Throughout this lesson, we learned about the sense of community which is “a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that members’ needs will be met through commitment to be together” (McMillian & Chavis, 1986). There can be many different types of communities, and the textbook explains that there are four aspects that make up a community. The four aspects include membership, influence, integration and fulfillment of needs, and shared emotional connection (Gruman, 2016). One community that is an important one to evaluate is the sports community, specifically how the sense of community fits into a sports team.

Membership is “the idea that a community has geographical or social boundaries, and we can determine who belongs in the community and who does not” (Gruman, 2016). For a sports team, membership can be controlled by tryouts for the team. Membership is also not always guaranteed and sometimes people can be excluded from being a member of a team. Often times for professional sports team, membership can be based on performance and if performance is not kept up, then a member may be asked to leave.

Influence “refers to the power an individual has within a community and the power the community has over the individual” (Gruman, 2016). In a sports community or team, many people can hold influence. A coach can have influence over his players, as they can inspire, motivate, and push them to succeed. Team captains and leaders can also have influence because these are team selected players who already hold influence on the group by being good role models and leaders. While coaches and team leaders may hold more influence sometimes, any player can hold influence on the team as they work hard and motivate the rest of their teammates to be better.

Integration and fulfillment of needs “refers to the idea of shared values among community members, satisfying each other’s needs, and sharing goods and resources” (Gruman, 2016). In team sports, integration is completed because all of the members on a team are together for the same reason, with similar goals. They are each working hard to be the best at their sport and to will. Gathered around these goals, they are able to satisfy each others needs and share the same resources to do so.

Shared emotional connection is when “Community members in a cohesive community will feel a shared bond with others within their community” (Gruman, 2016). In terms of a sports community, this can mean multiple different things. Members of a specific sport can feel a connection and bond to others in their sport locally or across the world. Members of professional sports teams also share a love for their team and bond with the people in their community who support them. Sports communities are some of the best ones because they show the passion and love that people everywhere can share for a sport.

References:

Gruman, J., Schneider, F., Coutts, L.  (2016).  Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems.

McMillian, D. W., & Chavis, D. M. (1986). Apa PsycNet. American Psychological Association. Retrieved March 30, 2023, from https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1987-03834-001