Kad sebe percipiramo kao sportski narod, slavimo svjetske uspjehe naših zvijezda – rukometaša, skijaša, atletičara ili nogometaša, a kad govorimo o hramovima sporta, govorimo o rukometnim arenama za 18.000 gledatelja, slalomskim stazama za svjetski kup ili nogometnim stadionima za svjetsko prvenstvo. Me|utim, ako se spustimo s Olimpa, čini se da sport više volimo konzumirati gledajući nego se njime zapravo baviti. Običnih sportskih terena, bazena i dvorana za nas same – učenike, amatere ili rekreativce – ima malo i njihova izgradnja nipošto nije tema interesa televizije, novina i vladinih sjednica. Ipak, upravo tu nastaje i razvija se kultura sporta: na kvartovskom igralištu, u lokalnoj dvorani ili obližnjem plivalištu.
(...)

In perceiving ourselves as a sporting nation, we celebrate the planetary success of our stars – handball players, skiers, track and field athletes or football players, and when we talk about sports shrines, we talk about handball arenas for 18,000 spectators, ski pistes for world cup races or football stadiums for the World Cup. However, if we come down off our pedestal, it seems that we much prefer to watch sport than to actually engage in it. There are only a few ordinary sports grounds, pools and halls built for ourselves – students, amateurs or recreational athletes – and their construction is never a topic of interest for television, newspapers and government meetings. Yet, it is exactly there that sports culture is developed: on neighbourhood courts or in local gyms and swimming pools.
(...)