The Role of the Spectator in Sport: Take a Step Back and Appreciate
There's a very interesting trend going on in the world of sport, and I think COVID has almost amped it up to another level. There has always been a sense of connection between the spectator and the team or players. At the lower level of sport, parents are obviously the main level of connection and there is a lot out there about the role of parents in youth sport. At higher levels of competition, the sports fan comes slightly more into play. Madrigal and Dalakis (2008) did an interesting review on the sports spectator and how the game influences their attitudes and behaviors. They basically argue that spectators are so locked into sports because of the emotion that it provides. This can mean the pleasant emotions of a win, but also the pain of a loss. It's those emotions that give a sense of meaning and identity to the spectator and subsequently causes them to behave in a certain way. This is why we see fights over rivalry losses and parties over big wins. I'm not he
