"We do revolve our lives around it" - The meaning and significance of being a collegiate women's basketball fan among older women

When individuals engage in social contexts such as attending a college basketball game, opportunities to enrich and broaden social connections with others often transpire. The University of Notre Dame Women's Basketball (NDWB) program has a comparably larger and more loyal fan base than most un...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of leisure research 2023-08, Vol.54 (4), p.493-511
Main Authors: Wu, Xingxing, Schuetz, Logan, Lee, Milae, Payne, Laura L., Shinew, Kimberly J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Basketball
Connectedness
Friendship
identification
Meaning
Older women
season ticket holders
Seasons
Sense of community
Social environment
Teams
women's basketball
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Summary:When individuals engage in social contexts such as attending a college basketball game, opportunities to enrich and broaden social connections with others often transpire. The University of Notre Dame Women's Basketball (NDWB) program has a comparably larger and more loyal fan base than most universities in the country, of which older women comprise a big portion of season ticket holders. The purpose of this study was to investigate the motivations and meanings of being a NDWB season ticket holder among older women. Nineteen participants ages 55-85 years old completed individual interviews. The findings indicated that being season ticket holders fostered a strong sense of identification with the team, allowing them to have a sense of pride of being part of the program. Additionally, being season ticket holders enabled the older women to enhance their social contacts and friendships with other women that fostered a sense of community.
ISSN:0022-2216
2159-6417
DOI:10.1080/00222216.2023.2183368