FORMATION OF CHARACTER AND IMAGE OF SPORTSMAN AS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN MASS MEDIA

. As with any large organization, the core value of a professional sports club and its affiliates should be to build and maintain a strong image, which can naturally be the best tool for maintaining a positive reputation for the organization and its members, a well-formed Formation of character and image of sportsman as a competitive advantage in mass media first part of the question categories and subcategories are formulated using the model proposed by Arai et al. (2013; 2014) MABI (Model of Athlete Brand Image), which highlights three important aspects in shaping an athlete's image. The second and third question groups are based on the research of Charumbira (2016, 2018), Hasaan et al. (2016), which analyzes the role of the athlete in shaping the image of the athlete, including the media. Conclusions. Athlete's image consists of structural elements such as the athlete's experience, which includes competitive style, athletic mastery and behaviour during competitions, attractive appearance, expressed in physical and social attractiveness, style, clothing, body beauty, and demonstrated lifestyle that is characterized by a distinctive life story, relationship endeavors where the athlete is a role model and based on the lifestyle the image and athlete's reputation are formed. While social responsibility and reputation retention play an important role. An attractive image of an athlete may in part result in advertising space, television coverage or increased sponsorship. The media plays a key role in shaping the image of the athlete and is an important tool in the process. athlete's achievements, demonstrable form, his communication skills, and the athlete's interest.“ (IN5).


Significance
of athlete's attractive image. The purpose of this part of the interview was to find out whether it is necessary to plan the athlete's image processes and tools to create a favorable athlete image in the media. In order to achieve this goal, a qualitative category "Athlete's Image Planning and Formation" was accentuated which was divided into two sub-categories: athlete image planning and athlete image formation tools. Planning the athlete's image "<...> in times of information 'explosion", athlete's image planning can help you reach your audience in a more targeted way and grow a larger fan audience in cyberspace". (IN1). "<...> non-team sports representatives usually have their own public relations and marketing specialists teams." (IN2). "<...> sometimes you really need to remind athletes about it, and remind them how much this means." (IN3). "<...> It is very good when spontaneous situations are used, the opportunities that could be used for further image building." (IN4). "<...> some athletes really need help and an action plan, while others can handle it themselves perfectly." (IN5). Athlete's image formation tools "<...> the most effective -active use of social networks, speaking on current topics, which can attract media attention." (IN1). "<...> all measures are effective and it is ideal when they go hand in hand." (IN2). "<...> social networks and social campaigns." (IN3). "<...> social networks." (IN4). "<...> active social networking, socializing with fans and participating in social events and different campaigns are the most beneficial." (IN5).
Analyzing the importance of athlete's image planning, it was sought to determine whether it is necessary to plan athlete's image formation processes, and whether athletes do this spontaneously themselves or they need professionals. The researchees emphasized that in times of information "explosion", athlete's image planning can help you reach your audience in a more targeted way and grow a larger fan audience in cyberspace, and emphasized that some athletes really need help and action plan, while others can handle themselves perfectly. Thus, we can say that the athlete himself or herself can contribute to the formation of his or her image and the dissemination of the information he or she desires, but in case of spontaneous scenario the unwanted information can "come out". It can also be noted that, especially in personal sports, they often have their own team of public relations and marketing professionals, which reduces the likelihood of unwanted messages to be spread to fans.
In order to look at the athlete's image-building tools deeper, the interviewed journalists were asked which athlete's image forming tools are most effective. The respondents stated that active social networking, communication with fans and participation in social events and various campaigns are the most beneficial. Thus, we can say that all measures are effective, and it is best when they are used in combination. In this case, the athlete can expect the best result in terms of image.
The following section of the interview sought to find out the marketing value of an attractive athlete image in the media. To achieve this goal, a qualitative category was identified "Significance of Attractive Athlete Image in the Media", which is divided into four sub-categories: possibility to appear on television, possibility to appear in print and social networking, increased advertising, and audience engagement. Table 9. Significance of attractive athlete image in the media

Sub-category
Proving statement Possibilities to appear on television "<...> I agree. The public wants to see their favorite athletes, to hear their opinions." (IN1). "<...> an athlete with an attractive image will certainly get attention, but not necessarily time on television." (IN2). "<...> an athlete with a positive image has far more power than a negative." (IN3). "<...> I agree, the only downside is when having a lot of "goodies" can be boring." (IN4). "<...> I agree. A good image athlete will be attractive to television due to the potential for good ratings." (IN5). Possibilities to appear in print and social networking "<...> I agree. An attractive image is related to the popularity of the athlete, which may result in higher media attention for the athlete." (IN1). "<...> an attractive image alone does not guarantee anything." (IN2). "<...> totally yes, he is more interesting." (IN3). "<...> that attractive image is not that important anymore." (IN4). "<...> I agree. The better the athlete, the better the image." (IN5).
When analyzing an athlete's possibilities to appear on television, the media representatives were asked whether an athlete with an attractive image creates a good team image and gets more possibilities to appear in television broadcasts. The respondents assured that the public wants to see their favorite athletes, hear their views and that a good image athlete will be attractive to television because of the potential for good ratings. Consequently, it can be said that an athlete with a positive image has significantly more power than a negative one. An athlete with an attractive image will certainly get attention, but not necessarily time on television The sub-category of possibilities to appear in print and social networking aims to find out whether an athlete with an attractive image, who creates a good image for the team, has more possibilities of being portrayed in the press and/or in social networks. The interviewees confirmed that the attractive image is related to the popularity of the athlete, so the media may be more focused on the athlete. Thus, we can conclude that a well-respected athlete with a good track record may receive additional media attention.
Lesser-known athletes can be seen as "assistants" to a famous athlete, which can lead to an automatically positive image of the team. With regard to the sub-category of increasing advertising volumes, the media representatives had to answer whether the athlete with an attractive image and a good image of the team could gain more space for advertising in the media. The respondents agreed that an attractive image athlete could gain more advertising space in the media. This means we can say that image is important to advertisers, and that athletes with an attractive image can be more beneficial to them, which can lead to more advertising offers for athletes.
Analyzing the sub-category of spectator attraction, it was sought to find out whether an attractive image athlete attracts more spectators to sporting events. The respondents said that it is interesting for people to see successful people, but this tendency is not common in Lithuania unless world-class athletes appear at sporting events. So we can conclude that club members rely on strong personalities when creating advertising campaigns, because people are easier attracted to sport events by well-known, welcoming faces that are associated with victory, good emotions, confidence and success. The following section of the interview sought to find out the marketing value of an attractive athlete image for sponsorship. To achieve this goal, a qualitative category was identified -"Impact of an Attractive Athlete Image on Sponsorship" and a subcategory -opportunities for more sponsorship.  When analyzing the chances of getting more sponsorship, the media representatives had to answer whether an athlete having an attractive image attracts more supporters and gets support from sports and political leaders. The interviewees agreed that people can relate the relevant product to the values of the athlete promoting the product, and that it is even beneficial for leaders then to use from a good athlete's image. This means that an athlete with an attractive image can create a larger circle of followers about himself, where other celebrities automatically appear. Thus, it can be concluded that such an athlete generates more public attention, and therefore the news about him is more read in the media. As a result, the media has an interest in writing about such a person.
The next part of the interview sought to find out the marketing value of an attractive athlete image for competitiveness. To achieve this goal, Formation of character and image of sportsman as a competitive advantage in mass media (continuation of the article №2, 2019) 97 a qualitative category "Marketing value of attractive athlete image for competitiveness" and a sub-category -competitiveness as an image shaping factor.  When researching competitiveness as an image-forming factor, the respondents had to answer whether an athlete having an attractive image enhances their competitiveness in the sports market and/ whether fans remain more loyal to athletes having strong / attractive image, and their teams. The interviewees assured that the athlete's results, achievements, skills and experience increase the competitiveness in the sports market. The respondents emphasized that everyone wants to cooperate not only with good athletes, but also with athletes having good image who do not damage the image of the team / organization. Regarding fans, the participants emphasized that supporters in Lithuania are particularly sensitive to team results. Still, a strong personality can embody the team's values, traditions, favorite fan stories. Consequently, greater societal focus can help an athlete to step out of the sport border and become associated with victories, high achievements and distinguish the individual from other athletes, but having an attractive image is not always a guarantee of fan support. The next part of the interview sought to find out the significance of the athlete's reputation for image formation in the public. To achieve this goal, a qualitative category "Significance of Athlete Reputation" and a sub-category -athlete reputation as an image-forming factor were distinguished. The reputation of the athlete as an image shaping factor "<...> hiding information is probably one of the worst things possible in an athlete's reputation." (IN1). "<...>reputation is the most valuable currency of modern times." (IN2). "<...> first and foremost, you should live in a way that does not have to hide information." (IN3). "<...> I would advise you not to wait for somebody to nose out something, but to take the initiative, explain and sometimes apologize if necessary." (IN4). "<...> it is better not to hide the information, because once it is revealed there is again a reason to write about the athlete and his dishonesty." (IN5).
Analyzing the significance of an athlete's reputation for image formation in the media, it was sought to determine whether an athlete's good reputation is an important factor in forming a favorable image and whether the concealment of information and subsequent disclosure damage the athlete's image. The respondents refer to reputation as the most valuable currency of modern times, and when it comes to hiding information, all respondents agree that it is better not to hide information, because once it is revealed there is a reason to write about the athlete and his dishonesty.
Thus, a good reputation of an athlete is an extremely important factor in shaping an athlete's image. "Spicy", negative stories that undermine the image can deceive stereotypes and serve as a continuing slam. Consequently, we can identify information concealment as one of the worst possible things for an athlete's reputation. Doing so may increase distrust in the athlete, and as the information becomes clear, the athlete gets more negative feedback and fans and supporters can turn away from them.
The role of the media in shaping the image of the athlete. This part of the interview researched the process of shaping the image of an athlete in the media. To achieve this goal, a qualitative category was identified "The Process of Athlete's Image Formation in the Media", which is divided into three sub-categories: individuals and groups of individuals conditioning the formation of athlete's image, the most effective media means, criteria for selecting an athlete as the information object.

Sub-category
Proving statement Individuals and groups of individuals conditioning the formation "<...> media contributes significantly to athlete image formation by writing about the athlete's life, highlighting athlete's achievements." (IN1). "<...> the media here, of course, play the key role, as it is only through the media that the athlete can be widely referred to." (IN2). "<...> the media has a lot of influence because how they present the athlete Formation of character and image of sportsman as a competitive advantage in mass media (continuation of the article №2, 2019) 99 Sub-category Proving statement of athlete's image to the audience he will have that image." (IN3). "<...> the media is important, but family and the closest ones are becoming increasingly important." (IN4). "<...> the media also have a big role to play and, in fact, have a lot of influence in their own hands. One text -you are a hero. One more text -you are the enemy." (IN5). Analyzing the individuals and groups of individuals conditioning the image of an athlete aims to find out which individuals / groups of individuals, means determine the formation of the image of the athlete. The respondents emphasized that the media has a major role to play in creating an athlete's image, writing about the athlete's life, highlighting his or her achievements the media has a big role, and, in fact, has a lot of influence in their hands. One textyou are a hero, another text -you are an enemy. Thus, it can be said that the public reads the news in the media, so much of the information about the athlete comes from publications in the media. Consequently, other celebrities with whom the athlete interacts and is seen together in the public sphere may also create the image of the athlete. Also, athlete's sponsors, businessmen, business groups can create a relevant image.
The study of the most effective media was used to find out what media were used to provide information about athletes. In this regard, the researchees highlighted the publication of major portals, facebook accounts and other social networks, as well as participation in TV shows having favorable image. Also, as the most effective medium, they highlighted frequent appearances during sports broadcasts. So, it can be said that it all depends on what kind of audience you want to reach.
The sub-category of criteria for selecting an athlete as a subject of information seeks to research what criteria are important for journalists when selecting an athlete to be reported in the media. The respondents stated that the better the athlete's performance falling from the usual statistics frames, the record improving or something like that, the greater the likelihood of more publications being written about him. The respondents also pointed out that it is always interesting to interact with a person who can talk about different topics or get to certain things from a different, more interesting and sometimes unexpected side. So, to sum up, first of all the athlete who excelled in the match should be relevant. This means that sporting achievements come first and only then -the image they have. The final part of the interview sought to clarify the ethnic factors shaping the image of athletes in the media. To achieve this goal, a qualitative category "Ethical factors forming the athletes' image in the media" was distinguished and divided into four sub-categories: manipulation and intentional harm in shaping the image of the athlete, the significance of personal acquaintances in shaping the image of an athlete in the media, links between financial benefit and athlete information content for journalists, unfair competition in shaping the image of athletes / teams. Sub-category Proving statement The significance of personal acquaintances in shaping the image of an athlete in the media "<...>the media representative can more easily reach the athlete and "pull" the information they want. In this case, the image of the athlete in the media can be positive." (IN1). "<...> sad but it can, which is very bad for the media." (IN2). "<...>if an athlete is a favorite of journalists, he or she freely and amicably communicates with them. It is quite clear that he will be written about and described as a very positive hero." (IN3). "<...>a bit yes, but basically you try to be objective." (IN4). "<...> if the athlete is well-known and the media knows his good qualities, they can be used." (IN5). "<...> yes, personal relationships can lead to choose an athlete to be written about in articles." (IN1). "<...> sad but it can, which is very bad for the media." (IN2). By analyzing manipulation and intentional harm in shaping the image of the athlete, the goal was to determine whether the media could manipulate the information available. The respondents confirmed that they have this opportunity. And that's one of the most negative things about the media. The interviewees said that media representatives should not manipulate information, which is unethical. Consequently, we can conclude that rumored athletes' lives may be added to the information covered by the media. This is most relevant to the disclosure of unverified information.

Table 14. Ethical problems of athlete image formation in the media
By researching the significance of personal acquaintances in shaping an athlete's image in the media, it was sought to determine whether personal acquaintances / communication can lead to presenting more favorable information about the athlete in the media. In this regard, the interviewees stated that if an athlete is a beloved person by journalists, he or she freely and friendly communicates with them. It is quite clear that he will be written about and described as a very positive hero. The respondents also say that if the athlete is wellknown and the media know his or her good qualities, they can be used. Thus, to sum up, the athlete's familiarity results in the media being able to reach the desired athlete more easily, through the use of personal communications it is easier to "pull out" the information they want. This means that the image of the athlete will usually be positive.When it comes to the links between financial benefit and athlete information content for journalists, the question naturally arises whether the content of media information in shaping an athlete's image depends on the financial gain. The respondents speak unanimously on this point and say that the information provided is not related to the financial benefit they receive. Thus, the financial benefit should not be reflected in writing publications about athletes.
In the sub-category unfair competition in shaping the image of athletes / teams is sought to research whether the interviewees had any practice that athletes and / or coaches requested negative information about competitors from other teams and that athletes and / or coaches requested negative information from competitors within the same team. In none of the five subjects, the named situations have occurred in practice. During the research, interviewees made additional recommendations for athletes' image formation: "Professional sports are understandably business as well, as professional athletes can generate revenue by using their name, for example, through advertising. A positive image of the athlete is important for this, and it is important that people with an understanding of communication and marketing areas would care about it. This is most relevant for individual sports representatives, perhaps to a lesser extent for team sports. The most important thing for athletes is to find professionals and discuss with them the ways and means of presenting information about the athlete and developing their positive image. Specially, this will put the strategy together and start working. Roughlythis is all that needs to be done for an athlete who wants his or her positive image to generate revenue". (IN2 ). IN1 states that an athlete does not need to manage social networks himself / herself unless he / she has the ability. Especially in basketball, this is often done by their agents or the closest ones. One of the main directions needed for a good image is communication with the fans, thanks for support. (IN3) gives recommendation "always stay true to yourself and do not put on a" mask "in front of the media, as it feels very much to the viewers and makes communication untrue. Of course, I would advise you to connect with the fans and remind them that they are important. With a good sense of humor and a smile on the face it's hard to get a negative image. " Summarizing the informants' recommendations, one can say that the main purpose of creating an attractive image is to generate income. The image of an athlete is recommended to be shaped with the help of professionals who understand Analyzing the role of the media in the context of athletes 'image formation confirmed the findings highlighted in the researchers' research on the weighty role of the media. In a general sense, most people readily accept media presented news. It is difficult for the public to get answers to questions of interest because it is virtually impossible for ordinary people to obtain and verify the information received without the media. Therefore, the public is forced to trust the media. Trust is based on irreplaceability. Media messages are addressed to the majority, not to a specific individual, so communication through the media means is an instrument for building and maintaining mass consciousness. This is also reflected in the process of providing information about sports events and athletes. The research participants substantiate this with the statement that "the media here, of course, plays a pivotal role because only the media can mention the athlete extensively", "the media has a lot of influence because how they present the athlete to the audience,he will have that image", "the media is important, but family and the closest ones are becoming more and more important", "the media also has a big role to play and, frankly speaking, has a lot of influence in their hands. One text -you are a hero. Another textyou are the enemy ". These statements illustrate what a powerful instrument for forming an athlete's image is in media actions, and this tendency remains, even with the role of family and the closest ones in shaping the athlete's image. The study confirms the scientific work of other authors. It is worth mentioning that there is not much work and research on the role of the media in the topics of athletes' image formation, and this work can contribute to the development and application of this theme in athlete management and decision making on image formation. As stated by Hasaan et al. (2016), the media is an important tool in the process of creating an athlete's good image and disseminating information about athletes. The researchers refined the Athlete Image Model (MABI) developed in previous studies and pointed out that fans' views that contribute to athlete's image development also need to be analyzed. According to Scott (2008), social life is no longer conceivable without the Internet, which is gradually displacing part of the media as a means of disseminating information. Social connections move from the real world to a virtual space that is no less active than in the real world. It is no exception that the professional athletes of these days often use social networks such as facebook, twitter or instagram which facilitate communication with their fans and are a great platform to promote their image.
Analyzing the significance of an attractive athlete image, the media representatives believe that a wellrespected athlete with a good track record may receive additional media attention. An athlete having attractive image is sure to attract attention, but not necessarily time on television; club representatives rely on strong personalities to create advertising campaigns, as well-known, welcoming faces associated with victory, good emotion, confidence and success are more likely to attract people to sports events. Such athlete generates more public attention, and the media is interested in writing about such an individual, greater public awareness can help an athlete to get out of the sport borders and become associated with victories, high achievements and distinguish the individual from other athletes, but an athlete having an attractive image is not always the guarantee for retention of fans, the good reputation of the athlete is an extremely important factor in shaping the athlete's image. Comparing the research, it is possible to say that a good team image, competitive players can attract more media attention and business sponsors. Sports marketing issues were analyzed by James et all (2001), Charumbira (2015), Kaynak et all. (2008), Charumbira and Charumbira (2015), and others, who argue that organizations use sport as a medium to create a distinctive image in the eyes of consumers, and in turn can differentiate their brands from competitors.
Professional sports emerged as a rewarding business with many opportunities for sports marketing to flourish. In recent years, many organizations and companies such as Siemens, Coca-Cola, Toyota and BenQ have invested heavily in sports and sporting events or athletes. The popularity of the team and the athlete, their attractiveness, strong image, also determine the attraction of supporters. From the point of view of fans' actions, fans dedicate their time and effort to support teams and can thus enhance the image of the team and their athletes. Defining the role of the media in shaping the image of the athlete suggests that each individual should have a worldview about many things, but it is often observed that he or she possesses a formulated image of the world presented by the media because he does not have the time to create it. Also, most people have no understanding of many things at all, so they readily accept media presented knowledge. It is difficult for the public to get answers to the questions they are interested in because it is virtually impossible for ordinary people to access and verify the information they receive without the media and the public is forced to trust the media. Trust is based on irreplaceability. Media messages are addressed to the majority, not the individual reader individually, and communication through the media means is an instrument for the formation and maintenance of mass consciousness. So, in summary, we can say that the media provides the public with the most information not only about athletes' individual mastery, skills or achievements, but also provides "spicy" news from the athlete's personal life, which will not necessarily help shape a positive image. It can also be emphasized that in today's society the athlete himself has all the possibilities to control his Formation of character and image of sportsman as a competitive advantage in mass media (continuation of the article №2, 2019) 105 image creation through social networks. According to the media representatives, sporting experience and the demonstrated athlete's lifestyle within each of the subcategories are significant structural elements in shaping the athlete's image. The structural elements of an athlete's image such as an athletic experience, attractive athlete's appearance, publicity of lifestyle and personal qualities form the necessary whole for shaping an athlete's image, but the athlete's charismatic style is extremely important, unusual playing technique, successful performance, interesting and persistent matches, respect for opponents, fans, fair play. According to the informants, an attractive appearance is not the cornerstone that shapes the image of an athlete, although self-supporting and strong athletes may attract more media attention. Dramatic episodes of life attract attention, while social responsibility and reputation retention play an important role. Physical attractiveness can only influence athlete image formation on certain, mostly "spicy" topics, but an athlete who does not show good results or good play, even with an attractive physical appearance, will not gain media prominence due to his or her appearance. According to informants, the external beauty of an athlete is more important to those for whom sport is merely an episodic leisure rather than a lifestyle.
An attractive image of an athlete may in part result in advertising space, participation in television shows or increased sponsorship.
The media representatives believe that a wellrespected and high-performing athlete can gain additional media attention, an attractive athlete will certainly gain attention but not necessarily time on television, club representatives rely on strong personalities to create advertising campaigns, as wellknown, welcoming faces associated with victory, good emotion, confidence and success are more likely to attract people to sports events and such athlete generates more public attention, and the media is interested in writing about such an individual, greater public awareness can help an athlete to get out of the sport borders and become associated with victories, high achievements and distinguish the individual from other athletes, but good reputation of the athlete is an extremely important factor in shaping the athlete's image. Media plays a key role in shaping the image of the athlete and is an important tool in this process. Highlighting an athlete's achievements, they have the ability to manipulate information in a sense. Interviewees recognize that they can present information by giving it both positive and negative shades and can use the information both to create a positive image and to belittle the athlete. CONCLUSIONS 1. The term of image is not defined in the scientific literature and there is no unambiguous explanation of the concept. Some authors emphasize this term by exploring a person's individual traits, style, clothing and behaviour, while others emphasize the importance of an organization's image. An image is defined as a special image created by the psyche, a set of false or true images, judgments that have been made about an individual, their group, or society as a whole about a particular object. Professional image is not just a set of professional qualities of an individual. There are distinguished such behavioral aspects as individual posture, speaking manners and correctness, style of clothing, general culture of a person, which determine the first impression of an individual and create visual information that includes physiological characteristics of an individual.
2. An athlete's image consists of structural elements such as the athlete's experience, which includes competitive style, athletic mastery and behaviour during competitions, attractive appearance, expressed in physical and social attractiveness, style, clothing, body beauty, and demonstrated lifestyle that is characterized by a distinctive life story, relationship endeavors where the athlete is a role model and based on the lifestyle the image and athlete's reputation are formed.
3. An athlete's image consists of structural elements such as the athlete's experience, which includes competitive style, athletic mastery and behaviour during competitions, attractive appearance, expressed in physical and social attractiveness, style, clothing, body beauty, and demonstrated lifestyle that is characterized by a distinctive life story, relationship endeavors where the athlete is a role model and based on the lifestyle the image and athlete's reputation are formed. According to the media representatives, sporting experience and the demonstration of an athlete's lifestyle within each of the sub-categories are significant structural elements in shaping the athlete's image. The structural elements of an athlete's image such as an athletic experience, attractive athlete's appearance, publicity of lifestyle and personal qualities form the necessary whole for shaping an athlete's image, however, the athlete's charismatic style, unusual playing technique, successful performance, exciting and persistent matches, respect for opponents, fans and statement for fair play are all crucial. Dramatic episodes of life attract attention, while social responsibility and reputation retention play an important role. Physical attractiveness can only influence athlete's image formation on certain, mostly "spicy" topics, but an athlete who does not show good results or good play, even with an attractive physical appearance, will not gain media prominence due to his or her appearance.
According to the informants, the external beauty of an athlete is more important to those for whom sport is merely an episodic leisure rather than a lifestyle. An attractive image of an athlete may in part result in advertising space, television coverage or increased sponsorship. The media plays a key role in shaping the image of the athlete and is an important tool in the process.