2008/3+4

'SPORT' IN THE DUTCH LANGUAGE: INTRODUCTION AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERM AND THE ACTIVITY IN THE NETHERLANDS (1840-1900)
In this contribution a new light is shed on the fascinating but hitherto littlestudied period (1840-1900) in which modern activities such as cricket, football and tennis were introduced to the Netherlands according to the English model. The term ‘sport’ to denominate these pastimes was borrowed from the English language. Although the first known reference to the term dates back to 1847, arguments exist to assume that the expression was used even before that time. The introduction and acceptance of both the activity and the term materialized rather slowly. For a long time the activity was the reserve of (a small part of) the societal upper-class, while the word ‘sport’ per se evoked serious resistance, alike other sport terms borrowed from the English language. Until the end of the 19th Century, the distinction between the concepts of ‘sport’ and ‘amusement’ was nebulous as both were common denominators for early local pastimes ‘of the people’ such as kolf, bowling and skating. This contribution shows also the importance of combining linguistic studies and historical research.
(Pieter Breuker) 

HOMO LUDENS AFRICANUS: A BIBLIOMETRIC STUDY ON GAMES AND CONTESTS IN AFRICA
For this contribution a bibliometric analysis was conducted using data from the annotated bibliography on games and contests in Africa published by Scheerder & Renson (1998). The analysis shows that more than half of all used sources were released during the decolonization of Africa (1951-1990) and that over a quarter of the research material is related to West Africa. Past colonial superpowers show strong links with their former colonies through publications. More than two thirds of all writings released in Belgium focus on the games patrimony of countries or ethnic groups in Equatorial Africa. For the other former major European colonizing states, this (research) attention is more dispersed over several African regions. Nonetheless the subjects of study can be associated with the ex-colonies. Child play constitutes the most popular topic (25%) in the inventoried sources. Furthermore wrestling (17%) and board games (11%) have attracted a great deal of attention. The author concludes that Africa’s traditional play culture can have a role in the African revival.
(Jeroen Scheerder)

AN ICONOGRAPHIC STROLL ON THE FIELD OF SPORTS AND GAMES IN THE NETHERLANDS (1500-1650)
In search of the historical-cultural roots of traditional games – within the framework of  the Flemish Folk Games Files-project under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Roland Renson (K.U.Leuven) – iconographic documents from 1500 to 1650 were studied. It appears from this analysis that games are regularly depicted in illustrations of the months/seasons, on images of fairs and on other genre paintings. Striking is the large number of illustrations of the bowling game and the game of closh. A common feature of both games is the interpretation in terms of love and the erotic. Instead of being graphic representations of reality, indeed, both games are predominantly used as a (realistically depicted) metaphor. Plenty of other games that were played in the period of study – with the exception of archery – were rarely depicted in works of art due to a lack of symbolic meaning. 
(Erik Devroede)

PLAYERS OF ALL KINDS UNITED: THE ROOTS OF A BROAD-BASED TRADITIONAL SPORT CULTURE IN PRE-WAR ANTWERP
In the last decennium of the 19th Century traditional games in Antwerp gained a true momentum. Certain games such as billiards, pigeon racing, the disc game (schijvenspel) and the barrel game (tonspel) doubled or even quadrupled in number of clubs. The amount of darts societies even grew from 23 in the 1870’s to 183 in the 1900's. This boost has to be seen in different lights. First of all the population of Antwerp doubled between 1870 and 1910. And even more important, the number of bars – the typical home ground of traditional games – quadrupled in the same period. Moreover the leisure activities of the working class and craftsmen were essentially located in these settings. Lastly, the local government had a stimulating role in the formalization of traditional games. Associations that organized competitions at the occasion of community festivals were encouraged through financial stimuli.
(Marijke den Hollander)

DRIFTING CHILDREN: ON THE RISE AND FALL OF PLAYISH NATURE AND NATURAL PLAY
The diminishing natural space (to play) in open air, parental anxiety about dangerous risks and ‘electronic entertainment centres’ at home present reasons to be concerned about availability of outdoor playing opportunities for these days’ children. This contribution signals two adjoined and worrisome threats that strongly progressed the last few decennia: on the one hand the disappearing of natural child’s play and on the other hand the dis-appearing of a natural space to play. The increasingly sedentary lifestyle and construction of artificial play space produces a mindset in which moving is often perceived as an instrumental activity. Also in recent studies the emphasis is often on the objective quantitative measurement of physical activity. A sound analysis of the subjective experiences of retired playing children (adults and elderly) and the surrounds of a species threatened with extinction (today’s children) is needed urgently.
(Karine De Martelaer)

BACK TO NATURE! ON THE ROOTS OF NATURE SPORTS
This contribution seeks to uncover the roots of nature sports and tries to explain its present popularity. It is hypothesized that this new popularity is marked by a clear shift in mentality towards rugged natural phenomena such as mountains, wild water, snow and ice. The unattractive, harsh and uncultivated representation of wild nature changed in the course of the 18th Century to an image of a magnificent, attractive and adventurous site to discover. This shift introduced a new type of exploratory nature tourism. In the wake of the big expeditions to the terra incognita nature sports were able to develop – often in the name of science. In this day and age sportive nature activities have turned into forms of modern sport, tourism, adventure, exploration, education, and ecologism.
(Bart Vanreusel)

ALEX CARO: SOLDIER WITH (FRONT)STRIPES AND SPORTING PIONIER
Alex Caro was born 1884 in Theux and lived an adventurous life devoted to sport. At the age of seventeen he was one of the co-founders of Sporting Club de Theux with registration number 14 in the Belgian competition. His fascination for lantern slide photography propelled him literally into the Great War. In order to collect funds in Great Britain for the Belgian front soldiers, Caro was asked to cross the Channel and display his images of the demolition inflicted by the Germans. Once in London, he immediately established a football team that formed the foundation for the Front Wanderers. After the war he continues to dedicate his efforts to sport as board member and referee. He founded the Union des Négociants Belges d’Articles de Sport (UNBAS) in 1921. Also his professional occupation was associated with sport. Wallonia, a sports store established by his parents in 1900, was very successful through the development and certification of the so-called TOP-football, the first football with a valve. Furthermore, Alex Caro was sport journalist and remained organizer of sporting events in various disciplines. At a higher age, he moved to Brussels where he exploited a tavern where one could ‘sport and dance’.
(Roger Vanmeerbeek)

FACTS, CONCERNS AND HYPOTHESES: HIGHER VOCATIONAL TRAINING IN SPORT AND MOVEMENT IN THE NETHERLANDS
The development of Higher Vocational Training (Hoger Beroeps Onderwijs, HBO) in the Netherlands can be characterized by four phases. After emancipation, expansion, and improved efficiency of internal structures, a phase of innovation followed. The Bachelors in sport and movement that provide trainings for kinesiologists have encountered a cascade of simultaneous and successive innovations, usually initiated by the teacher schools, the Higher Vocational Education and the government. In the meantime students, education experts and representatives from the working field have voiced their concerns regarding the subsequent educational transformations. As a result the educational programmes in sport and movement have been progressively subjected to market demands. In the competition for students education has become piecework. The tide could be turned by creating more transparency in an increasingly heterogeneous and diffuse education system. The institution threatens to collapse under the weight of its own rhetoric of innovation. Therefore it is critical that government and partners from the educational sector develop a common long term vision with a clear demarcation of roles and authorities.   
(Kees Van Tilborg)