The Significance of the Past: The Birth and Practice of Public Sport History

Since the 1990s, there has been a notable shift in the international academic circle of sport history regarding the authorship of sports history, adopting a more public-oriented scholarly approach. Through the examination of literature sources and the historiography of the field, an analysis has been conducted to discern the intellectual backdrop and the route and features of initial practices surrounding the emergence of public sport history within Western society. This analysis also assesses its contributions and limitations. The study suggests that the convergence of public history, new cultural history, and media revolution has facilitated a departure from the traditional confines of sports history, giving rise to the field of public sport history. By chronicling grassroots sports experiences, presenting communal sports memories, and crafting authentic sports imagery, scholars in the realm of public sport history have, through a fusion of reality and imagination, cultivated captivating collective sports memories that resonate with the public. This practice showcases distinctive traits such as a commitment to engaging the public, sharing authoritative interpretations, embracing diverse media, and pursuing practical applications. Public sport history has expanded the horizons of sports history research while positively influencing sports talent development and the dissemination of mass sports culture. However,its theoretical underpinnings and disciplinary status are still in need of further consolidation, and avenues for effectively serving the public demand further exploration. In contemporary China, the field of historiography similarly bears the responsibility of serving the public. This entails exploring sports history topics centered around the populace, thereby furnishing the public with superiorquality sports cultural products.