A Change of Focus and Riding the Social Media Wave

     “When my kids used to run, I would often warn them not to be careful not to trip or fall. Why would I say that? That’s like saying ‘don’t think of purple elephants!’ If they are focused on not tripping, they’re probably going to trip. I tried to change how I talked to them. When they started running, I’d say ‘Yes, Run! Keep going! Run fast! Run far!’ It has been several years since I heard this story from an enthusiastic professor and yet I can still what she said almost word for word. It has been a source of repeated reflection even for me even after completing her class. I think it stuck with me because it rang so true to me. We often feel a need to focus our attention on obstacles and challenges rather than opportunities.

     As I’ve been reading story after story in the news about social media policies in sports, this story keeps coming to my mind. Almost every policy seems to be designed to prevent problems and avoid embarrassment. While there is no doubt social media can cause problems for sports organizations; continually framing social media as a problem to be contained paints a negative picture in the minds of users of what social media is meant to do. In other words, it seems that constant focus on the problem may in fact perpetuate the problem. I want to be clear, I am not saying that problems shouldn’t be addressed and prevented, but I do think they should not constitute the central focus of policy writing and user education.

     I think more will come from embracing social media and training on how to do it right than in trying to ban or teach the do-nots. There are all kinds of opportunities that sports organizations could tap into with social media. While one author suggests some simple and practical guidelines for problem prevention, he also argues that organizations should focus on positive social media use by employees. Colgate University has started to focus social media training on what should be said instead of what shouldn’t be. They emphasize the powerful tool that social media can be for individual athletes and the school.

     It is obvious that social media is going to continue to integrate into all aspects of sports. Twitter and other media is growing as a major source of endorsement andadvertising income for athletes. In 2011, Twitter reported that 50% of NFL players and 75% of NBA players are on the site. I can only guess what that number is now, three years later. Sports organizations who want to be successful are going to need to learn how to use social media in a positive way. There are a few great examples of effective sports social media that are interesting to read about. The Cleveland Indians, LA Kings, Atlanta Hawks, and WWE have all received attention for their innovative approach to social media. 

     Others are going to need to follow the lead of organizations like these and become more innovative in using social media rather than trying to control it. With a huge wave like social media approaching the sports world, it will be interesting to see the difference between those who try to constrain it and those who choose to ride it. 

Business or Individual Priorities in Social Media Policies

     Not too long ago I mentioned the story of Spencer Hadley, a BYU linebacker who faced official discipline for violating his school’s honor code. He was caught because a few pictures snapped by friends had reached the school within a few hours. He, like many other athletes learned that even what you do in your “private life,” is not necessarily private any more-  This is largely because constant blurring of the line between public and private behavior. While punishment for actions in an employee’s (including athlete’s) private life have long been debated, few can deny one fact; it is getting harder and harder to tell the difference between public life and private life. Social media has been one of the most influential factors in this blurring trend. Some argue that no organization should be able to limit the “voices” of its players. They 
say it is a violation of first amendment rights. Others argue that it is well within the right of the employer to monitor and even stifle the social media choices of its players. One argued that the monitoring and censoring of players’ social media messages is comparable to the monitoring of internet usage by corporate organizations, many of which have lost lawsuits over the issue.

     The NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS have all adopted social media policies to put at least some restrictions on players’ social media use. Most of these focus on when players can use social media more than what they can say. A simple Google search of college sport social media policies will turn up many results from schools across the nation. Many of these policies, like USC’s, focus more on teaching the athlete and protecting him or her from future embarrassment or damage.

      Some assume that a lot of the problems with athletes and social media stem from the near celebrity status of many pro and college players. It is clear, however, that even at the high school level (and younger), appropriate social media use is a problem. In fact, it may be even more of a problem as high school age athletes are generally even more lacking in maturity, experience and long-term mindedness than college and professional athletes are. Some coaches have banned sites like twitter completely because of all the problems they have caused for their teams and players. It seems that the focus of social media policies shifts in focus from protecting business interests to protecting individuals as you move from the highest levels of sport to the lowest. So those who draft social media policies need to be aware of the level for which they are writing their policies. 

Social Media Explosion

Just a couple of weeks ago, we saw the most massive social media event in history to date. The 2014 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil, destroyed old social media records. The final match between Germany and Argentina beat out last year’s Super Bowl for most Facebook interactions with around 280 million interactions from over 88 million people! FIFA’s world cup app also became the biggest sports-event app ever. This leaves me wondering, how big will social media get in sports? While I don’t know that it will be soon, I get the feeling that records like these will continue to be broken, and more and more frequently as social media and sports continue to integrate! As more media site and apps are developed, they will continue to open doors for fans to connect with their sports.

Sports teams are beginning to study, analyze, and write about social media and sports more and more. The fast pace of social media evolution requires constant evaluation of current trends and sites. While the handful of major media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) has been dominant for sports media use, more sites will undoubtedly continue to grow, as will the creativity with which they are employed. Vine is one example of a medium that has been gaining popularity in sports.

     There are many creative ways that teams and leagues are using social media to promote their brands. My wife recently entered us in an LA Kings sweepstakes giveaway, as a reward for entering they sent us this picture showing SKELTON sitting on the bench with the Kings’ great players. She immediately put it as our Facebook banner picture. Our page basically became an advertisement for their brand.

     I have been amazed with the ways that I have seen the NHL and other leagues using social media platforms to tie fans even more strongly to their brands. For example, they created the #MyPlayoffsStory for this year’s playoffs, encouraging fans to post pictures, graphics and videos of their playoff experience to Twitter and other social media sites.  Sports marketers continue to use social media in ways I had never considered. They will continue to open the doors for fans to get closer and closer to the games they love!

Social Big Man

“There's some big women down there in Texas. It's like a goldmine for Weight Watchers.”

“Every ethnic group is racist, people need to realize that.”

“If all babies are cute, why there be so many ugly people in the world.”

     Each of these three statements come straight from the twitter page of Sir. Charles, one of the NBA’s most infamous talkers. Although social media hasn’t necessarily changed how sports figures (like Charles Barkley) think and speak, it has changed how much access they have to share those thoughts. When I found out that Charles Barkley was going to be a sports analyst following his retirement from the NBA, I remember thinking something like, “that won’t last long, he won’t be able to think anything worth saying.” While he may or may not have thought of an intelligent thing to say yet, it is fifteen years later now and, to my surprise, it seems he has thrived in the ever changing sports reporting climate. And while he has talked about moving onto other things, he has stuck around.

     It seems like the changes in social media have been ideally suited for a person like Barkley, because they allow him ongoing access to his audience. While as a player he was known for his big mouth, his opportunities to share his thoughts were mostly restricted to air time provided by the media. Sites like twitter have given him a platform on which he can voice his blunt and often hilarious opinions.

     Although even Charles admits that he sometimes has to censor his comments, his commentary on both sports and social issues can be not only funny but surprisingly refreshing. And while he has ruffled quite a few feathers with his openness and honesty, it seems that many viewers find such an honest voice refreshing in the midst of so much “fluff” in sports journalism. I laughed out loud in appreciation when I read his comments on Johnny Manziel. It was nice to hear someone say with so much bluntness what I had been thinking of little Johnny football all along.

     I was never a great fan of Sir Charles until I found his twitter page. I scrolled through more than a year’s worth of tweets, then read a dozen internet stories about him, then watched almost 40 minutes of Barkley clips on Youtube. Social media has given me access to Barkley in a way that was not available in the old media format and I have to admit now…I am a fan.

Group Roles in Fantasy Leagues

      The world of sport seems to evolve right alongside business and technology. Sports coverage and broadcasting often change to take advantage of innovations that come along. Fantasy sports league may be one of the most drastic and noticeable developments in recent sports history. The Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA) reported that in 2013, there were 33.5 million people playing fantasy sports in the USA, amounting to billions of dollars spent on fantasy sports per year.

     While fantasy sports may have had a somewhat obscure start, they have recently exploded into a major branch of sports consumerism. They have even changed the way sports producers themselves broadcast their products. One writer points out that fantasy sports have changed pre-game, in-game and post-game coverage. This growth has given fantasy sports a culture all their own.

     DudePerfect, a well-known sports Youtube channel that produces satirical sports stereotype videos released the “Fantasy Football” edition last September. It has been viewed on Youtube over 4 million times!

     As I watched their video, I was reminded of Benne and Sheats’ small group theory. They suggested that each member in a group plays different roles that either help or hinder the group from reaching its goals. They divide these roles into three categories: task-related, social, or dysfunctional. While not every fantasy league role matched, I was surprised at how many did fit the at least one role in the small group list.

     Here is a link to a more detailed description of each role. After becoming familiar with the communication roles watch the video and see how many of the small group roles are taking place in the fantasy league culture. I found as I looked at the list that many of the fantasy league behaviors correlated mostly to the dysfunctional group roles. For example, aggressor, blocker, and dominator.

Learning Sports through Video Gaming

Our self-appointed quarterback gathered us in a huddle to “make a play” for the upcoming offensive effort. He asked each of us what route we wanted to run. Each player in our little huddle named his intention; crossing routes, 10 yard hooks, fades. His eyes came to me and waited for my response. I told him that I would just run straight out as fast as I could.  With a look of disapproval he responded “so, a fade?” In my previous playing experience, I had rarely had a plan for where I was going to run, and if I did, it had been drawn on the palm of the quarterback’s hand. I didn’t know that there were names for them. 

     I lacked a lot of the training and instruction about the fundamentals and specifics of the sports I participated in.  Although I loved playing, I usually felt a little (or a lot) lost about even basic terminology. I have experienced similar feelings playing many sports. Cut, streak, box out, post up, take it to the key, pick left were all things people shouted at me playing basketball without ever explaining to me what they meant. 

     It can be really frustrating for a person to play a sport for the first time and have no idea what people are talking about or what their objective is.

Some suggest that this is one great value of sports video games. They argue that instead of being mind-numbing obesity producers, video games may be a great teaching tool. A story posted in June of this year discussed the ways sports games can teach young athletes important concepts of the sport and prepare them for actual participation in sport.

     An article in the Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, makes an excellent case for using video games in Physical Education instruction. The authors suggest that video games can provide mental models, introduce sports-related language, enhance motivation and train in teamwork and strategy among other things.

While many areas are looking into innovative ways to motivate and instruct students, parents, teachers and coaches should begin to consider the possibilities of using video games to teach.

Dealing with Misconduct

It seems like athletes, coaches and owners are getting in trouble so often nowadays we almost don’t even blink when we hear of another one being suspended, fired, or banned. Donald Sterling was recently banned from the NBA for a long history of racism among other things. Stories about athletes behaving badly are so common that some have compiled lists to help us keep track of some of the most severe violators.

     Only occasionally does a story from Utah make it into national headlines. In the past year, there have been a few stories about athlete misconduct from Utah that have made national headlines.

     While many teams and players have been investigated and disciplined by the leagues and associations they play in, not very often is an entire team suspended by its own coach, but that’s what happened to the Union High Football team last fall. When coach Matt Labrum found out that some of his team may have been involved in cyber-bullying, he suspended the entire team and made them earn their jerseys back through community service, study hall time and completing character development classes. Most, but not all the players earned their spot back on the team. The unusual situation apparently spoke to people across the nation. Many applauded this coach’s commitment to developing men instead of winning titles. I think this is a great example of telling it all and telling it fast. Instead of allowing others to “expose” the misconduct of his team, the coach willingly addressed it and sought to rectify it. That kind of response turned this story into something positive rather than negative thanks to the coach’s wise response.

     Another local story that made national headlines for a different reason was the story of Spencer Hadley’s suspension from BYU’s football team because he had been “caught” drinking and partying in Las Vegas. This story is worth reading because it is a unique example of a school holding a stricter honor code than society expects. Many thought it was shocking that Hadley was disciplined for doing the very things that most guys JUST DO in college. An article that was later published in Sports Illustrated about Hadley’s speech to a group of inmates is definitely worth checking out.