Sporting Immigrants and Their Effect on Sport Growth
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SPORTING IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR EFFECT ON SPORT GROWTH AND POPULARITY IN A CULTURE: A CASE STUDY IN CZECH BASKETBALL (SPORTOVNÍ IMIGRANTI A JEJICH VLIV NA ROZVOJ SPORTU A POPULARITY VE SPOLEČNOSTI: STUDIE ČESKÉHO BASKETBALU) By: Mgr.William M. Crossan Advisor: Doc. Ing. Eva Čáslavová, CSc. Consultant: Ass. Prof. PhDr. Aleš Sekot, PhD. STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY This dissertation represents the original work and contribution of the author, except as acknowledged by general and specific references, and has not been submitted for a higher degree at this or any other university. Prohlašuji, že jsem disertační práci vypracoval samostatně a že jsem uvedl všechny použité prameny a literaturu. Signature Date 2 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It has taken me six years to complete my doctoral studies of which this dissertation is the culminating effort. I have greatly enjoyed the journey and the opportunity to focus my learning on something I am passionate about. My motivation to complete a PhD flowed out of my desire to give something back to the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport of the Charles University, and in the sport of basketball in the Czech Republic. Thank you to my advisor, Docent Eva Čáslavová for being willing to take a risk on me as an older foreign student who was combining my studies with a full time job. Thank you to Professor Aleš Sekot for his consultation advise at varies stages of my study. I am grateful to the late Professor Petr Blahuš who helped evaluate the methodological possibilities for examining this problem. Additionally, Ondřej Pecha, with whom I published two papers was of great assistance in processing the quantitative data and examining my interpretations. Finally, I would like to thank Docent Zdeněk Valenta who reviewed and helped me refine the overall conception of my three phase methodology. Thank you to those at the Czech Basketball Federation, Michal Ježdík, Martin Halik and Miloš Pražák, who gave me access to player and team data on multiple occasions, gave me contacts on numerous teams, and evaluated my understanding of the problem at various stages of my research. Special thanks are extended to Professors Kristi Sweeney of North Florida University and Lynne Padgett of the US National Cancer Institute for reading an early draft of this dissertation. Additionally I would like to thank Andre Rabe for proofreading this dissertation. Finally, I would like to thank my primary employer, Athletes in Action, for allowing me to scale back my work load at various times in order to focus on these studies. And last, I would like to thank my wife, Adrianne Crossan, for supporting and encouraging throughout this process. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I - INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 9 Statement of the Problem ......................................................................................................... 11 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................................. 11 Significance of the Study .......................................................................................................... 12 Research Questions .................................................................................................................. 12 Hypothesis ................................................................................................................................ 13 Theory followed by individual teams and the Czech Basketball Federation (CBF) ................ 13 Delimitations ............................................................................................................................ 13 Limitations ................................................................................................................................ 13 Definition of Terms .................................................................................................................. 14 Globalization ..................................................................................................................... 14 Sport Migration ................................................................................................................. 15 Primary and Secondary Sport ............................................................................................ 15 Core, Semi-periphery and Periphery Countries ................................................................ 16 Sport Consumption ............................................................................................................ 16 Sport Participation ............................................................................................................. 17 Socialization ...................................................................................................................... 17 Conflict Theory ................................................................................................................. 18 Interactionist Theory ......................................................................................................... 18 Critical Theories ................................................................................................................ 18 Figurational Theory ........................................................................................................... 19 CHAPTER II – REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ...................................................... 21 Globalization in Sport ............................................................................................................... 21 The scope of and responses to sport globalization ................................................................... 25 Sport Migration: A contextualized example ............................................................................. 28 Origins and Spread of Basketball ............................................................................................. 28 Measures of Sport Fandom ....................................................................................................... 30 Theories of Sport Participation ................................................................................................. 32 Sport Participation in the Czech Republic ................................................................................ 34 Theories of Sport Fandom ........................................................................................................ 35 Roles of Heroes / Role Models ................................................................................................. 40 Role of Sport Marketing ........................................................................................................... 45 Scope of Sport Migration ......................................................................................................... 48 4 Categorization of Sporting Immigrants .................................................................................... 49 Level 1: Typologies of Immigrant Athletes ..................................................................... 50 Level 2: Country Classification ....................................................................................... 51 Level 3: Sending and Receiving ...................................................................................... 51 Level 4: Response ............................................................................................................ 52 Social Theory in Sport Migration ............................................................................................. 57 Review of Case Studies by Category ....................................................................................... 60 Sending Country Case Studies ................................................................................................. 60 Media ........................................................................................................................................ 61 American Football in Britain ............................................................................................ 61 NBA .................................................................................................................................. 62 Primary Sport ............................................................................................................................ 63 Kenyan Athletics ............................................................................................................... 63 Dominican Baseball .......................................................................................................... 65 Mercenary Athletes – The Farthest Edge ................................................................................. 67 Receiving Country Case Studies .............................................................................................. 68 Media ........................................................................................................................................ 69 Primary Sport ............................................................................................................................ 69 Japanese Baseball .............................................................................................................. 69 Israeli Soccer ....................................................................................................................