A Need To Differentiate?

The Australian Masters Games have concluded after being hosted in Perth over the past couple of weeks. It has been great to witness so many individuals participating who have not let age be a barrier to them participating, and continuing to play the sport they love, or indeed try a new one.

The people participating came from all walks of life and were of all ages. Some that competed had never achieved great heights in their younger days, while others had excelled in their youth and achieved state, national and international success. A special respect to those as there are many who turn their back on the sport they used to perform well at as they know that they can no longer achieve what they used to. Such an awakening can be frustrating and also can be a sad realisation that is hard to accept.

While the Masters events are held in a very different atmosphere to those just starting off in the world of sport we are now witnessing something that has become prevalent in youth sports not just in Australia but across the globe.

Often those representing their state in Masters events are doing so because they show the willingness to play, and also because they stump up the money to participate. We are witnessing in many sports today those representing their State or country at youth level are not necessarily the best players, but the ones whose parents can afford for them to play.

It is worrying to go back beyond the past five years and see how few of those selected in Youth teams then are now still playing, let alone are playing in their club first teams now that they are 18 or older.

So if you are paying for the privilege of playing for your State should the honour of saying you have represented the State still be afforded the individual? Was that individual really the best, so should that honour still apply?

While most people would not care a jot about claiming that they represented their state, some promote the fact. Which understandably gets under the skin of those who have represented the State or the country in National and International competitions at elite level.

There are several such individuals who have on their LinkedIn profiles that they were an “Australian International” yet one discovers that they played at Masters level, not at the Elite level. The same is true of others who have represented their state at Masters level.

One Australian international who happens to be in the Hall of Fame for their chosen sport confided that it really irked them to see such individuals walking around in gear with the Australian crest on it.

Yet one can argue that the average fan can do the same. They can purchase merchandise that is an exact replica of the international players.Although to be fair in most cases it is clear that the shirts are replicas, and often a tracksuit or a blazer is not available. These were the items that caused the most annoyance to the said individual.

So should athletes who compete at Masters level be afforded the same privileges as our elite athletes who have usually made huge sacrifices to reach the top in their chosen sport? Should they be allowed to claim that they are state or international representatives when they have paid to compete? Should they be allowed to wear the same crest as the elite players, or should there be an alternative worn when they compete, and on their blazers and tracksuits?

Today inclusion is rammed down our throats, but the world of sport is a competitive environment. An environment where the cream rises to the top. Surely it is important to ensure that we preserve the prestige attached to playing at the highest level in elite sport?

We live in a world of entitlement, but surely it is vital that we preserve the status of those who have made it to the top in their chosen sport and who represent all of us who could only dream of playing for our country.