Clarifying the Innovation Value of Sports Policy by Network Analysis: Adding the Case of Shohei Ohtani’s Two-way High Performance

This study is an empirical study on sports policy. To explore the social value of future sports policy, we extracted key concepts from literature summaries. We used a co-occurrence network analysis to qualify items with a high frequency of occurrence from more than 100 international papers concerned sport policy since 2020. From a total of 28,417 terms, the relationship between “growth”, “culture”, “model”, “country”, “environment” and “SDGs” was extracted as policy structures related to sports policy. In addition, using time series grouping from the past to the present and the future (correspondence analysis), more strategical concrete activities and organizational coordination were oriented. It suggested innovative policy developments in the future. Next, to clarify the modern characteristics of a sports model, we discussed the policy development of MLB Shohei Ohtani's two-way challenge (pitcher and batter). A new model of sports innovation supported by sports medicine and science (performance analysis) might have been proposed. The emergence of sports performances beyond preconceived notions might be due to a policy shift from an athlete-first perspective to past policies. We would like to discuss the possibility that innovation could be generated through mutual aid rather than competitive elimination. It could be a consideration of the social values generated by altruism or coexistence.