping the individual’s persona in the same way as parents, and so from this perspective, this one-way relationship is a valid area of investigation from the interpersonal level.

It is worth emphasising that ‘mass media’ is basically a collective term that represents all sources through which news, entertainment and information is relayed. Many of these sources are constructed by companies whose primary objective is to make money. When it comes to physical activities and making money it is in the media’s financial interests to broadcast and publicise those sports that will draw the biggest sponsors and provide the largest viewer base. It might be a fair assumption that those activities that will supply the largest sponsors and most spectators would be the activities that our culture (and the many of individuals within it) value as being most important to the Australian lifestyle. Through the socialisation process at the interpersonal level an individual would learn to value those physical activities that are most commonly seen on television, believing these activities are of most cultural significance to Australians. In this way, the media helps to reinforce the cultural emphasis on rough, aggressive, masculine activities, and as a consequence opportunities in these sports significantly outweigh opportunities in activities that have limited or no media exposure. Activities with no media exposure may be disregarded by the individual as being culturally insignificant and, therefore, not worthy of their attention.

The media also tend to promote and report on individual sporting ‘personalities’ and expose the lifestyles and affairs of elite athletes as entertainment or news. They present our sportspeople as compulsory ‘role-models’ for society – in particular, our young – and this reinforces the notion that athletes (and their attitudes and behaviours) are something to be aspired to. This assists the socialisation process as young individuals look to replicate the values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviours of our sporting stars in order to replicate their success. It is important to note that these ‘role-models’ may enhance or limit opportunities and access to various sports.

Useful Websites

Figueroa's Framework

Queensland Studies Authority: Sample Essay on Access & Equity re Netball

Oxford University Press: Sport and Physical Activity in Australian Society
Includes Media and access to equal opportunity.

The Conversation: Straight From the Horse's Mouth - Australia's Sports Media Landscape Could Be Set For a Shake-Up

Australia.gov.au: Sport and the Media

Roar: Media Dictates the Popularity of Sport in Australia

Informa: Impact of Social Media on Sports Business

The Media's Impact on Australian Sport

Global: The Relationship Between Television and Sport

Ausport: The Future of Australian Sport

Ausport: Market Segmentation for Sport Participation - Children

Parliament of Australia: Sports Funding - Federal Balancing Act

Factors Affecting Individual Participation and Performance in Sport

Our Curriculum Site: Equity and Equality PPT

Factors Affecting Access and Equity in Sport PPT

Volleyball, Media and Figueroa (Although not Handball, this student assignment would help)

Access and Equity: Volleyball (Although not Handball, this student assignment would help)

Factors Affecting Access to Sport and Physical Activity

Cultural Influences on Equity and Sports Participation

Equity in Physical Education

Institutional Influences on Sports Participation

Oxford University Press Community and School Sport

Oxford University Press Community Sporting Facilities

Team Handball
This is currently Europe's second-most popular team sport, and is growing quickly in the UK and USA. It is a fast-paced and dynamic sport that combines elements of basketball, soccer, and even football, and athletes of all backgrounds are welcome to bring their skills to the game. It blends aerobic exercise and team play in a challenging, but not overwhelming way, and skills to be applied are: Jumping, Speed (running), Agility, Passing, Game Vision, Body Contact and Verbal and Non-verbal Communication.

ABC News: Handball a sport made for Australians 'they have no idea about'

Team Handball Beginning to Find a Following in America

Team Handball: An Exciting New Sport on Grounds

The Guardian.com: How To Get Involved in Team Handball

How to Get Fit For Team Handball