Speakers
Description
Existing studies define sport fans as those whom enthusiastically watch sports and are strongly attached to a specific sport team or athlete. Although the number of female sport spectators has recently been on the rise in South Korea, there has been a lack of research focusing on female sport fans and their perspectives on defining sport fans. Thus, this study explores the experiences of Korean female sport fans and how they articulate the definitions of being a sport fan. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 13 female volleyball fans in their 20’s. In the initial stage of becoming a volleyball fan, participants’ experiences in playing and learning volleyball motivated them to become fans, while other participants were influenced through media exposure such as television entertainment shows featuring volleyball players. Athletic performances and achievements influenced participants to maintain their identity of being a fan. Interestingly, participants identify sport fans as people who either watch volleyball games through media platforms or live games. Also, participants point out that spending money on team merchandise or having an abundance of knowledge of the sport does not correlate to being a committed fan. Thus, participants unconsciously “lowered the bar” and expanded the definition of sport fans by including those who pleasantly watch and enjoy the sport.
