An Exploration of the Relationships between Memory and Sport

Abstract

An exploratory and inductive study was conducted of the relationships between sport and personal memory. A diverse sample of 132 people were asked to recount their single clearest memory of sport. Analysis of the responses indicates that such memories are common and often very detailed and salient for the respondents. The characteristics of the memories are presented, six themes are identified and summarized, and the memories are related to four hypotheses derived from studies of the sociology of memory. Our memories of sport link us not only to the institution but also to significant group relationships and important episodes in our lives. These memories are also connected with our sense of self and reflect current orientations toward sports.

‘Lest we forget’: a veteran and son share a ‘warfare tourism’ experience

“…Bob and Steve's enjoyment of this part of the discussion, and Steve's contribution indicate that these memories are 'collective' and have helped form a bond between father and son (Halbwachs, 1980;Healey, 1991), despite the fact that it is only Bob that has experienced this personally.…”

“…So Steve was looking for empathy with his father, and especially to try to link with Bob by putting himself in his father's situation (c.f. Healey, 1991):…”

‘Carlsberg don’t make football teams… but if they did’: the utopian reporting of FC St Pauli in the British media

“…Highlighting this collective experience does much to promote social solidarity and a collective consciousness in a society, not unlike the way in which hymns are employed within a religion. 25 In this context, such occurrences are a 'way of linking with and expressing our relationship with emotionally significant others' 26 and serve to reinforce nostalgic memories, the majority of which are positive in nature. 27 Mentions here of both The Clash and The Beatles serve as both historic and iconic references, and have a particular reverence in the case of the latter, as St Pauli's ground is located in the area in which The Beatles plied their early trade.…”

“…12 For some, sport and immersion within the environment in which it occurs is central in providing and reinforcing experiences that become imbued with great nostalgic importance, as sport is filled with moments of vivid drama, many of which are collective in nature. 13 The football ground provides the first nostalgic site located within the viewed articles:…”

Playing Nostalgic Language Games in Sport Research: Conceptual Considerations and Methodological Musings

“…For some sport scholars, such investments into nostalgia may present challenges that adversely affect the research process and researchers' subjectivities (or affects) toward their subject matter. One area of sport research in which the area of nostalgia has explicitly appeared and been acknowledged is sport and tourism (Dann, 1994;Healy, 1991;Jarratt & Gammon, 2016). Early use of the term was a way to conceptualize sports-related travel to sport halls of fames, museums, visits to historical artefacts, seeking 'authentic' sporting experiences (e.g.…”