SPMA Colloquium Program 2013

10TH ANNUAL BROCK UNIVERSITY SPORT MANAGEMENT STUDENT RESEARCH COLLOQUIUM FRIDAY, APRIL 5TH, 2013

MORNING SCHEDULE 0830

Pond Inlet Registration and Poster Set-up Coffee/Nutrition Break

0900

Welcome Remarks and Keynote Introduction Dr. Shannon Kerwin Faculty of Applied Health Science, Assistant Professor, Department of Sport Management

0900-0930

Opening Address Dr. Geoff Dickson Associate Director New Zealand Tourism Research Institute

0940-1040

$15 REGISTRATION FEE (CASH ONLY) RECEIPTS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST Fee includes Lunch *For any dietary restrictions please contact Shannon Kerwin at skerwin@brocku.ca

o o o 1040 -1100

Session 1 Shawn Eckford Nicholas Arruda Scott Poulton & Gianmarco Faraone Coffee / Nutrition Break

1100-1200 o o o

Session 2 Jennifer Buchanan-Olsen Jordana Kirsch & Erin Carpenter Abbi Hill

ALL SESSIONS TO TAKE PLACE IN THE POND INLET Brock University 500 Glenridge Ave St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1 905-688-5550

10TH ANNUAL BROCK UNIVERSITY SPORT MANAGEMENT STUDENT RESEARCH COLLOQUIUM

AFTERNOON SCHEDULE 1200-1230

Lunch

1230-1330 o o o 1330-1430 o o o o

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DIRECTIONS AND PARKING

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1530-1540

Poster Session Tyler Decorato Jason McNeill Kyle Lott Calyn Fisher, Nikole Watts & Dr. Michelle J. Brimecombe Lee VanSchaik, Wade Wilson & Dr. Luke R. Potwarka Session 3 Brandon Wu Jennifer Bruce Winston Wing Hong To Coffee/Nutrition Break

1540-1620 o o 1620-1625

Industry Research Panel Robert Craig - Research Analyst Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. Dave Watkins - Senior Director, Data Analytics and Social Marketing Hamilton Tiger-Cats Robert Hilson - Director of Athletics Brock University

Session 4 Kevin Anstruther Ben Blain Closing Comments Dr. Chris Chard Faculty of Applied Health Science Assistant Professor, Department of Sport Management

PRESENTATIONS TO TAKE PLACE IN ORDER OF ABSTRACTS IN THE PROGRAM

SESSION 1 – POND INLET 0940-1040 Shawn Eckford Brock University The “Practice-Theory Gap” in Practice: The Case of Minor Hockey Coaches The “practice-theory” gap (Parks, 1992; Ruona & Gilley, 2009) is a trend in sport management that affects all stakeholders, both academic and practitioner. Parks described these two groups as academics who want to “develop theory in a vacuum” and practitioners concerned with “the bottom line”. This gap hinders the success of sport managers individually, and sport management as both an industry and a field of study. Research is a primary necessity of both the academic and the practitioner. For the academic, research is a passion, but also simply a measure of their productivity and success as a way to determine their status, tenure and other rewards (Weese, 1995). In the case of practitioners, they have been shown to need research to solve problems in their practices (Keefer & Stone, 2009). However, the existence of this gap hinders the academics’ real world relevance of research, and practitioners’ ability to take in and act on this research.

One such example of the gap is amongst minor hockey coaches. The current study sought to understand coaches’ transfer of training using Holton’s (1996) model for transfer of training as adapted by Millar and Stevens (2012). This model stated that understanding and applicability of training amongst employees lead to individual performance, which in turn leads to organizational results. Mediating the process, however, are three variables: training design, individual characteristics, and transfer climate.

Millar and Stevens (2012) posited that learning consists of both understanding and applicability. The disconnect between these two is evident in minor hockey coaches, as they understand the development-focused theories they are taught in certification clinics, but lack the ability to apply it in their actions as a coach. The coaches felt that the contradictory nature of being asked to apply development theories in a competitive environment hindered their ability to make use of this knowledge – a result of a negative transfer climate affecting the process.

This research sought to understand the transfer of training amongst minor hockey coaches, and in the process identified just one example of this gap. In this case, it is a clear example of a theory being developed in a vacuum without consideration for the “real world” implications and applicability of the theory. The presentation will explain the gap in further detail and make recommendations to correct it.

SESSION 1 – POND INLET 0940-1040 Nicholas Arruda Laurentian University How the 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreement Impacted the National Hockey League: A Data Envelopment Analysis On July 13, 2005 the NHL and NHLPA ratified a new CBA which radically changed the economics of the sport. The changes to the CBA included the institution of maximum player salaries and a salary cap with both a lower and upper limit. These changes, among many others, provide an opportunity to analyze how league efficiency was impacted.

There have been very few applications of efficiency and production theory in the contexts of hockey. Büschemann and Deutscher (2011) investigate how the 2005 NHL CBA affected teams’ financial success using stochastic frontier analysis.

However, their analysis provides results at the aggregate level only. We applied data envelopment analysis (DEA), a linear programming technique that compares the levels of inputs and outputs of one decision making unit (DMU) with the rest of its peer group to obtain efficiency measures at the team level.

Three variable returns to scale, output oriented models were estimated, two of which focused on economic efficiency and one on on-ice efficiency. The models were estimated for four seasons prior to the lockout and for the six seasons after the lockout.

The two economic efficiency models used payroll, fan cost index, attendance, arena age, and franchise age as inputs. As outputs, one model used team value while the other used team revenues. The on-ice efficiency model used payroll, fan cost index, attendance, and coaching experience as inputs. As output, the model used points earned during the regular season.

In the seasons immediately following the lockout, there was a slight increase in overall economic efficiency league wide. The standard deviation of the efficiency scores across teams declined, indicating that the economic disparity between teams decreased. An analysis of individual teams shows that the Boston Bruins became relatively inefficient after the lockout, while the Toronto Maple Leafs became relatively efficient. Also, the Minnesota Wild and New York Rangers remained relatively efficient over the seasons analyzed. We find that market size and previous on ice success were not correlated with the efficiency scores.

The on-ice efficiency results indicate that the overall efficiency

SESSION 1 – POND INLET 0940-1040 Scott Poulton Brock University

Gianmarco Faraone Brock University

Two Great Games, One Great Nation: A Story of Success and Failure The purpose of this research paper is to provide a historical comparative analysis of hockey and baseball in Canada. Both sports have deep rooted ties in the country stemming back to the early 1800’s. One emerged on the frozen ponds of Eastern Canada and the other in the grassy fields of Ontario. Generations of Canadians have enjoyed the benefits these unique sports offer. However, the paths of hockey and baseball in Canada differ greatly. Ice hockey has emerged as the crown jewel of Canadian sports and the national game, made official in 1994 with the National Sports of Canada Act. Baseball on the other hand has struggled to establish itself in the same capacity, despite a richness of history parallel to hockey. This struggle is highlighted in the same 1994 Act when lacrosse was made the national summer sport over baseball.

The paper provides an in-depth analysis of the history and origins of both baseball and hockey within Canada. A variety of factors have led to this disparity the sports. Professional leagues and teams within Canada have played a key role in forming the past and current landscape of both sports, as has national team success on the global stage. The sociocultural impact of hockey is deeply entrenched within the very identity of Canada and what it means to be Canadian; Holman (2009) believes, “as the scholarly quest for the Canadian identity continues, hockey can provide meaningful and useful texts for understanding who we are”.

Despite having deeper historical roots than hockey, baseball does not possess the same national unification and cross Canada links.

Sponsor and media involvement have played a key role in defining both sports to the Canadian population. CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada is a Canadian tradition, drawing millions of families to radios in the past and HD television sets in the present. Youth participation has been almost equivalent in both sports for generations. However, the development approaches and cultural mindset differ greatly. Hockey has instilled a home grown and trained mentality through the Canadian Hockey League, while baseball (and other major sports) follow a “head south” for success tradition. The future may tell a different story as momentum builds for the 2013 Blue Jays season.

This differentiation provides a unique means for analysis.

SESSION 2 – POND INLET 1100-1200 Jennifer Buchanan-Olsen Brock University Focus Group Reflection I had been asked to assist in the conduction of focus groups. Through my experience as a focus group assistant I was able to gain valuable insights as what makes or breaks focus groups. The purpose of this presentation (paper) is to outline some of the key areas that future researchers should be aware of in order to gain in-depth knowledge for their research outcome. I was able to extrapolate the positive elements from the focus groups. Positive elements include creating a positive atmosphere for the participants, the contributory relationship between researcher and assistant, having one member of the research group be of the same gender as the participants; “providing a catalyst for optimal contribution” (Krueger & Casey, 2009). Conversely, there were many factors that hindered the research data collection. Namely lack of experience between both the researcher and assistant, environmental factors, and lack of training that was received prior to focus groups. Subsequently, the lack of training encourage me to prepare some key elements that should be considered when devising training for focus groups, elements such as, utilizing probing and unpacking questions, utilizing the right question to maximize depth in group discussions, environmental factors, and utilizing recording devices.

This list is not exhaustive and there may be other elements that need to be implemented.

Jordana Kirsch Brock University

Erin Carpenter Brock University

Where Should I go to School?

Decisions are a part of life! Every day individuals are faced with choices, and they must make a decision that will provide them with the greatest level of satisfaction. Often, such decisions are made based on gut feel and intuition. While this may be sufficient for selecting “fries or rings” to accompany the hamburger that was just ordered, for more significant decisions, such as “what scholarship should a student-athlete accept?”, a more rigorous decision framework is valuable.

Quantitative Business Modeling (QBM) (Meredith, Shafer, & Turban, 2006) is such a framework. QBM makes rational the often subjective world of decision-making. By establishing and implementing a “scoring system” to allocate weights and points to the various decision options, a “best choice” analysis can be produced.

In the current case study, Rocky Jamieson (a hypothetical high school hockey player from Amherst, NY) is assessing school-choice decisions. He has scholarship offers from 6 NCAA hockey coaches and must make the biggest decision of his life: “What school to attend?” To help Rocky answer the question, a QBM analysis on the six schools in the decision-set has been produced.

SESSION 2 – POND INLET 1100-1200 Abbi Hill Brock University An Initial Assessment of Carroll’s Four Categories of Social Responsibility in Relation to Sport for Development Stakeholder Relationships Sport for Development (SFD) uses the power of sport to support international development initiatives that effect social change and empower under-resourced communities (Levermore, 2008). SFD has been recognized as a development strategy by the United Nations (UN) in relation to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and by the Government of Canada in the recent renewal of the Canadian Sport Policy (Sport Canada, 2012; UN Goals, 2012). Currently, there are more than 1,000 SFD organizations globally, including governmental and non-governmental agencies (Doyle, Payne, & Wolff, 2011) working to enact change and development initiatives in the least developed regions of the world.

Stakeholders are key components of the long-term sustainability, development, and success of these SFD organizations. The purpose of this research is to examine the relationships between SFD organizations and their respective stakeholders through the lens of social responsibility. Social responsibility refers to all activities that engage and contribute to all stakeholders of an organization. Preliminary results of this research reveal that social responsibility plays a role in the development of stakeholder relationships. Through the initial analysis of interviews conducted with SFD leaders and their stakeholders, this research offers a modified version of Carroll’s Four Categories of Social Responsibility.

This modified version addresses the differences that exist with SFD organization from the perspectives of the organizations as well as their stakeholders. Further, broader implications will be discussed in terms of compatibility and long-term sustainability of stakeholder relationships.

References Carroll, A. B. (1979). A three-dimensional conceptual model of corporate performance.

Academy of Management Review, 4(4), 497-505.

Doyle, M. B., Payne, E. M., & Wolff, E. A. (2011). Current trends in sport for development and peace: A young professionals perspective. Retrieved from http://www.globalconversation.org/2012/06/25/current-trends-sport-development-andpeace-young-professionals-perspective Levermore, R. (2008). Sport in international development: Time to take it seriously? The Brown Journal of World Affairs, 14(2), 55-65.

Sport Canada. (2012). Canadian Sport Policy 2012. Ottawa, ON: Government of Canada.

Retrieved from from http://sirc.ca/CSPRenewal/documents/CSP2012_EN.pdf UN Goals. (2012). United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

POSTER SESSION – POND INLET 1330-1430

Tyler Decorato Brock University Factors Influencing Athlete Success: A Case Study of Downhill Mountain Biking The sport of downhill mountain biking as a topic of research is highly neglected and placed behind the popularity of traditional core sports. This research is an attempt to raise awareness around the growing sport, and further determine/understand the significant factors contributing to the success of the athletes involved. Focusing on the factors of team involvement (budgets and technological services), mountain (course) characteristics, geographical locations, and the nationality of the athletes on the World Cup circuit, the correlation strength between these factors and athlete success will be analyzed. In addition, the research and findings aim to determine the similarity level between the action sport and core sport competitive and team environment.

Jason McNeill Brock University Investigation into the Next Viable City to Support a National Hockey League Franchise The continuous struggle of the world economy has left many professional sport franchises under financial scrutiny. This strain has left owners in a predicament as to whether the relocation of their team would be beneficial or not. This research paper will investigate the next best city in North America that would be able to not only support a National Hockey League (NHL) team but succeed at it long-term too. The NHL has a short list of teams that for several years now have been borderline bankrupt due to poor attendance and interest in these respective cities. Furthermore, like any business the NHL is always looking to expand their brand and an expansion team could also be a viable option for the league.

In order for this to happen a list of cities that have realistic potential to support an NHL team must be created. From here, these cities will be tested using eight measurement elements that will provide beneficial feedback towards the best city available. After the results have been tallied a scoring system will be used to compare the potential cities; the city with the highest score will be deemed the next best viable option for the league to place a team in. However, in order to prove this city is of appropriate caliber to be in the league, a benchmark team will be used to establish the scoring system. This team will be amongst the average teams in the league in terms of overall financial success over the past few years. The scoring system’s rankings will revolve around this franchise, as a new city that can come close to matching a successful middle ranked team can surely support a team much better than those currently struggling to survive at the bottom of the league. The argument on where the next NHL team should be located has been ongoing for many years. This research paper will justify where that city should be.

Kyle Lott Brock University Overcoming the Challenges: Brand Strategy for New Brands Building a brand strategy is a critical part of introducing any new brand to the marketplace. New brands are faced with countless challenges as they seek to compete with dominant brands that are recognized among consumers. According to Aaker (1991), 60 percent of the best known brands are more than 50 years old, creating significant challenges for new companies and brands. The purpose of this research paper is to examine literature on branding in an effort to identify a brand strategy that can help managers of new brands overcome these challenges. New brands are particularly challenged because established firms have more customers than their smaller counterparts, and those customers typically buy more frequently from those larger brands (Bandyopadhyay, Gupta, & Dube, 2005). Thus, new brands must develop an effective strategy that enables them to overcome these challenges and find opportunities to differentiate from existing brands.

The proposed method requires brand managers to first gain an in depth understanding of the brand, potential customers, and how the brand can fit into the customers life, in order to develop a successful brand marketing strategy. This strategy is based on the assumption that strategic decisions are made most effectively when the decision maker has all significant information effecting the decision. Knowing where the brand fits in the marketplace helps brand managers identify niches and aids in achieving differentiation. Knowing potential consumers is important as consumers think emotionally rather than rationally (Temporal, 2010). Finding ways to associate the brand with consumer emotions are essential for success. According to Aaker (1991), Aaker & Keller (1998), and Temporal (2010) brand marketing strategies should include; brand awareness, brand image, brand communication strategies, and building loyalty through consumer relationships. Additionally, marketing efforts demonstrating brand innovation were shown to have the greatest effects on consumer perception (Aaker & Keller, 1998).

This presentation’s value lies in its provision of a summary of current branding knowledge and its application to brand strategy formation. The contribution of this review of literature is the insights it provides to brand managers responsible for creating and promoting a new brand, and the presentation of a framework that guides sport managers who are developing strategies for a new brand.

Calyn Fisher Cazenovia College

Nikole Watts Cazenovia College

Dr. Michelle J. Brimecombe Cazenovia College Generating Sponsorships in the Sport Industry The success of the sporting industry relies on the economic stability sponsorships provide. Sponsorship is defined as “provision of assistance either financial or in kind to activity by commercial objective” (Meenaghan, 1983, 5). The objective of this research is to examine the different trends in generating sponsorships and the impact they have on an organization, but also the consumers as well. The ideas in which produce the trends consist of personal connection, the target audience, and value for money. These points are the overview of smaller sub-sections of information which will guide the research. A few of these sub-sections consist of brand awareness and team identification which determines the amount of success.

While researching this specific topic there are questions that will be answered directly. The research questions posited include: 1) what the direct trends in generating sport sponsorships are and 2) the impact that they have on an organization. In order to answer these two questions, a detailed literature was studied and incorporated into the research. Speed’s (2000) assessment on sponsorship responses by consumers was utilized as a starting point as the information provided a clear definition of a sponsorship and the responses consumers have in the industry. In addition, a key topic of the research encompasses information about the brand and how vitally important it is in the sport industry.

Furthermore, Nicholis, Roslow, and Laskey’s (1994) research on brand promotion at sporting events indicated a better understanding about the consumer wants and needs from an organization. The topics discussed will generate information for organizations to use in the future and have a better understanding of sport sponsorships.

References Meenaghan, T. (1983).Commerical Sponsorship. European Journal of Marketing, 5-73.

Nicholis, J., Roslow, S., & Laskey , H. (1994). Sports event sponsorship for brand promotion.

Journal of Applied Business Research, 10(4), 35.

Speed, R. (2000). Determinants of sports sponsorship response. Academy of Marketing Science, 226.

POSTER SESSION – POND INLET 1330-1430 Lee VanSchaik Western University

Wade Wilson University of Waterloo

Dr. Luke R. Potwarka University of Waterloo Association of Preferred and Perceived Coaching Leadership Behaviour Congruence with Playoff Attainment The purpose of this research was to explore the relationships between coaching leadership styles (i.e., behaviours) and team performance. Our paper was guided by the congruency hypothesis, which suggests that athletes’ satisfaction and performance are optimized when there is a match between perceived and preferred leadership behaviours exhibited by a coach (Riemer & Chelladurai, 1995). Specifically, we expected differences to exist in the extent of congruence observed between preferred and perceived leadership behaviours between athletes who participated on teams that made the playoffs and those who participated on teams that did not make the playoffs. Our congruence hypothesis was examined using each dimension of Chaelladuari and Sellah’s (1980) Leadership Scale for Sports (LSS). Specifically, dimensions of the LSS include: positive feedback, democratic behaviour, autocratic behaviour, social support, and training and instruction.

Participants were varsity athletes attending a large Canadian university in southern Ontario (n=61). The LSS perceived and preferred questionnaires were completed through an online survey engine. After the results were collected, a hybrid independent variable was created by subtracting perceived leadership behavior scores from preferred leadership behavior scores for each dimension of the LSS. These “discrepancy” scores were then associated with the team performance outcome variable (i.e., whether athletes participated or did not participate on playoff teams).

Four initial descriptive findings emerged from our analysis. Athletes who participated on teams that did not make the playoffs desired more democratic coaching behaviour (t = 2.83; p <.05); believed their coach exhibited too much autocratic behaviour (t = 2.11; p <.05); desired more social support from their coach (t = -3.17; p <.01; and desired more positive feedback from their coach (t = -2.31; p <.05) than athletes who participated on teams that made the playoffs.

Although our initial findings are descriptive in nature, they appear to suggest that this University’s varsity coaches may be able to improve their team’s performance by attempting to match their leadership behaviors to those desired by team members. We plan on further validating the results of our investigation by creating discrepancy scores using regression analysis techniques suggested by Riemer and Toon (2001). We feel our study may make an important contribution to the literature with respect to the use of our “playoff attainment” performance variable. Playoff attainment might be better suited than measures of wins/losses often employed in similar investigation. In the context of intercollegiate athletics, teams often make playoffs despite having losing records.

SESSION 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; POND INLET 1430-1530 Brandon Wu Brock University Level the Playing Field through Positive Youth Development The concept of Positive Youth Development (PYD) marks a radical change from traditional approaches to youth studies which have focused on the deterrence of negative behaviours and were predicated on notion of the problem-centred child.

This epistemological shift from fixing deficiencies to building strengths in youth can be better understood in relation to three dimensions of PYD â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the nature of the child, how children interact with their communities, and identity and moral perspective.

Each dimension offers a contextualized understanding of PYD that fit conceptually into the nature of sport and its potential contributions to enhancing the overall well-being of children. PYD was one of four core concepts used to frame a research study conducted on Level the Playing Field, a seed initiative launched by the Toronto Argonauts and in conjunction with the Toronto Police Service to grow the sport of football within the Toronto District School Board.

PYD can be magnified in a school sport setting and thereby highlights the importance of context in fostering youth well-being. PYD must be holistic and consider the whole child within the community. A conscious effort to promote the values of sport through PYD creates an environment wherein youth can develop resiliency, confidence, positive social relationships, empathy, and a sense of moral identity among a host of other life skills; and ultimately flourish as human beings.

A number of theoretical frameworks that support PYD recognize the value of promoting these competencies among youth. The Five Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Model (Competence, Confidence, Connection, Character, and Caring/Compassion) is one framework that lends particularly well to the process of data analysis in this research project.

The data was collected through a series of field observations and subsequent interviews and focus groups within a case study methodology of two high schools supported by Level the Playing Field. The findings as related to the concept PYD and the overall research process will be discussed in this presentation.

The presentation will conclude with considerations for the policy ramifications of such initiatives consistent with the underlying social investment state that emphasizes human development and places children as the foundation for building the future.

SESSION 3 – POND INLET 1430-1530 Jennifer Bruce University of Windsor An Investigation into Water Consumption and Conservation in a University Athletic Facility Water conservation is a key component of a more sustainable future. Today, almost half the world’s population lives without a steady supply of clean drinking water and in Canada, many sources of freshwater are being depleted faster than they can be recharged by natural processes. Water conservation measures are a key component of a more sustainable future and can help to ensure that future generations have access to the water they need. It has been well documented that the sport industry can have significant negative impacts on the environment, but the industry also includes some of the world’s most iconic and influential organizations which reach out to large populations. The growing importance of environmental stewardship has impacted the sports industry with many organizations recognizing the importance of ‘going green’ not just as an ecological necessity but economic as well.

Facility managers are facing increasing pressure to incorporate sustainability but often face budget constraints. This study aims to develop and conduct an investigation into the domestic water consumption in three athletic facilities at a large Canadian academic institution for the purpose of identifying opportunities for water conservation and cost savings. The three facilities included were a 3,500-seat Football Stadium, a Student Recreation Centre and a 2000-seat Gymnasium. These facilities were identified by the Athletics and Recreation department as having the strongest potential for water conservation given the age of each building.

The purpose of the study is to provide recommendations for water conservation measures and to identify projects that will have a short payback period with significant reductions in water usage. Data was analyzed and reflects the current consumption in each of the three facilities and their major end uses of water.

Subsequently, the researcher provided solutions designed for the facility to responsibly and sustainably consume water. A multi-objective analysis was used as an evaluation method to determine which conservation measures were the most feasible and appropriate for the Athletics and Recreation department to undertake.

This research is designed to provide an effective decision-making tool and framework for facility managers who intend to incorporate sustainability and water conservation practices into their athletic facility. Effective water conservation management is crucial and will help the sport industry move towards ecological stability, which is important for social and economic prosperity.

SESSION 3 – POND INLET 1430-1530 Winston Wing Hong To Western University Can Sport Participation be Compared and be Explained using the SPLISS Analytical Framework Ideology?

When analyzing a sport and physical activity system, there are two aspects that come to mind when focusing on trying to analyze this system. These two aspects are high performance and elite sport (HPS) and mass sport participation or sport for all. Within HPS, many researchers have tried to come up with an analytical framework to explain what elements a country should focus on to improve their HPS system (ie. medals, participation numbers). Currently, the SPLISS (Sport Policy Factors Leading to International Sporting Success) study is the most prevalent in explaining HPS, as it is the first analytical framework (conceptual pyramid model) that has created a set of elements a country should focus on to improve their HPS system.

Within mass sport participation and sport for all, the COMPASS (Coordinated Monitoring of Participation in Sports) study published in 1999 is the only analytical framework with a focus on sport participation. However, this analytical framework uses a frequency count in explaining sport participation within a country (competitive, intensive, regular (competitive), regular (recreational), irregular, occasional, non-participant). As a result, it does not explain “the why” of sport participation, but only gives a snapshot of the frequency of where citizens fit within this framework.

The purpose of this research study is to see if it is possible if an analytical framework similar to SPLISS can be apply within the area of sport participation (a set of elements a country should focus on to increase sport participation). For this investigation, a research method consisted of a content analysis and triangulation of all primary and secondary sources related to the topic. An extensive literature review was undertaken to cover past journal publications on the area of sport participation. Further sources of information included sport policy documents of countries that have shown to be world leaders within the area of sport participation (ie. Scandinavian countries).

The outcome of this research is to have a better understanding on the correlation between sport policies and sport participation. In addition, it is to understand if there is a consensus of why certain countries have high sport participation and certain countries have low sport participation. If this can be determine, a true understanding of how to improve a sport and physical activity system from a policy standpoint could be known.

SESSION 4 – POND INLET 1540-1620 Kevin Anstruther Brock University A Cheating Athlete or an Athlete Cheating? A Content Analysis of WebCommunications Surrounding Two High-Profile Scandals and their Impact on the Athlete’s Brand North American society has an “obsession with fleeting moments of fame, and our centuries-long tendency to place elite athletes upon a social pedestal for athletic acts deemed as ‘heroic’” (Shuart, 2007, p. 127). This obsession with athletic endeavors and the most elite performances has allowed many athletes to rise to increasingly high levels of celebrity in society. Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong represent two of the most prominent names and brands in all of sports.

They have been regarded as the greatest athletes within their respective sports and, in turn, they received multi-million dollar sponsorship deals from many organizations (Maginnes, 2007; Sanderson, 2010; Phillips, 2012; Vecsey, 2012).

The athletes and their sponsoring partners created elaborate and strong brands around the athletes “clean-cut” image. But what happens when scandal strikes these athletes? How does a scandal around Tiger Woods’ infidelity impact his brand and image? Is it the same as when Lance Armstrong is accused of doping and using performance-enhancing drugs? How do their sponsors react? How is the athlete’s brand affected? How are their brand associations affected, such as their charitable organizations?

There is ample opportunity for journalists to discuss these subjects and their impact. Sports journalists frame their writing in order to both highlight and diminish aspects of stories to influence public perception and interpretation of the subject (Sanderson, 2010; Kian & Hardin, 2009). Woods and Armstrong represent, arguably, two of the best examples of athletes who have experienced intense media scrutiny and coverage surrounding scandals (Hiestand, 2013). How sports journalists depict scandals in their writings will shape and influence public perception of the athlete (Sanderson, 2010). With the intense media coverage of the scandals, access to traditional media writing will be available to perform a textual content analysis.

While a textual content analysis will not fully explain how the athlete’s brand is affected by a scandal, it will provide insight into understanding how the media frames scandals to the public. The goal of this research is to find out which is framed by the media to be worse for an athlete’s brand: a sport-related or a nonsport related scandal.

SESSION 4 – POND INLET 1540-1620 Ben Blain Brock University A Study of Female Sport Fans with Respect to Fantasy Sport Participation In the past decade the academic study of fantasy sports has taken many distinct paths, some of which include, marketing, competitive fandom, loyalty, and motivation to compete (Drayer, Shapiro, Dwyer, Morse, & White, 2010; Dwyer, 2011; Halverson & Halverson, 2008; Farquhar & Meeds, 2007). While the literature on fantasy sport traverses a diverse area of topics, almost all of the literature has focused on the dominant male consumer. According to the Fantasy Sport Trade Association (FSTA), 87% of all fantasy sport players in North America are male (FSTA, 2012). This has led to a scarcity of academic studies involving females and fantasy sport.

Since females make up 13% of all fantasy sport participants (FSTA, 2012), intuitively one may presume that the gender breakdown of fantasy sport participants would be similar to the fan gender breakdown of the sport from which the fantasy league is derived from. However, this is not the case as North American big league sports typically have a fan base which is composed of 36% to 41% female fans (King, 2010). Therefore, the ratio of male to female fantasy sport participants does not reflect the fan demographics of the professional sport from which the fantasy sport is derived (Levy, 2005). As fantasy sports is highly profitable, generating over $800 million annually in North America alone (FSTA, 2011), developing a more thorough understanding of the female fantasy sport consumer will help companies better market fantasy sports to the untapped female sport fan demographic. With this knowledge in mind, the purpose of this study is to examine the motivational factors involved in female big league (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL) sports fans’ fantasy sport participation and non-participation.

For the purpose of this study, five focus groups, consisting of a total of 36 participants were used as the source of data. Through falling in the range of 25 to 64 participants, this study succeeds in satisfying the suggestions of Kruger & Casey (2009) while also following the precedent set by multiple sport related studies that utilize focus groups (Johnson, Tillgren, & Hagstromer, 2009; Oliver, Hardy, & Markland, 2010; Smith & Ingham, 2003). The female big league sport fans were purposefully recruited through multiple mediums including posters, emails, websites, and personal solicitation. In order to participate in this study the female participants must self-identify as a sports fan (Wann, Shrader, & Wilson, 1999).

Data analysis entailed transcribing the completed focus groups and analyzing the data with the help of Roy and Goss’s (2007) “Influences on Fantasy Sport Consumption” framework.

The “Influences on Fantasy Sport Consumption” framework states that fantasy sport consumption is motivated by three main factors: psychological influences, social influences, and marketer-controlled influences. Through analyzing the themes that emerged from the transcribed focus group, in conjunction with the framework presented by Roy and Goss (2007), this research aims to help develop a deeper understanding of the female big league sport fan in regards to fantasy sport consumption.

DIRECTIONS TO BROCK UNIVERSITY

From Toronto From Highway 401 West, take 403 South to the Queen Elizabeth Highway (QEW) in the direction of Niagara Falls.

Follow the Queen Elizabeth Way around the lake, then Southeast to St. Catharines. At Exit 49, turn onto Highway 406 and continue until you reach St. Davids Road.

Take the St. Davids Road West Exit and follow until you reach Glenridge Avenue.

From Buffalo Cross the Peace Bridge and then take the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) towards Toronto. At Exit 32B, turn onto Thorold Stone Road West and continue through the Thorold Tunnel where the road becomes Highway 58. Take the St. Davids Road West exit and follow until you reach Glenridge Avenue.

Brock University 500 Glenridge Ave St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1 905-688-5550

PARKING AND POND INLET LOCATION

SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST AND/OR CALL-OUTS

PARKING IS AVAILABLE IN LOT D (AT A COST OF $6.00 PER DAY).

LOT D IS INDICATED BY THE GREEN DOT IN THE BOTTOM LEFT REGION OF THE MAP. (ADDITIONAL PAY PER HOUR LOTS ARE LOCATED THROUTHOUT CAMPUS)

THE POND INLET IS LOCATED WITH A YELLOW J THIS IS ADJACENT TO PARKING LOT E IN THE UPPER RIGHT REGION OF THE MAP