Jane Crossman

The Globe and Mail coverage of the Winter Olympic Games. A cold place for women athletes.

This research is a content analysis by gender of the Globe and Mail’s coverage of the Winter Olympic Games from 1924 to 1992. Variables examined with respect to gender included: size and type of article/picture, sport, location, and source of article. One-way ANOVA and ANOVA with a Student-Newman-Keuls procedure were used to determine if significant differences existed between the above indices. The study found that female athletes were under-represented when compared to male athletes and women were frequently depicted in “sex appropriate” sports. Male athletes were written about four times (647 to 144) as much, and photographed three times (346 to 131) as much as females. The mean size of articles about female athletes was significantly larger than the articles about male athletes (F(1,6) = 5.41, p = .001). Women received less print space from 1924 to 1960 and more from 1964 to 1992. Articles were written by male reporters almost six times (431 to 75) more frequently than female reporters. Reasons for the findings are discussed.

Psychological Rehabilitation from Sports Injuries

SummaryMedical professionals realise the importance of incorporating psychological strategies into rehabilitation from athletic injury, but often feel they lack the knowledge to do so. This paper explores the role which psychology can play when injured athletes are rehabilitating. Rehabilitation from sport injury involves not only physical, but psychological considerations. Topics include: the post-injury emotional and cognitive reactions of athletes, the importance of social support, the athlete’s attitude toward recovery, the therapist’s, physician’s and coach’s roles during rehabilitation, strategies to increase adherence, and effective communication between client and medical professionals. Considerations for returning to practice and competition are also discussed.

A Content Analysis of the Sports Section of Canada's National Newspaper with Respect to Gender and Professional/Amateur Status

The purpose of this research was to analyze the contents of the sports section of Canadas National newspaper (The Globe and Mail) for one year (July, 1988 to June, 1989). The variables considered included: gender; amateur versus professional coverage; and Canadian, American, and International content. All articles, editorials, and pictures found in the sports section were included in the analysis. Statistical analyses using paired t-tests (p < 0.05) sought to determine if any differences existed in content. Males received significantly more coverage than females in print, pictoral, and editorial space. Male professional sport received 41 % of the total space, significantly more than the space given to amateur athletes while Canadian amateur athletes received significantly more coverage than International and American athletes. Further research efforts regarding Canadian sports sections could include a breakdown of the amount of coverage given to earlier sport and a comparison of space allotment to participation rates.

Effects of a Cognitive Intervention Package on the Free-Throw Performance of Varsity Basketball Players during Practice and Competition

To examine the effects of a cognitive intervention package on the free-throw shooting performance of basketball players, with 3 Canadian male university caliber basketball players ages 20, 22, and 24 years, during practice and in competition single-subject multiple-baseline design was implemented. Each subject was introduced to the imagery-rehearsal intervention at different times during the 14-week competitive basketball season. Free-throw data were collected during 50 practice sessions and 32 games. Data from both practice and competitive situations were examined using a comparison of graphed means. In the practice condition an increase in free-throw performance for all three subjects occurred during the posttreatment intervention. In the game condition, Subjects A and B showed posttreatment improvement. The cognitive intervention package consisting of visualization and relaxation can be an effective strategy for improving free-throw performance of some basketball players. Further research should involve control-group examination using a larger sample across a variety of tasks.

Is Dorothy treated fairly by the press in the land of Oz? Three Australian newspapers' gendered coverage of the centennial Australian Open Tennis Championships.

This study examined three Australian newspapers and their coverage of female and male tennis players competing in the centennial Australian Open Tennis Championships. Content analysis was used to compare the amount and prominence of the coverage devoted to female and male tennis players in all articles and photographs. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine statistically significant differences (p < .05) between genders. Analysis revealed the average size of both articles and photographs favoured male players over female (25.7 sq. inches vs. 21.1, respectively). Male players were depicted in more action shots than females (70.8% vs. 61.7%); received more coverage on the front and back pages of the newspapers (10.6% vs. 3.7%); and were covered more frequently on Saturdays than female players. The difference in coverage between two Australians, Hewitt and Molik were also examined. The results and their implications from both a gendered and nationalistic perspective are discussed.

‘Alicia in Wonderland’ at the ‘Little Lleyton Open’: selected Australian newspapers’ narratives about Alicia Molik and Lleyton Hewitt at the centennial Australian Open

Three Australian newspapers’ narratives about Australian tennis players Lleyton Hewitt and Alicia Molik competing in the centennial Australian Open Championships were examined. Articles in The Australian, The Age and The Times Herald were analysed during the two‐week period coinciding with the Open. Textual analysis was used to examine how the newspapers’ gendered narratives intersected with nationalistic discourses about the two hometown favourites. The narratives about Hewitt were complex and contradictory. Several journalists criticised his remonstrations against the court surface and the Australian tennis establishment. Early in the tournament Hewitt was portrayed as unpatriotic and petulant, in a ‘little big man’ oxymoron, which also served to question his aggressive on‐court demeanour and posturing, and by implication his hegemonic masculinity. However, as Hewitt progressed to the final many of the narratives praised his performance of hegemonic masculinity and defined him as a ‘patriot at play’, quintessentially Australian, with character traits that would resonate with the Australian ‘imagined community’. In comparison, the narratives about Molik generally defied the usual type of gendered language reserved for female tennis players. Molik was defined through her South Australian identity, her athletic ability, and her self‐belief, control and courage. These findings suggest that the selected newspapers’ hometown rooting or nationalistic discourses had at least, in part, subsumed the gendered narratives that frequently frame female and male athletes. This implies that in major international sporting events such as Grand Slam tennis tournaments the national identity of local competitors can override other identity markers such as gender.

SPECTATORS' BEHAVIOR AT MINOR LEAGUE HOCKEY GAMES: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

The purpose of this study was to assess the behavior of spectators viewing minor league hockey in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. The behavior of 272 (142 men, 130 women) randomly selected spectators was assessed using a special code. Spectators were observed for 10-sec. time blocks and the predominant behavior they were emitting was recorded. During each observation session, three subjects were observed in serial order for the duration of the hockey game. Significant differences were found for some behaviors of the spectators when the level of the athletes in the competition, the importance of the contest, and the sex of the spectator were considered. Spectators viewing hockey played at older ages (Bantam, Midget) watched the game more and were more negative toward the athletes. Spectators seemed to be more attentive to the game during houseleague games than to tournament and play-off games. Males tended to watch the game more than females who interacted with other spectators. The findings did not support the popular notion that spectators viewing minor league hockey are a verbally abusive group.