|
Sport of almost
any kind is a national obsession. Australian Rules football and cricket reign
supreme above all others in W.A. Criticise the West Coast Eagles, The Dockers or
the Western Warriors over here and you could find yourself swinging from the
nearest tree.
If you enjoy a movie, a documentary or something remotely cerebral, don't look
for it on the television on weekends. We are bombarded with a never ending
stream of football, cricket, tennis, golf, horse racing, trotting, basketball,
soccer, indoor cricket, bowls etc. Of course if you like sport you are in for a
huge overdose.
If West Australians put as much effort into studying and working as they do into
sport, we would have the strongest and smartest economy in the world.
The mad obsession with sport today may stem from the pioneering days when sport
of one sort or another was a major social event in most country towns. It was a
rare chance to meet neighbours and to enjoy yourself after long periods of hard
work and isolation. Sadly today there are far more people
just watching sport than actively participating in it.
Participating in sport was at one time so important in many
country towns, that sporting facilities were developed that were out of all
proportion to the size of the town itself.
|
