All the world’s a stage: The impact of an audience on sport performers

Abstract

First paragraph: If, as William Shakespeare said, all the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players, then nowhere is this more apparent than in sport. A total of 1.84 million people attended matches in the 2003 Rugby World Cup; 1.17 million attended matches in the 2004 European Soccer Championships; and 3.60 million attended the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. There are many examples of sport performers being affected because they have to perform in front of an audience. For example, when talking about the reaction of the home supporters to a frustrating draw, Jermaine Jenas who plays for Newcastle United soccer team in the English Premier League said “The supporters get frustrated, just as the players do, but it’s important that they stick behind us and try to remain positive. What they do is often projected onto the pitch. We know they are feeling a bit nervous …”