The popular conception of lacrosse has been the same for decades. In 2010’s The Social Network, despite already being set amongst the most elite of Ivies, Justin Timberlake as Napster founder Sean Parker makes a point about power by recalling a revenge fantasy against the co-captain of his high school lacrosse team. In 1988’s Scrooged, the coiffed blowhard called in to replace Bill Murray’s character attempts to lighten the mood with the anecdote: “My lacrosse coach used to say, ‘There is no ‘I’ in ‘T-E-A-M.’”
Click here to read the story at insidehook.com.
Discussion Questions:
- What is product positioning?
- What is repositioning?
- Based on information from this story, do you think the sport of lacrosse is being repositioned? If yes, how? If no, do you think it should? Why or why not?
- Who is the PLL?
- What challenges might the PLL face as it tries to grow and attract more fans?
- If you were a sport marketing professional working for the PLL, what would you do to increase the league’s popularity? Be prepared to share your ideas in class.
- What is leadership?
- Why is leadership important in sports business?
- How might strong leadership help the PLL to grow?