What Can Al Pacino Teach Norwegian Youth Athletes? A Norwegian Coach’s Ritual Use of Hollywood Media to Produce Team Culture

Abstract

This article examines a coach’s use of a Hollywood film as a ritualized means for addressing concerns arising from boys’ participation in Norwegian handball. Through the prism of the ritual I elucidate a set of underlying cultural processes that are unlikely to be unique to this sport and setting. Participant observation among 15 year-old handballers was conducted throughout the 2011–2012 season. Here I focus on how Hollywood meaning was used and received at the arena. Meso analysis reveals how and why the movie became a significant part of the team’s praxis and how ritual allowed competent actors to embrace or reject its meaning. This ritualized media use maintained a system of stratification that was rendered tolerable and meaningful for all squad members, albeit in differing ways.