United Through Sports

On September 13, 2015, France was hit by terrorist attacks at six different sites, two of them having huge crowds at the Stade de France (where France and Germany were playing an amicable game) and the Bataclan, a concert hall where Eagles of Death Metals was playing.

Being French, of course my first reaction was: “is my family okay?.” Then shock followed. I consider myself extremely lucky as some of my family members were at the Stade de France and near one of the cafes that got shot at, but weren’t harmed. I know not everybody can say the same so I appreciate life even more.

Why am I writing about this on a sports website?

Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets players, along with fans, observe a moment of silence in tribute to the Paris victims on Nov. 14, 2015, in Nashville.

Photo by Christopher Hanewinckel/USA Today Sports via Reuters

It’s simple. Throughout this past week, the amount of support received by the entire world has been amazing. But I was even more touched by how much the sports community came together and rallied around France. For example, the entire Wembley Stadium sang the French national anthem during their amicable game a few days after the attacks. Just doing that was bravery from both teams as the tensions were still very high. But it also showed the attackers that we, as nations, weren’t afraid of them. That’s exactly what Roy Hodgson, England’s Manager, said before the match. “The French team and the French Federation were very keen that the game would go ahead, just to make certain that the terrorists won’t win and force games to be stopped.” And that happened thanks to sports!

Something that really moved me was that during NFL Sunday, all the home teams came out of the tunnel with a French flag in addition to their team’s flag and kept it during the national anthem on the field. Even though it’s a small gesture, during this time when things are so unsure and scary, that simple gesture helps put a smile on our faces and give a feeling of support that is much needed.

Being part of the sport community has always been something I’m really proud of. It has taught me so much about myself and about life in general. We have seen it times and times again, sports help bring people of all cultures, countries or religions together who would otherwise not. In the same article by Lindsay Gibbs in http://www.thinkprogress.com, she shows how much sports helped heal the United States after 9/11 and these games were the same.

SEATTLE, WA – NOVEMBER 15: French flags are displayed alongside the American flag in honor of the victims of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris prior to the game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals at CenturyLink Field on November 15, 2015 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)

This is another reason why being a sports reporter is something I am so passionate about. Stories like these, showing the good side of sports and how it bounds people through something so much deeper than just the game, is such a privilege and honor. Obviously it’s not always perfect, but at the end of the day, sports have a universal language that anybody playing sports understand, not matter what the sport is: unity.

It was important for me to write about this, not only because I am French, but because it is important to show how much good sports can do and help in light of such horrors. It’s a community and it is so reassuring to see it act that way!

#Sports #Hockey #Paris #Attacks #NFL #Unity