Lesson video

Hi there.

Welcome to your lesson.

Today's lesson is on spectator behaviour.

My name is Miss Hacking, and I'm really looking forward to being your teacher today.

By the end of today's lesson, I'm hoping that we can all explain the positive and negative influences of spectators on sports events, performance, and participation.

Today's keywords include a spectator, which is someone who watches a sports event and can influence the atmosphere.

Maybe you're a spectator of certain sports.

A home-field advantage is a benefit gained from playing in a familiar environment with local support, so people that live nearby or people that are supporting that team.

Amateur is a term that defines someone who takes part an activity as an hobby rather than for a financial gain.

So maybe you play at an amateur sports level.

Maybe you're part of some sports clubs or some sports teams, or you take part in a physical activity where you don't get paid to do it, so therefore, you participate at an amateur level.

And hooliganism.

Hooliganism is disorderly, aggressive, and often violent behaviour by spectators at sporting events.

Our lesson today is split into two parts.

The first part, we're going to explain the positive influences of spectators on performers, on the atmosphere, and on the general well-being and enjoyment of other spectators as well.

And for the second part of today's lesson, we're going to explain the negative influences of spectators, looking at how it can affect performers, but also the atmosphere and the safety of other spectators, too.

Let's get started.

So spectators are people that watch a sport event.

Many spectators often go to a sports event to watch live sport take place, so to see it happening in real life rather than just watching it on a television, for example.

I wonder if you've ever been to watch a live sport event.

Maybe you've been to a really elite sport event, such as the Olympics or the Commonwealth Games, or maybe you've been down to Wimbledon to watch the tennis, or perhaps you have a favourite football team or rugby team that you go and watch on a weekend and you see them play, or maybe you've been to see more amateur-level sport and you've been a spectator there.

Maybe a family member plays in a local team and you go and watch them, then you are a spectator there, too.

Or perhaps you've seen a family member competing in an event like a marathon or a triathlon and you've been there to support them to make sure they do the best they possibly can.

Think about how it felt to be a spectator and what kind of things you did there.

So, due to commercialisation of sport, spectators typically pay for tickets to watch the sport.

And sports that are more popular and have more spectators will therefore gain more profit.

So sports really want to encourage more spectators to come and watch their sport so that they end up getting more money and therefore more commercialisation.

So spectators can positively influence matches or events in two different ways.

Firstly, they can create a positive atmosphere.

Spectators usually create an exciting atmosphere by cheering on their favourite team or favourite athlete and they make lots of noise, especially when something exciting happens in the game.

So, in football, if someone scores, often, the spectators make lots of noise and are cheering and it's very exciting not only for the other spectators but for the performers as well.

And they would get a real boost of confidence and a real boost of motivation because they can hear all the spectators cheering for them.

Equally, if you're watching someone in a marathon and they cross the finish line, again, you would cheer and make lots of noise, so it would be really exciting and the runner would feel really proud of themselves because the spectators are making lots of noise.

So it's really motivating and it helps to build confidence as well.

Also, there is a home-field advantage.

So by your team playing in their home ground, there is a home-field advantage, which means that the home team gets louder and probably more support from their fans, which can help them play better.

So spectators often know and support the home team players because they know them, they see them every week, they know their names, they can make up chants and they can really help to boost the confidence of that home team.

And by cheering positive things for the home team and sometimes even cheering negative things for the away team to try and put the away team off.

So by playing in your home ground and having more of your home fans and home spectators, people supporting you, it means that you get a bigger boost of confidence.

It also means the away team might feel a little bit more anxious and not have as much confidence playing in front of all the home team spectators, so it really does help to have that home-field advantage.

Okay, let's have a go to check, shall we? Which one is not a positive influence of spectators at a sports event? Is it A, home-field advantage? Is it B, free tickets for home fans? Or is it C, creating a positive atmosphere? That's right, it's free tickets for home fans.

That's not a positive influence of spectators at a sports event.

Sports would rarely give out free tickets as they are trying to make money in order to make a profit for commercialisation at sports events.

So they would always likely charge spectators a ticket fee in order to come and watch the event.

Well done if you got that right.

So performers often play better with more spectators because it helps to improve confidence.

It makes 'em feel good about themselves.

It makes 'em feel like they're playing well, they can do it, and that they really want to win for the spectators, which also help to improve motivation.

So if they are maybe losing in a game and I don't know, they're one-nil down, the spectators' support and the spectators' noise and the spectators cheering might help to increase that motivation that yeah, they can come back, they can equalise, they can even win this game and it helps them to really push themselves to really play their absolute best so that they can win and have that support from the spectators to push 'em to be the best they can be.

Okay, let's have a go to check.

True or false? Spectators can help to improve performance of athletes.

That's true.

Can you tell me why? Yeah, spectators can help to improve the performance of athletes because they provide a positive atmosphere that helps to increase confidence and boost motivation in performers to help them play better.

Well done if you put something along those lines.

Okay, now it's your turn to have a go at a practise task.

Can you explain how spectators at a football match may positively influence a footballer's performance? You may wish to pause the slides now in order to answer that question.

Okay, so you are asked to explain how spectators at a football match may positively influence a footballer's performance.

You may have put something along these lines.

Spectators at a football match can have a big positive impact on a player's performance by creating a lively, positive atmosphere and providing a home-field advantage.

When fans cheer and make noise, it boosts the energy on the field and motivates players to push harder.

For the home team, having so much support from the crowd can make them feel more confident and focused, giving them an extra edge over their opponents.

You may also have included that it helps boost motivation and you may have given a practical example as well, such as going one-nil down at half time and how it motivates them to come back in the second half, really fighting to win.

Well done if you put something along those lines.

So, for the second part of today's lesson, we're going to actually explain the negative influences of spectators because even though we've discussed that spectators can create a lively atmosphere and help to boost confidence and motivation in the players, there are also some negatives of having spectators at sports events.

Let's discuss them now.

Okay, there are a number of negative influences of spectators at sports events and these can include increased pressure, can intimidate younger players, there are safety concerns and high costs involved in having spectators at sports events, and also, there is a risk of hooliganism.

Let's talk about each one in a little bit more detail now.

So, since spectators have paid to be there, performers feel extra pressure to win so they don't disappoint nervous spectators.

Performers may experience increased anxiety and fear of failure, not just for themselves but also for the fans.

I'm sure you've already had an experience where you're really keen to win an event or play well yourself, but imagine having the hopes of thousands of people watching you as well and how much that would increase the pressure you had to play well.

It's important to mention that spectators are not just at elite-level sport, they are also at amateur sport.

You may have watched your friend play in a netball match.

You may have watched, like we said earlier, about a family member running a marathon.

So we also see spectators at amateur sports as well.

And often, we see them at youth sport.

So perhaps at rugby games, we have a lot of parents and guardians and carers that come and watch their children play.

They are spectators themselves, watching their children play in youth amateur sport.

So, a negative influence of spectators in this environment is it can put too much pressure on younger athletes who then don't like and don't enjoy playing and therefore, they stop playing sport as a result.

So it's important to note that spectators, parents, carers, family members, or just general spectators watching at a youth sport at, for example, a youth league at football can really increase the pressure on a child who just wants to play for enjoyment but is feeling the pressure to win.

And as a result, they then don't enjoy playing and therefore, they don't want to continue playing and that can put them off playing that sport for potentially the rest of their life, so it's really important that we acknowledge that spectators are not just at elite-level sport and they can also have a negative impact on amateur sport as well.

Let's have a go at a question.

How might spectators in a youth sport league negatively influence the participants? Is it A, increase coaching opportunities? Is it B, increase pressure on the players? Is it C, increase pressure on the official to make the correct decision? Or is it D, increase the time they play for? Yes, that's right, it's B.

It's important to note that spectators can really increase the pressure on the players and, therefore, impact whether they want to continue playing that sport or not.

That's why it's a negative influence of spectators on participants.

At big sporting events, it takes a lot of time to plan and a lot of money in order to keep spectators safe.

Things to consider when keeping spectators safe could include, and these are all the things that have to be paid for and organised as well, crowd management, so how are you going to stop the crowd being too squashed? How are you going to ensure that the crowd can move in and out safely or go to the toilet safely, for example? Stewards and security.

So, with large groups of people, it's important that there are security measures and stewards there in case anything was to go wrong.

And that requires training for the stewards and security and it requires technology as well.

Also, when there are large groups of people gathering, it's important that there's first aid staff on hand or medical services, again, in case anything goes wrong, in order to support and ensure that everyone remains safe.

Fire safety.

Obviously, fire escapes will need to be there, but all the signage so that the spectators know how to get to the fire escape are also important.

Weather considerations will need to be taken into account.

For example, if it is an incredibly hot day and the spectators are stood in the sun, then some spectators may get incredibly poorly, so it's important that measures are taken in order to reduce the risk of anything happening in regards to negative weather.

Accessibility is important.

This means that how people are going to get in and out.

What if there are people in a wheelchair? Are they able to access the same seating area as those that are not in a wheelchair? So, it's important to acknowledge and consider how everyone is going to access the sporting event.

CCTV is the use of video cameras around the sports event and that's to keep spectators safe so that security is able to monitor the CCTV to make sure that there are no issues going on around the stadium or around the sports event.

And also, if anything was to happen, CCTV can be looked at in order to establish what happened.

Transportation and parking.

Again, having large numbers of people at a sports event or at one venue requires some careful consideration about how they're going to get there, where they're going to park, and if the car parking is a long way away, how are they going to get from the car park to the stadium, especially if there are people or spectators there who might have difficulties accessing or walking for long periods of time.

So it's important to consider how people are going to get there and park their cars for these sporting events.

Communication.

So there'll need to be great communication between the organisers and the people planning it, but also between the security, the people monitoring the CCTV, the people in the parking area, so that everyone knows what is going on so that everyone is kept safe.

And also, a consideration is the alcohol and substance control.

It's important to note, and we'll talk about this more in a second when we look at hooliganism, that at some sporting events, some spectators like to drink a lot of alcohol or take certain substances in order for them to enjoy the experience a little bit more.

However, this poses a risk not only to themselves but to other spectators as well.

So it's looking at managing how that can be controlled in order to keep everyone safe whilst also allowing spectators to enjoy themselves.

So, at sporting events with big crowds and fans from both home and away teams, there can be a potential for hooliganism.

So, hooliganism is disorderly, aggressive, and often violent behaviour by spectators at sporting events that can put people in unsafe situations.

Now, you might have heard examples of hooliganism from the past.

Luckily, it is something that is being dealt with a lot more than it was in the past, but it is where fans can become quite riled and quite aggressive at a sporting event and they see it at a time to sort of show off their traits of masculinity and set fires and start fights and drink lots of alcohol.

And obviously, if this is not controlled, this can put not just them but other spectators and players and officials in a real risk of getting hurt or injured as well as a lot of damage to the stadiums or the seating area or other places in the sporting event.

So this is something that has to be minimised, but sadly, is a negative influence of spectators on the sport.

Hooliganism is most known in British football, however, it does happen in sporting events as well.

Okay, let's have a go to check.

True or false? Hooliganism only happens at football events.

That's false.

Can you tell me why? Yeah, hooliganism has happened in other sports, including rugby, ice hockey, and basketball.

However, it is most common in football, particularly in the UK.

Okay, it's your turn to have a go at a practise task.

For the first part of the practise task, I'd like you to identify two negative influences of spectators on a sporting event.

And for the second part of the practise task, I'd like you to discuss the influence of spectators on a sport of your choice.

You may wish to pause the video now in order to give you time to write your answers.

Good luck.

Okay, so you are asked to identify two negative influences of spectators on a sporting event.

You may have put any of the following.

It can increase pressure on performers to perform at their very best, which can be seen as a good thing, but also can really increase anxiety for the performers as well.

It can intimidate younger players, particularly if they're spectators at amateur youth sport.

It can impact them that they don't enjoy playing the sport in front of spectators and therefore don't want to continue playing the sport, either.

There are safety concerns and high costs that are involved in having lots of spectators at sporting events.

Things like CCTV, security, first aid procedures all need to be in place before spectators can come and watch a sports event.

And finally, there's an increased risk of hooliganism as a result of spectators coming to watch a sports event.

For the second part of your task, you were asked to discuss the influence of spectators on a sport of your choice.

I'm hoping that when you've seen the word discussed, you've been reminded that in order to have a discussion, you might want to talk about the negative but also the positive influences of spectators on a sport.

So, therefore, I'm hoping you've written something along these lines.

Fans have a strong impact on a basketball game.

So I've used basketball as my choice.

You might have used a different one, and that's okay.

So, one positive effect is home-field advantage.

When the crowd cheers for their team, it boosts the player's energy and confidence and creates an exciting atmosphere that enhances the game experience, not just for the performers but for the crowd, too, for the other spectators also.

But on the flip side, large crowds can also create pressure on performers, especially younger players who might feel anxious about letting fans down.

Additionally, keeping spectators safe adds costs for event organisers as they need security measures to prevent safety issues.

There's also the risk of hooliganism.

While basketball is generally safer than some sports, unruly fans can still cause trouble and disrupt the game, which, therefore, can increase the safety concerns for the players or the performers, but also for the other spectators as well.

So I'm hoping in your answer, you've talked about the positive and negative effects of spectators on a sport.

And remember the question asked you to include a sport of your choice.

So, like I've talked about basketball, I am hoping that you've used a practical example, a sport, to explain your points.

Well done if you did that.

That just leaves us with enough time to summarise today's lesson.

So as sport becomes more popular, more spectators want to watch it live.

The positive influence of spectators includes that it creates a positive atmosphere, and there is also a home-field advantage.

However, the negative influence of spectators includes that it increased pressure both on elite performers and younger amateur performers as well.

So don't get confused and think it's only in elite performance.

It can have negative impacts on amateur performers as well.

There's also potential for crowd trouble, such as hooliganism, which can leave other players and spectators feeling unsafe.

But there's also a lot of safety concerns and costs surrounding having crowds or spectators to watch a sport event.

Well done today.

You've worked really hard and hopefully, you've learned a little bit more about spectators' behaviour.

I'll see you again soon.