After an emotional day on Tuesday wondering if my sister was OK in Christchurch (she is), the idea of writing about sport seemed disrespectful to those who are mourning, searching for or worrying about loved ones in Christchurch.
Who would care about sport at a time like this?I decided to investigate whether anything had been written about sport and natural disasters, and was surprised to find there were 36 articles on a sport-specific database accessible at Massey University.
The focus of these articles included the impact of natural disasters on sports facilities, sports events, and sports clubs struggling with clean-up and economic recovery in the aftermath of events like Hurricane Katrina.
Other articles discussed how sport organisations and facilities play a significant role in operations and recovery associated with natural disasters because of the large number of volunteers in sport organisations, space offered by some sport and recreation venues, and the role of sport in social cohesion.
One article by Wenner (1993) was a case study of the press coverage of the 1989 Baseball World Series played between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics before and after the community experienced an earthquake.
This case study aimed to understand how sport is placed into the context of everyday life as social conditions and interpretations of a disaster change.
The focus of this article appeared to be on how the press struggles to create a community of fans, and naturalise sport into everyday life, when faced with a natural disaster.
I found this article in bad taste at a time like this, when people's lives and livelihoods should be of paramount concern, so didn't read further.
Another article highlighted the long-term impact of natural disasters on the sporting world in terms of rebuilding facilities, attracting tourists, and re-engaging schools and youth into sport programmes.
Once again, being able to host a game or two at the Rugby World Cup will be a low priority for people experiencing this disaster first-hand.
Other articles were more heart-warming and discussed the potential role sport can play in maintaining a sense of community cohesion in a particularly unsettling period (eg Mitrano & Smith, 1990).
We saw evidence of this with the free provincial rugby game hosted last year and the recent Warriors game on the West Coast - gestures appreciated by communities that have seen some of their darkest days.
After an appropriate period of time, sport does unite a community in need of something to smile about.
But for now, sport won't be on the minds of Christchurch citizens focused on rescuing, recovering and re-connecting with people in a city that has had its fair share of devastation.
What can I say from afar?
Kia kaha, kia toa, kia manawanui - be strong, be brave, and be strong-hearted.
The rest is trivial.
