Navigating boundaries: conflicting roles, agency, trust, and risk in sports interpreting

Abstract: The scandal involving Ippei Mizuhara, former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, has highlighted the potentially expansive roles of sports interpreters. Mizuhara’s duties included acting as Ohtani’s personal assistant, media liaison, and cultural broker, which ultimately enabled him to manipulate financial transactions and embezzle nearly $17 million. This paper examines the causes of this scandal by analysing the unique roles and responsibilities of sports interpreters and drawing on key concepts of agency, trust, and risk within sports interpreting. Through interviews with interpreters in Japanese baseball and Italian football, this study conducted a comparative analysis of their experiences in different cultural and sports contexts. The analysis involved both professional interpreters hired by sports clubs and freelancers, as well as ad-hoc interpreters such as former players. Findings revealed that interpreters often face role conflicts, such as balancing professional boundaries with personal involvement, and take on responsibilities far beyond linguistic mediation, including cultural adaptation, logistical support, and conflict resolution. These expanded roles, while critical to athletes' success, create vulnerabilities when trust is misplaced, as seen in Mizuhara's case. This paper highlights the complex dynamics in sports interpreting, emphasizing the need for clear ethical guidelines and training to ensure accountability and professional standards.