Just Keep Swimming...Just Keep Swimming

History: We present a 15-year-old right hand dominant high school swimmer with no significant past medical history, who complains of right elbow pain along the distal biceps' tendon for a 2 months. Pain was insidious in onset, sharp, intermittent, and described as a 0 to 6 out of 10. The patient has been swimming more frequently over the last few months to prepare for competition and noticed progressive pain with swimming. He went on vacation and then was diagnosed with a COVID-19 infection and took an additional 2 weeks off due to fatigue. He returned to sport without re-integration and increased his swimming intensity to 1 to 2 hours daily, which worsened his pain. Performing the butterfly and breaststroke provoke symptoms and cessation of activity reduces the pain. Denies pain at rest. He took Advil which did not reduce his pain. Denies acute trauma, prior injuries, or paresthesias. Physical Exam: Inspection of right elbow: no swelling or signs of discoloration. Palpation: Tenderness at the distal biceps tendon but can hook the tendon without pain. No shoulder or wrist tenderness. Active Range of Motion: Elbow extension 0 degrees, elbow flexion 130 degrees, supination and pronation normal. Normal shoulder and wrist ROM. Muscle strength: 5/5 grip, wrist extension, and wrist flexion. Pain elicited with resisted elbow flexion at the distal humerus. Maneuvers: pain with distal humerus squeeze. Negative Maudsley and negative Cozen test. Differential Diagnosis: 36. Distal Biceps Tendonitis/Tear 37. Stress Reaction of the Distal Humerus 38. Medial Epicondyle Apophysitis 39. Capitellar Osteochondritis Dissecans 40. Radiocapitellar Plica Syndrome Test Results: x-ray right elbow: AP and Lateral views indicate no abnormalities to the bones, alignment, or soft tissue structures. MRI right elbow No IVCON: Biceps tendon intact. There is periosteal edema and endosteal aspect marrow edema along the medial aspect of the distal diaphysis and metaphysis of the humerus. Several small foci of increased cortical signal. No fractures, joint effusion, or chondral defects. Findings comparable to Fredrickson grade 4a distal humerus diametaphysis stress injury. Final Diagnosis: Right Elbow Supracondylar Grade 4a Stress Reaction. Discussion(s): Actives that involve repetitive motion are susceptible to overuse injuries. Cases of upper extremity stress reactions in swimmers have been documented along the inferior angle of the scapula, upper ribs, and olecranon. Stress reactions along the distal humerus in swimmers is not well documented. This pathology has been seen in baseball players, cricket bowlers, and tennis players. In swimming, the butterfly technique requires significant endurance and athletic strength. During a sprint, fast synchronized upper extremity revolutions occurring up to 60 cycles perminute counterforcewater surface area friction leading to excessive loading forces even at 50 meter distances. Outcome(s): The patient was withheld from upper body work outs and swimming for 6 weeks. VitaminDand Calcium levels were drawn revealing a normal calcium level (10.2), but a vitamin D level of 28.1. Patient was started on 600 IU of Vitamin D and 1300 mg of Calcium daily. The patient started a return to swim program and returned to full competition at 7 months post presentation. Follow-Up: At 6 weeks, started an upper extremity low impact non-aquatic physical therapy program. Then a slow progressive return to swimming was initiated at 50% effort for 4 weeks. At 10 weeks, a return to sport plan including 200 m all strokes except butterfly, progressed to 250 m at week 2, 300 m at week 3, and 350 m at week 4. Finally, initiated speed work in =0 to 100 m increments and elbow loading workouts.

Reconnection in a Post-Covid World: Leveraging Social and Peer Support for Young Adults with Cancer

Background/Purpose: Young adults with cancer (YAs), ages 18-39, often feel "stuck": they do not identify with children in pediatric clinics, nor older adults in medical oncology. YAs have unique psychosocial challenges that create significant disruptions. At a stage where peers are the primary social support, YAs express feelings of isolation and yearning for normalcy, especially on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic. To combat this isolation, social programs are only offered to patients under age 18, leaving a gap in YA support. Without opportunities to connect with others who understand similar experiences, YAs lose essential access to informal peer support that could drastically shape their coping. Method(s): The Young Adult Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute planned and implemented two in-person social events to connect the YA community outside of hospital walls. Event 1: Patients with metastatic cancer were invited with one guest to attend an MLB baseball game in a private suite. Event 2: Patients were invited with one guest to attend an outdoor fall Block Party *at a local food hall. Each attendee received a favor bag of items to encourage emotional well-being. Access barriers were lowered by covering costs of food/ beverage, parking, and offering handicap accessibility options. Result(s): Attendance at both events exceeded expectations, with 15 individuals (8 patients, 7 caregivers) at event 1 and 74 individuals (42 patients, 32 caregivers) at event 2. Some YAs decided to attend alone, signifying a strong desire to connect with others outside existing social circles. Inviting caregivers provided the experience of meeting other caregivers and normalized cancer's impact on the family. Post-event comments included: "I never knew there were so many YAs";"We were so happy to meet other wonderful examples of strength! It really comforted us so much.thank you for helping us cope!";"Everyone was so relaxed and happy". Conclusions and Implications: These programmatic events highlight the benefit of social opportunities for YAs and caregivers. Spending time together in-person outside of the medical setting allows YAs to build meaningful connections and reduce loneliness. Future endeavors for YAs ought to acknowledge the gaps for this age group by implementing programs that meet YAs where they are in their life stage and cancer experience.

Brand communication and the mass vaccination center: stadium, team and community perspectives

PurposeThe usage of sport stadia for public service is increasingly common and may come in different forms. In the COVID-19 pandemic, this included sport entities hosting mass COVID-19 vaccinations at their stadiums. The purpose of this study was to examine the branding effects of a COVID-19 mass vaccination center as communicated by (1) a sport entity (i.e. stadium and its two teams) and (2) the public.Design/methodology/approachThe authors analyzed the entity's social media messages related to the mass vaccination center for the three groups, the stadium and its two sports team tenants (N = 48) while comparing the public's social media content about the vaccination center (N = 187). An empirical material coding analysis was conducted.FindingsThe sport entity's posts revealed 12 codes, five categories and two themes communicated about their brand: In this together–community impact and showcasing brand attributes. The public posts analysis revealed 21 codes, eight categories and four themes, creating brand awareness, establishing/reaffirming brand attributes, affective response and in this together–community response.Originality/valueThe identification of the two organization themes and four public themes provided an initial examination of the mass vaccination efforts' impact on the sport entity's brand. With the rise of stadia being utilized as public service venues (e.g. voting centers and disaster shelters), the results of the study can provide guidance to communicating the host team's brand during these times. Results also suggest the public perception of such service reflected positive opportunities for brand exposure and subsequent effects for the teams.

Elbow Injuries Among MLB Pitchers Increased During Covid-19 Disrupted Season, But Not Other Baseball Injuries.

Background: The 2020 Major League Baseball Season (MLB) demonstrated season disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes in training and seasonal time frames may be associated with higher rates of injury. Purpose: To use publicly available data to compare injury rates during the 2015-2019 seasons, COVID-19 shortened season (2020), and the 2021 season stratified by body region and position (pitchers versus position players). Study Design: A retrospective cohort study utilizing publicly available data. Methods: MLB players who competed in 1+ seasons between 2015-2021 were included and stratified by position (pitcher, position player). Incidence rate (IR), reported by 1000 x Athlete-Game Exposures (AGEs), was calculated for each season, and stratified by position and body region. Poisson regressions were performed for all injuries and stratified by position to determine association between season and injury incidence. Subgroup analyses were performed on the elbow, groin/hip/thigh, shoulder. Results: Four thousand, two hundred and seventy-four injuries and 796,502 AGEs across 15,152 players were documented. Overall IR was similar across seasons (2015-2019:5.39; 2020:5.85; 2021:5.04 per 1000 AGEs). IR remained high for the groin/hip/thigh for position players (2015-2019:1.7; 2020:2.0; 2021:1.7 per 1000 AGEs). There was no difference in injury rates between 2015-2019 and 2020 seasons [1.1 (0.9-1.2), p=0.310]. The 2020 season demonstrated a significant increase in elbow injuries [2.7 (1.8-4.0), p<0.001]; when stratified by position, this increase remained significant for pitchers [pitchers: 3.5 (2.1-5.9), p<0.001; position players: 1.8 (0.9-3.6), p=0.073]. No other differences were observed. Conclusion: The groin/hip/thigh demonstrated the highest IR in 2020 among position players across all season time frames, indicating that continued injury mitigation for this region is necessary. When stratified by body region, elbow injury rates among pitchers demonstrated 3.5 times the rate of injury in 2020 compared to previous seasons, impacting injury burden for the most vulnerable body region among pitchers. Level of Evidence: Level III.

Ensuring the business sustainability of minor league baseball after the COVID global pandemic

The COVID global pandemic greatly impacted the sports industry as leagues had drastic budget cuts and were forced to compensate for the lost revenues. The purpose of this study is to examine the strategies used by Minor League Baseball (MiLB) teams and leagues to ensure their survival in the short-term and to sustain their operations in a post-COVID environment. Consultation with officials of a local minor league team, in addition to extensive information search, identified the strategies used by teams and leagues. A cluster analysis was then performed to classify the strategies into categories of similar topics. The results suggested teams and leagues took an "Income Statement Approach" to ensuring their survival. That is, they focused on: (a) maximizing revenue and finding new revenue sources;while (b) finding ways to reduce operating expenses. Minor league baseball teams navigated the loss of the 2020 season and the adjusted operations of the 2021 season to return to more-normal operations in the 2022 season. Lessons learned during the COVID period were applied to streamline their operations in the short-run and to ensure the sustainability of their business in the long-run. Coaches seek to develop an 'adjust-and-adapt mentality' in their athletes. The COVID global pandemic forced all of society to adopt this approach. Minor league baseball leagues and teams adopted this approach and they successful sustained their operations. Today, the industry continues to be a vital source of family entertainment and community pride while concurrently serving as the primary development path for the Major League Baseball (MLB) players of the future.

How Las Vegas Upped Its Transportation Game with the Arrival of Pro Sports

It's no secret that Las Vegas NV is well equipped to handle large-scale events, hosting an average of 300 major events each year--including National Football League (NFL) and National Hockey League (NHL) games, NASCAR races, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events, World Boxing Council-sanctioned matches, and high-profile college football games like the PAC-12 championship and ESPN-owned Las Vegas Bowl. Added to the mix are all-star celebrity residencies that helped to fuel the city's steady drumbeat of more than 42 million annual visitors in 2019. Powerhouse headliners like Katy Perry, Carrie Underwood, Adele, and Usher, in addition to major music festivals like Electric Daisy Carnival and Life is Beautiful, ensure that Las Vegas keeps its moniker as the "Entertainment Capital of the World." Added to that are more than 20,000 conventions of all sizes, including 60 of the world's largest, that easily make Las Vegas one of the country's top convention destinations.

“Good Morning, Good Afternoon, and Good Evening”: U.S. Views on the Chinese Professional Baseball League in the Wake of COVID-19

The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) represents Taiwan’s top professional baseball league. Composed of two levels, CPBL entered its 31st season of play on 11 April 2020—delayed by nearly 1 month while Taiwan coped with the global COVID-19 outbreak. Play resumed without live fans (although robotic and holographic fans were placed in the crowd) and players took the field without many of the sights and sounds common to professional baseball. However, viewing from afar were tens of millions of sports-hungry fans, scouring social media and international broadcast outlets to catch a glimpse of the only professional baseball league in action. For nearly 2 months in 2020, CPBL games were broadcast to international audiences, many largely unfamiliar with the league’s history, teams, and sponsors, although baseball fans recognized players with experience in other leagues, such as Major League Baseball. Likewise, the league found itself responding to it newfound immense popularity uncommon for CPBL play, organizing broadcasts in English and working with sports media partners foreign and domestic to meet the seemingly insatiable international demand for Taiwanese baseball. In our chapter, we offer a short history and overview of CPBL (with a specific focus on the CPBL’s prior engagement with international media outlets and fans), the early planning of player competition and international broadcast rights in the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic, and the short-term impact of these efforts on both on-field play as well as off-field popularity of the league. The chapter also includes a thematic analysis of English-language sports media and their coverage of the CPBL during April and May 2020. The chapter ends with a retrospective on the league’s performance and an outlook on the long-term impacts of the league’s international exposure. Throughout the chapter, CPBL experiences and actions will be analyzed through myriad sports communication lenses, such as sports fandom and mediasport perspectives. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Cross-infection risks of SARS-CoV-2 while playing catch using a baseball: Creating a safe sporting environment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is found primarily in the respiratory tract secretions of infected individuals with one of the main routes of transmission being direct or indirect contact. In this study, using fluorescent paint, we evaluated the spread of contaminants while playing catch with a baseball. Fluorescent paint was applied to the right hand of a right-handed baseball player who then engaged in playing catch with 10 other right-handed players (partners) for 5 min each. The fluorescent paint was detected on the right hands (inside) and gloves (inside) of all the 10 partners as well as on the ball; in some partners it was also detected on the back of the right hands or the back of the gloves. However, except for their right hands, fluorescent paint was not detected on the surface of the bodies of the partners. These observations indicated that the fluorescent paint (mimicking virus-containing contaminants) on the hand spreads very efficiently from person to person during the throwing and catching of a baseball, suggesting that a thorough and frequent disinfection of the hands and equipment is important in the prevention of infections that may occur while playing baseball.

“TICKET DROP!”: COMMUNITY BUILDING IN RESIDENCY DURING A PANDEMIC

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 180 residents in an internal medicine residency program DESCRIPTION: COVID-related restrictions on gathering have created challenges to community-building during residency, an important way to mitigate burnout. The ongoing stresses of the pandemic also have led to a sense of “languishing,” which can decrease engagement with everyday activities. To promote community and support resident- driven ideas, we created an innovative “ticket drop” and mini-grant program. Residents were invited to submit ideas for either ticket-based events in the city, or for mini-grants to lead a community-building activity. The Residency Well- Being Committee sponsored one event of each type per month based on evolving COVID guidelines. The committee advertised the ticket drops to all residents, purchased tickets, and allocated them by lottery to ensure equitable access. The initiative was funded by a departmental allocation to the residency program. EVALUATION: Ticket drop and mini-grant events generated many ideas from residents and were well-attended. Residents submitted 23 ideas in the first 6 months of the initiative, and we have been able to fund 1-2 per month. Ticket drop events to date included a professional baseball game, a special exhibit at an art museum, and an evening at the science academy. Residents receiving mini-grants have planned a ceramics night, an arcade game night, and a kayaking event. The intervention is ongoing, and we will present final descriptive data about participation as well as survey data about facilitators and barriers to success of each event and the overall effects of this initiative on social cohesion in residency. Early feedback suggests that identifying a resident champion for each event increases enthusiasm, and that having events preplanned overcomes the low motivation that is widespread during the lingering pandemic. Participants also noted learning about new cultural attractions in their city, which deepened connection with the wider community outside residency. Events were attended by residents at all levels of training and promoted cohesion across residency classes. For many events, the impact extended beyond tickets paid for by the residency, as other residents bought tickets for themselves or for their partners. DISCUSSION / REFLECTION / LESSONS LEARNED: Our residency ticket drop program is a relatively low-cost, low-effort, moderate-impact innovation that represents a sustainable way to increase connections in residency. A modest financial investment can have a large impact on community building if events are targeted to meet resident-identified priorities. Nurturing interests outside of medicine, such as in the arts, entertainment, or cultural attractions, may allow residents to further connect as humans with diverse interests as well as colleagues.

The Cheap Seats

[...]determined to see some type of live game, a small group of us grabbed a box of grilled hot dogs and attended a game between Paradise Valley Community College and Mesa Community College. Shortly after I returned home, Major League Baseball (MLB) announced an agreement with the players had been struck, and they would be reporting to spring training in a matter of days. [...]there is something here for every baseball fan.

COVID Curveball: An Inside View of the 2020 Los Angeles Dodgers World Championship Season

Kaplan reviews COVID Curveball: An Inside View of the 2020 Los Angeles Dodgers World Championship Season by Tim Neverett.

The perceptions of academically underachieving, gifted, elite male athletes: A grid and group interpretation

This qualitative case study examines the perceptions of three elite collegiate athletes and compares their parallel journeys through the school system and their sports programs. Douglas' (1982) theoretical framework is used to identify characteristics in each of the four social relations: fatalist, hierarchical, individualist, and egalitarian. Three research questions were developed to better understand the circumstances and motivation that produce students that underperformed in the classroom and excelled on the practice field. These questions are: how do academically underachieving, gifted, elite male athletes identify on the grid group map in terms of their experiences in the classroom and the practice field;how do academically underachieving, gifted, elite male athletes perceive an ideal culture within a classroom and practice field;and what are the perceived differences between what academically underachieving, gifted, elite male athletes are experiencing versus their imagined culture of an ideal situation? This study used Douglas' (1982) grid and group topology as a map to analyze hundreds of pages of narratives and survey data. This four-phase study was completed October 2020 (in the year of Covid-19). Narrative data from three male participants consisted of 60 volgs, a focus group, 60 surveys, and multiple individual interviews. Criteria for acceptance into the study was being male, having a high school grade point average of less than 2.3, having a standardized test score in the top 20%, being actively recruited by an NCAA Division I team, and currently playing a sport in college. Three culturally diverse players, from a Midwest community college baseball team, participated in this study. Findings from the study indicated that over time, all three participants passed in-and-out through all of Douglas' four social relations. In the school setting, lack of control, mistrust of the teacher, and overt teacher prejudices drew the participants into a fatalistic relation with the teacher and the school system. On the practice field, the hopelessness of the fatalist relation was mostly non-existent. The participants thrived in the individualistic and hierarchical relations, taking responsibility for their actions and coming together as a team for a collaborative purpose. Overall, the participants would like the school culture to mirror the athletic culture regarding choice and trust. One of their needs for both the classroom and the practice field was to have an open, fear-free space to learn from the teacher or coach, and also to learn from each other. One implication for a sports related practice includes a tool used to determine a coaches' ability to be humble and to accurately assess the effectiveness of their own coaching skills;determine the degree with which they receive and reflect on criticism;and their ability to trust in the players' agency to cultivate and make other players better. Another implication of the study is a "modern day" study table developed by and for student-athletes. Further implications in the classroom are for school leaders and teachers to use a form of Harris' (2005) grid and group protocols and key strategies to understand which social relation their school culture identifies with and to reflect on how the fatalist social relation corrupts the system. Lastly, the need for local school districts to understand that gifted programming is an overall engagement tool, not an add-on but a needed component woven within the current curriculum. Leaders at all levels should promote funding from the local, state, and federal levels. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Adapting to a new normal: the impact of COVID-19 on the mediatization of professional sport organizations. (Special Issue: Global challenges and innovations in sport.)

The COVID-19 pandemic created challenges that forced professional sport organizations to adapt to transforming media environments. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the pandemic on sport organizations through dimensions of mediatization: perception, structure, and behavior. Data collection included South Korean and U. S. media outlets (newspapers articles and websites) and participants (three male and two female) who worked in the Departments of New Media and Promotion in the Korean Football and Professional Baseball leagues. Data analyses involved triangulation of evidence from newspapers, websites, and interviews. The findings of the study addressed four themes: disruptions and changes in communication environment, which occurred under an already heightened need for change to enter the global sport market, recognition of the need to develop new media content due to the worldwide impact of the pandemic, development of new media teams, and collaboration for the creation of new media content.

Metaverse: the future of immersive training

Purpose>This paper aims to review and explore the adoption of Metaverse as a training ecosystem. The paper focuses on the current debate on the relevance of Metaverse for training.Design/methodology/approach>This paper reviews the recent articles and interviews and then critically discusses the future of training in Metaverse.Findings>Recent reports, studies and developments show that immersive training holds much potential. The future for training in Metaverse seems to be bright with benefits for both employers and employees.Originality/value>This viewpoint paper is easy to read and comprehensive.

Major League Baseball during the COVID-19 pandemic: does a lack of spectators affect home advantage?

A home advantage is present in most professional sports leagues. Spectators may be a major factor in home advantage, but empirical results have been mixed. Professional games were played without spectators during the 2020 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigated home advantage in Major League Baseball (MLB) during 2020 as compared with the 2015–2019 seasons. A total of 13,044 regular-season games (898 in 2020 and 12,146 in 2015–2019) were analyzed. The sum of wins above replacement of all players was used as an indicator of team quality. The likelihood of a home-team win with spectators was not significantly different to that without spectators (odds ratio = 1.068;95% confidence interval = 0.932–1.224, p > 0.05). The relative home advantage, percentage of home wins of total wins by a team in a specific season, was not significantly different across years, team quality, and attendance. Factorial analysis of variance models that included the variables of year, team quality, and attendance also revealed that none of these variables significantly affected the relative home advantage. The results suggest that spectators may not be an important factor of home advantage in MLB.

Forging a new corporate engagement

Purpose>This paper aims to highlight the need for corporations to engage politically to create a more functional capitalist system.Design/methodology/approach>Selective review of relevant economic and sociopolitical developments is presented in this paper.Findings>There is a growing movement among economists and commentators to hold corporations accountable for political engagement which they ignore at their peril.Originality/value>While individual strands of this story have been discussed before, the subject has never been handled from the perspective of corporate reputation in a comprehensive manner.

The COVID-19 outbreak and public perceptions of sport events in Japan. (Special Issue: Managing sport and leisure in the era of Covid-19.)

The pandemic of the COVID-19 has forced various sport organizations to postpone or cancel sport events. The current investigation provides a rapid analysis of public perceptions of (1) postponement and cancelation decisions made by sport organizations, and (2) whether the Tokyo Olympics 2020 should be held in July 2020. Data from Japanese citizens (n = 529) show that approximately 75% supported postponement decisions made by professional sport leagues. Surprisingly, only fewer than 50% supported the cancelation decision of the high school baseball tournament (i.e., Spring Koshien). Regarding the Tokyo Olympics, 35.2% disagreed with holding the games, which was almost identical to those who were in favour of holding it (35.3%). The government and decision-makers should recognize the potential biases in public opinions and prioritize the scientific evidence to protect the health of the community. (Note: The Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics 2020 was postponed after the completion of this study).

The relationship of the COVID-19 pandemic, physical activity and the mental health of NCAA collegiate baseball players

The COVID-19 pandemic could pose many issues expanding beyond the direct effects of those infected with the disease. One adverse effect of the pandemic could be on mental health. While there have been many studies attempting to identify possible effects on mental health, there is no current research identifying its presence. Physical activity is one potential variable that could influence mental health, as available research shows a strong relationship. NCAA collegiate baseball athletes are a population where these effects should be investigated, especially as the prevalence of mental health conditions continue to rise. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of the COVID-19 pandemic, level of physical activity, and the mental health of NCAA collegiate baseball players. A cross-sectional, survey-based design was created to achieve this purpose. Current mental health was evaluated in a questionnaire and change in physical activity across three time periods (current [March 2021-April 2021], September 2020-December 2020, April 2020-August 2020) were compared to a reference period of September 2019-December 2019. A total of 19 subjects participated in this study with 16 complete responses, resulting in an average age of 20.58 +/- 1.66 yrs. Subjects reported symptoms of mental health conditions/topics, with an increase in those currently experiencing anxiety (50%), depression (33%), sleep issues (61%), and energy level concerns (61%) compared to available research. Subjects level of physical activity remained mostly the same across all three time periods. Proportion of subjects reporting a mental health condition/topic did not show a statistically significant relationship with the proportion of subject participation in various levels of physical activity. Future research should continue investigating the relationship of mental health and physical activity in relation to the pandemic and the importance of establishing a baseline mental health survey. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Lifestyle Changes and Baseball Activity among Youth Baseball Players before and during the First COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan.

This cross-sectional study aimed to clarify the changes in lifestyle and baseball activity before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among youth baseball players. Participants were 99 youth baseball players (ages 9.6 ± 1.5 years, height 137.8 ± 9.4 cm, weight 35.3 ± 12.4 kg) in Japan. They completed an online survey between April 6 and 20, 2021, on their demographic characteristics, lifestyle (recreational screen, sleep, and study times), and baseball activity (frequency of team practice time and voluntary exercise-related baseball) at two-time points: before the pandemic (before March 2020) and during the state of emergency declared in Japan (from April to May 2020). The changes in outcomes between the two-time points were evaluated for significance. Recreational screen time and sleeping time during the state of emergency were significantly increased compared to those before the pandemic (p < 0.001). The frequency of team practice time on weekends during the state of emergency was significantly reduced, and voluntary exercise-related baseball was significantly increased compared to that before the pandemic (p < 0.01). We found that the COVID-19 pandemic changed behaviors concerning activities and exercise among youth baseball players and recommended that such behavioral changes be carefully monitored.

The booming eSports market: a field day for fans

Purpose>This paper aims to explore the emerging market of video game streaming and eSports to provide readers with an understanding of the nature and content of this quickly growing entertainment industry. eSports or eGaming is the playing of video games for competition and for spectators by professionals. Popular platforms, eGaming celebrities and revenue sources are introduced. Building upon this knowledge, the authors then show the opportunities marketers have to use this medium for branding, promotional and retailing purposes. Challenges to these aims are also discussed.Design/methodology/approach>The eGaming and eSports industry is summarized by studying its evolution and current state. A thorough review of the players and their possible revenue sources is presented. Likewise, a survey of marketing-related tactics and challenges is discussed to help readers not only understand the field but also use the industry’s growth.Findings>This paper provides valuable information to understand why this new market of video game streaming is rapidly increasing and what impact it will have on consumers, brands and marketing strategists.Originality/value>This paper is unique in the sense that in one place it not only summarizes the advent and growth of an evolving field but also shows the opportunities that firms have to take advantage of this unique medium for connecting with customers. Firms are at the same time cautioned to consider increasing challenges with this new industry.