ABSTRACT
To some degree sport is inherently aggressive, particularly given that it often involves instrumental aggression or aggression enacted to achieve a nonaggressive goal as part of the performance (VaezMousavi & Shojaie, 2005a). This may involve aggressive behaviors to get the ball, score points, or stop opponents-all of which can be enacted instrumentally without the intention of harming opponents. Yet instrumental aggression within the context of sport can lead to other forms of aggression during performance (Stornes & Roland, 2004). Thus, the inherency of aggression in sport easily and readily spills over to hostile acts of aggression between players, coaches, fans, referees, parents, and the like. Our intention in this chapter is to examine aggression within the context of sport, paying particular attention to the role communication plays in this context. In doing so we will consider the major sources of aggression in sport and how those are derived, fostered, and advanced communicatively.
