This study examines the role of the Ironman tattoo as a symbol of liminality, status, and communal belonging within the Ironman community. Drawing on Victor Turner's framework of liminality and communitas, the research explores how athletes transition from marathoner to Ironman and how the tattoo functions as a marker of reintegration and social recognition. Using semi-structured interviews with 18 male Ironman athletes, the study identifies three key themes: (1) navigating and joining the Ironman culture, which emphasizes the separation phase, where athletes begin to reframe their marathoner identity as part of their progression toward Ironman status; (2) getting inked-embracing a new status, examines the liminal phase, focusing on the lived experience of tattooing the body as a transformative act that affirms endurance and commitment; and (3) sealed in ink-reintegrating with status in the Ironman community, addresses the post-liminal phase, where the tattoo serves as a visible symbol of achievement, allowing athletes to move more freely within the hierarchy of the Ironman group while fostering a sense of communal belonging. The study illustrates how the Ironman tattoo functions as a rite of passage and a symbolic badge of entry into an elite endurance culture, visibly reinforcing an athlete's status and integration within the sport's social structure. Moreover, it serves as a portable trophy cabinet, permanently etched into the skin, allowing the athlete to gain social recognition without the need for words.

This study explores the emotional and identity-related dimensions of disconnecting from smartwatch use in distance running. Using a collaborative autoethnographic approach, it examines the experiences of two middle-aged, non-elite runners transitioning from years of smartwatch reliance to a period of technological disengagement. The analysis investigates the emotional and psychological processes of this "cold turkey" journey, focusing on how runners navigate self-perception and autonomy when detached from digital tracking. Four themes emerged: (1) From Metrics to Movement: Rediscovering Freedom in Running, highlighting the liberation of running without performance metrics; (2) Beyond the Screen: Navigating Alternative Running Cues, illustrating how runners subconsciously replaced smartwatch feedback with environmental and bodily cues; (3) Running Without Proof: The Uncertainty of the Untracked Self, capturing the existential discomfort of running without recorded data; and (4) Unplugged and Exposed: The Vulnerability of Running Without a Watch, revealing the psychological attachment to wearable technology and the sense of loss in its absence. This study contributes to discussions on digital technology, self-identity, and the embodied running experience, revealing the tensions between self-tracking, autonomy, and identity validation in contemporary endurance sport.

In 2018, Israel's first Athletic Training (AT) department - a health profession specialising in injury prevention and rehabilitation - faced strong opposition from the Physiotherapy (PT) community. This study explores how PTs sought to block the Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) programme and discredit AT as a profession. Guided by Foucault's power-knowledge framework, we applied Foucauldian Discourse Analysis (FDA) to a four-year dataset, including online posts, union appeals, and legal documents. Findings reveal how Israeli PTs used digital and legal tactics to protect professional boundaries and authority. These efforts reflect broader struggles over legitimacy, occupational power, and control of educational and therapeutic discourse.

PurposeThis study explored how Israeli Olympic athletes constructed meaning en route to the Paris 2024 Olympics amid the Gaza-Israel war following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. War is conceptualized as a longitudinal, unpredictable, and negative career change event that coincided with the Olympic Games transition.MethodologyThematic analysis of 318 Instagram posts by 12 athletes (6 medallists, 6 non-medallists) was performed across three phases: pre-Games, during, and post-Games.FindingsSeven themes were identified. Initially, athletes aimed to raise global awareness, counter misinformation, and express solidarity and empathy for victims. As the Games approached, themes of patriotism and national pride emerged, with athletes framing their participation as symbolic of Israeli resilience. During and after the Games, they dedicated achievements to Israel and expressed gratitude to supporters.Practical ImplicationsThe research emphasizes the need to understand athletes' meaning-making in extreme circumstances, suggesting that sports organizations develop support systems for athletes in crisis.ContributionThis study offers valuable insights into how elite athletes navigate psychological challenges during national conflict, underscoring the role of sports in fostering national resilience. It also contributes to the literature on athletes' social media use.OriginalityThis study is among the few to explore Olympic athletes' construction of meaning during a war conflict.

This study examines how the Israeli adaptation of Ninja Warrior reinforces hegemonic masculinity while adopting elements of new masculinities. Through a thematic analysis of 30 episodes, the research reveals how the show glorifies male physical superiority, integrates militaristic imagery, and subtly reproduces male dominance under the guise of inclusivity. While it promotes emotional expressiveness and family involvement, these elements do not challenge the underlying traditional narratives of masculine power. The competition serves as a culturally tailored platform for negotiating masculinity, balancing traditional strength-based ideals with modern gender discourse. Despite its portrayal as an inclusive, family-friendly show, Ninja Israel ultimately legitimizes male hegemony through a widely accepted media format.

Spanning two decades (2000–2021), this study delves into how TF-induced momentum shifts differ between regular season and playoff matchups, factoring in home-court advantage and team score status at the time of the call. Analyzing 4196 cases of technical fouls (TFs) called against coaches, we employ big data analytics to uncover distinct patterns in momentum shifts and their strategic implications. Using advanced statistical modeling, we identify how these effects vary across game contexts, demonstrating how big data enhances decision-making in competitive sports. Logistic regression revealed a significant season-by-location interaction (p < 0.03). The findings revealed that, in the regular season, TFs in home games were associated with a 44%-win rate, compared to 28% in away games. However, in the playoffs, this shifted to 50% at home and 23% away. These results provide valuable insights into the TF–momentum shift phenomenon. Leveraging game analytics to identify patterns in TF-related momentum shifts can help coaches make more informed decisions, including pinpointing the optimal moments for TFs and other strategic actions.

Spanning two decades (2000–2021), this study examines the frequency and timing of technical fouls (TFs) committed by NBA coaches, and their relationship with momentum shifts throughout the quarters of a basketball game. A big data of 4,196TFs calls of NBA coaches was used to elucidate TFs association with momentum shifts, considering location, scoring position, and quarter. Logistic regression revealed higher momentum shift and win probabilities when TFs were called while the team was ahead (70% vs. 22%) and in home games (44% vs. 22%). At home, TFs calls during trailing position decreased win chances from 41% (Q1) to 10% (Q4), but when committed in a winning position, the win chances increased from 62% (Q1) to 84% (Q4). Lower TFs effects were observed in away games. Specifically, TFs during trailing position reduced win chances from 33% (Q1) to 6% (Q4), while in advantage TFs increased win chances from 44% (Q1) to 79% (Q4). The differences evident in momentum shifts due to environmental and specific situational factors are attributed to changes in the interaction among the team's motivational climate, collective efficacy, and the spectators’ drive.

The study examines the link between technology readiness/acceptance, motivation for exercising, and sensation seeking and using or avoiding Smart Sport Watches (SSW). A sample of 315 adolescents, Mage = 29.6 (SD = 11.01) and healthy male (n = 95, 30.2%) and female (n = 179, 56.85%), completed all the measures of these variables’ dimensions via the internet. Multiple followed by univariate analyses of variance (MANOVA, ANOVA) were performed for each of the study’s psychological dimensions and single variables. The two categorical factors (e.g., BS factors) were the use of SSW (yes/no) and walk/run (yes/no). Results revealed that adolescents using SSW rated themselves significantly (p < 0.05) and substantially higher than their non-SSW users on positive readiness for technology (d = 0.47), and specifically on optimism (d = 0.34) and innovation (d = 0.51). Moreover, users of SSW reported significantly (p < 0.05) and substantially lower negative readiness for technology than their non-SSW users’ counterparts (d = −0.49), and specifically on discomfort (d = −0.38) and distrust (d = −50), but neither on the overall motivation for exercise dimensions nor on sensation-seeking. Moreover, adolescents who walk/run reported being more internally motivated (d = 0.38), integrated (d = 0.61), and identified (d = 0.34) than their sedentary counterparts. Discussion centers on the important role of readiness/acceptance in using technological devices and the need to use technology-specific motivation and personality measures to further explore this phenomenon.

In a follow-up to Tenenbaum et al.’s (2024) study we explored differences in momentum shift between regular season and playoff matchups, considering home vs. away games and score at the time of the technical foul call (leading or trailing). Analyzing 4,196 cases of technical fouls (TFs) against coaches from 2000-2021 (3,950 in the regular season, 246 in playoffs), logistic regression revealed a significant (p < .03) season by location interaction showing that in the regular season, home games TFs resulted in a 44%-win rate versus 28% in away games. In the playoffs, this changed to 50% at home and 23% away. The findings provide insights and practical considerations for the TF-momentum shift phenomenon.

This study examines the social construction of masculinity within the Israeli society, focusing on the associations between masculine identity, prior military service, and current involvement in long-distance running. A 2-year ethnographic research design was utilized, involving two running groups, which incorporated participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and running websites. The findings shed light on the significance of military service experience and the utilization of military discourse as strategies employed by runners to navigate the challenges of long-distance running and to reinforce their masculine identity. Through an analysis of the runners' military discourse and behavior, it becomes evident that the integration of women into traditionally masculine domains of intense physical activity poses a threat to masculine dominance, eliciting various responses from men, such as intensified sports training and the use of sexist and aggressive language. These coping mechanisms contribute to the perpetuation of male dominance within the long-distance running sphere while simultaneously providing male runners with a pseudo-corrective experience associated with their personal history of non-combat military involvement.

Bodily secretions such as urinating, expectorating, defaecating and flatulating during distance running often play an integral part in the distance runner's routine, but to a large degree remain undiscussed in public. The aim of this study is to deconstruct this taboo topic by shedding light on the nexus between secretions and their sociocultural meanings and implications in the confines of running groups. Drawing on Douglas's (1970) conceptual framework of the physical and social body-system, the paper provides a novel examination of bodily secretions and their dictated norms and assigned symbolic meanings. The contribution of this paper is to address the lacuna of research that focuses on the runner's (lived) body in times of secretion and the way it is navigated in the process of being in and belonging to a running group. An ethnographic research design of three years was implemented in two running groups, using participant observation and semi-structured interviews. The data presented suggest that while the running social body often restricts the novice runner's corporeal body in times of secretion, veteran runners seem to be looser and more unauthorised in the social system, treating their bodies and their secretions with less restraint and less feeling the need to hide or to be embarrassed by their secretions. Moreover, it is evident that bodily secretions are highly gendered. In this context, in contrast to male runners in the study, female runners are drastically more vigilant regarding the way they might be perceived, both to themselves and to others.

Through analysis of coaches' playing history and players' post-retirement career choices in these fields in Israel, this article identifies significant different patterns in the transition from the role of player to that of a coach in basketball and football. In football the majority of coaches are former senior players, and the majority of senior players go on to become coaches, whereas in basketball the situation is the complete reverse. Explanations for these significant differences are related to the athletes' social status in each field, the substantive and philosophical differences between the fields, and their different social norms.

In an analysis of NBA big data (4,196 cases over 21 seasons; 2000-2021), we examined the effect of technical fouls (TFs) on game momentum. Considering leading or trailing positions in home and away games, we studied performance metrics like points, rebounds, assists, and fouls across immediate, short-term, and medium-term timeframes. Using a quantitative methodology, the results showed that TFs were primarily called on the home team's coach (66.1%) when his team was trailing and the away team's coach (78.1%) when his team was at a disadvantage. Overall, TFs were called in 72.5% of the cases when the team was in a losing position. Furthermore, when the home team's coach was penalised with a TF, the home team secured victory in 44.2% of instances, while the away team won only in 28.1% of games played on the away team's court. Rebounds and fouls were the most pronounced performance indices to change after a TF call. The psychological state, which precedes and proceeds the TF calls, is considered the main reason for the momentum change. By and large, during crises, coaches can prioritise TFs calls, especially in home games, to boost psychological momentum. TFs can initiate team decline and boost scoring by decreasing personal fouls and increasing defensive rebounds. Future research is required to explore TFs' effects within game quarters and differences between regular season and playoff games for further insights.

Multiple forms of short-lived pain are common experiences among non-injured recreational marathoners, yet there remains little in-depth qualitative research on the lived experience regarding the sociology of transient pain. This study seeks to fill the lacuna by exploring the relationship between transient pain and its multifaceted consequences within the running social world. Drawing on Leder's notion of the dys-appearing body, the study investigates how non-injured runners interpret and attribute context-dependent significance to transient pain due to their runs. An ethnographic research design of two years was implemented in two running groups, using participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Three categories of transient pain were identified: (1) "Pre-flow pain" - discomfort at the start of a run before easing into a relaxed state, (2) "Impromptu pain" - unexpected, sharp pain that occurs during the run and (3) "Resurgent pain" - an ache that manifests after the end of a running session as a result of lingering effects from prior injuries. The data presented suggest that transient pain cannot be approached as a self-evident phenomenon occurring in a vacuum. Instead, it should be viewed as a nuanced pain epistemology that encompasses the lived experience of bodily pain within the subjective perception.

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a widely known phenomenon among gym goers. For many of them, experiencing DOMS the day after working out in the gym is often perceived as rewarding and something of which to brag and be proud. Although existing work within the biomedical field has undoubtedly shed light on coping with and managing DOMS, there remains little in-depth qualitative research on the gym goer's lived experience regarding this phenomenon. Following Becker's conceptual framework of using marihuana for pleasure, the article will examine the way gym goers learn to attain pleasure and gratification in times of DOMS through a process of reframing and socialization. Ethnographic research was conducted for two years in two gyms, using a combination of participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Findings illustrate three coherent stages a novice gym goer experiences while becoming an experienced gym goer and enjoying DOMS: (1) learning the proper "working-out" technique required to experience positive effects; (2) recognizing the effects of DOMS and their connection with the workout; and (3) enjoying the effects of DOMS caused by working out. Moreover, once gym goers manage to change the definition of negative sensations and interpret them as enjoyable, DOMS often becomes an indispensable experience that has to be religiously pursued. In this context, the audience in front of which the gym goers perform their DOMS serves as a "front region of behavior" for gaining social recognition by instrumentalizing their pain to strengthen and solidify their gym goer identity.

IntroductionThis research examines the perceived age of Premier League basketball players as they near retirement, focusing on the complex interplay between players, fans, and the media in shaping perceptions of age and retirement. The study highlights the unique pressure on the basketball players to retire due to age-related expectations, rooted in the perception that athleticism is age dependent.MethodsThe research methodology applied in this study involved conducting semi-structured interviews with a sample of 11 professional Israeli basketball players and two veteran players’ agents.ResultsThree themes emerged: (1) Feelings of betrayal and ingratitude; (2) A farewell tour toward disengagement from one’s professional career; and (3) The media’s role in shaping beliefs and attitudes. These themes illustrate how the sports environment portrays aging players, shaping fan opinions, both positively and negatively. Significantly, the findings emphasize the challenges that players must confront within an ageist environment.DiscussionThe study concludes by highlighting the cultural and social construction at work. The “coercion” to retire from professional sports is more pronounced here due to the common belief that sports success is time-bound and age-dependent, necessitating a “young body”. In this reality, the audience does not merely function as a backdrop for athletes’ performances, but has the power, at the collective and the individual level, to affect change on and off the court.

This paper focuses on the way novice marathon runners experience and respond to a change - becoming marathoners. It utilises Victor Turner's concepts of liminality and communitas to illustrate the complexity and challenges experienced by novice runners. The scope of sociological research regarding distance runners over the last two decades has expanded, nevertheless, very little has been written in reference to the process of the liminal phase per se. Therefore, the contribution of this paper is to address this lacuna of research and focus on the link between the process of 'becoming' and concepts such as solidarity, hierarchies, and standing norms, which play significant roles and constitute key components in the process of liminality. An ethnographic research design of three years was implemented in two running groups, using participant observation and semi-structured interviews. The data presented suggest that embarking on a marathoner identity requires a phase of betwixt and between wherein the 'traditional' borders of liminality and communitas are not fixed and often negotiable. Moreover, the relatively advanced age, similar socioeconomic status and military background among the running members serve as loopholes in liminality for novice runners towards 'interested solidarity' with veteran runners in achieving their new status as marathoners.

Based on an ethnographic study the article explores ageism in the context of gyms in Israel. It questions perceptions of ‘old age’ as having self-evident existence. As bodily characteristics are prominent in the social surrounding of the gym, this context serves as a convenient sphere for examining ageism. The findings reveal that fitness activity is perceived by all gym participants as serving to mitigate physical fragility. They also demonstrate that the attitude toward older exercisers shifts from encouragement to contempt and disregard. However, significant differences were found, depending on the contexts and situations, the specific sites, the extent of social integration, and other characteristics.

This study explored the emotional and cognitive dimensions associated with technical fouls (TFs) in basketball coaching. Using in-depth interviews with Israeli first-division basketball coaches, we aimed to uncover the emotional and cognitive intricacies involved in TFs. Through rigorous thematic content analysis, we delved into coaches' ability to perceive and manipulate psychological momentum on the court. We revealed that coaches intentionally use TFs as strategic tools. TFs were employed to elicit specific emotional responses and cognitive shifts in players, affecting their emotional states, arousal levels, motivation, and overall team performance. However, coaches approached TFs with caution due to the associated emotional and cognitive risks. They carefully weighed potential benefits against unforeseen consequences in their decision-making. Furthermore, our research highlighted coaches' belief in the immediate positive impact of TFs on referee decisions, underscoring the interplay between emotional influence and strategic advantage. Nevertheless, this advantage was perceived as short-lived, emphasizing that TFs are a two-edged sword with unpredictable outcomes.

IntroductionThe current study presents a thorough investigation of the attitudes and emotions expressed by the spouses and girlfriends of sports fans within the context of their long-term relationships. Its primary objective is to explore the potential ramifications that surface when individuals become deeply invested in a competitive sport, demonstrating intense emotional connections, broad knowledge, unwavering loyalty, and active engagement in fan-related activities.MethodsThe research methodology applied in this study involved conducting semi-structured interviews with a sample of twelve spouses and girlfriends of fans.ResultsThe principal findings elucidate four distinct themes that shed light on the intersection of fandom and romantic relationships. These themes include: “that’s what I signed up for”; “fandom as a gendered activity”; “the good, the bad, and the ugly”; and “sports fandom as an addiction.”DiscussionThe study concludes by highlighting the crucial cultural context at work. The social criticism expressed by the interviewees toward non-traditional gender behaviors displayed by their partners serves as a cautionary message. These criticisms aim to preserve and uphold male dominance in sports, thereby reinforcing the notion of their unquestioned supremacy. Consequently, we argue that, within this context, latent aggressive behavior in men is perceived as a strategy to maintain their monopolistic control over sports domains.