Sport is a very unique environment. it always has been, but somehow in recent times that environment has become more and more bizarre.
In team sports, players when selected are expected to justify that selection with their performance. Often the coach is also required to justify their player selections, as well as the way the team lines up and how he expects them to play.
Justify means to show that something is reasonable, right, or true:
If a player fails to perform, or a coach does not get the results that are expected in both a professional or an amateur environment they usually find that they will be relieved of their duties. Rarely do the powers that be feel the need to justify such a decision, as the belief is that results speak for themselves.
If a coach is dismissed for other reasons that are not related to performance, that is again often not discussed, and the usual trite line that they have “left by mutual consent is trotted out.” Even if there has been inappropriate behaviour rarely will you see this called out by the powers that be, because the fact that they had not picked up on such behaviour earlier reflects badly on them.
There is a complication today, and you witness this with many football teams in the top leagues that are listed companies. A coach may be building a team for success but if they again are not performing in the league competition and challenging to either win it or win a place in the Champions League, that may not be enough. What will become the determining factor in whether the coach stays or is relieved of their duties will be the share price. If the share price starts to drop the coach knows that it will no longer be about football, but that their tenure will be on thin ice.
Since publishing Money Talks – But The Lack of Money Says More Not The Footy Show was contacted by a number of individuals who were equally concerned about the state of Australian sport, and how poorly many of these National and State bodies are being run. Some of the stories shared regarding children having to give up playing were very sad to hear.
However, it was not only parents or club officials and coaches who shared their stories, some clubs related the impact that it is having on them in adult teams and not just at junior level. Some senior players are finding the cost to play is just becoming too much, and they too are having to withdraw from the club. Many clubs have set up a staggered payment system to try and assist, but as shared with us this is still not enough to keep some players.
Which brings us to an issue that has been around for a while, but appears to be once again be getting under the skin of many individuals and especially the clubs themselves, and that is the travel being taken by board members and senior staff in these organisations.
One thing that Covid taught us was that the need to travel so much for meetings has become not as important, with so many electronic meeting options now available. However, it is conceded that it is always better to meet in person if possible.
Is it necessary for the CEO of a state sporting body to fly Business Class when they fly interstate for a meeting?
If travelling from one side of Australia to the other such a fare will around AUD$1500 more than an economy fare. If we were looking at football, with the average cost of youth football in Australia ranging from $1,500 to $3,300 per season for elite youth football, such a fare could in fact cover the cost of one player. Outside of the elite level fees are said to average around $800, so again the saving could help two players.
Imagine if such savings were put into a pool to help disadvantaged families be able to afford to play. Surely if you really care about the sport you would put up with four or five hours in economy to help such children?
It is important to state that football in this case was simply being used as an example as to the impact such a saving could have. The same applies in all sports.
Some international sporting bodies are very clever in the scheduling of their Board meetings ensuring that these meetings are scheduled at the same time or just before their World Cup event or the Olympic Games. Often the meeting will take place prior to the commencement of the event, but then the Board stay on and take in the Games.
The age-old question has been who picks up the cost of the accommodation for these board members if they stay on after the meeting?
While it is reasonable that the President or Chairperson should stay on for the duration, is there really a need for the rest of the Board to stay?
Certainly last year at the Paris Olympics a board member from one sport irritated those within that sport by posting on social media photographs of them attending other sporting events. Only once were there photographs of them attending the sport that they were representing. Yet in some photographs they were displaying the logo of that sport while attending other sports events while games were still taking place in the sport they were elected to serve.
If, as may well have been the case they were paying their own way once the meeting had finished it would have been prudent to let people know that they were acting independently, and no longer there in their capacity as a board member of the said sport.
Several years ago we questioned one board member of a sport as to their need to attend every game that the national team played, and who paid. They advised brazenly that the sport paid for their airfares and two nights accommodation, and that ‘this was a perk of being on the board.’
Certainly when the Socceroos qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany after a 32 year absence it was a case of spot the board members and staff from the various sporting bodies who were there. To be fair many had paid their own way to be part of this historic occasion, but there were also a very large number whose travel and tickets were covered by the sport. A cost that the sport probably could not really afford at the time.
Another instance saw a Board member in one sport again attend every national team game at the cost of the State body. The CEO signing off on this expenditure as the board member concerned allegedly held some information they had on the employed head of the sport over them.
Then again is it necessary for a CEO to be at every announcement? We have seen some fly interstate for what can only be classed as a photo opportunity, is that really spending the stakeholders money wisely?
The questions that the stakeholders in many of these sports now need to ask is how many of these trips are justified?
Should the powers that be have to share who has attended and at what cost to the sport along with why they needed to be there?
In 2016 we wrote Administrators on the Move about the huge turnover of staff at International Sporting bodies in Lausanne Switzerland after the Olympic Games cycle. Staff miffed that they were not taken to the Olympic Games resigning and moving to another sport.
Many of those chosen to work at events like the Olympic Games work extremely long hours and very hard. The question some of them even ask is the need for some of their senior management to be at the event, again at a huge cost as they remain usually for the whole event.
Again, it is understandable that the CEO should be in attendance. There are also other key roles depending on how that sporting body is structured that clearly warrant having a staff member there, so that they can talk to the attending teams gather information and feedback, which they can then use for the betterment of the sport. However, when staff and players start to question why some individuals are there you know something is not right.
So is it time that pressure was brought to bear on those in charge to make them justify the expense of sending these people to these events?
When the cost of international participation is increasing, and to help cover these costs the average weekend player’s fees are going up, which is resulting in young players and now even senior players withdrawing from sport this is clearly something that needs to be addressed.
If those in charge are not going to address this, then those who elect them need to raise the issue.
How much real work is being done when they attend such an events? How many representatives of the Board or senior management team really need to attend? How much is the average cost per person to attend domestically and Internationally? How much of their regular work is not being done while they are away?
The members have a right to know, especially as this appears to be a squandering of money for individual egos. Yet more importantly because it is having an impact at club and grassroots level, and no real benefit is evident to the masses..
