There can be no doubt that times have changed when it comes to sport, and we are not talking about the elite level. Here the changes have been phenomenal.
At the level below the professional level there has been a big change, and one that has many who have been around sport a very long time scratching their heads as to what can be done.
Several years ago there was a player playing at the highest level in their state bemoaning the fact they were not selected for the professional side in their given sport. At the level they were training twice a week with games on the weekend. One day one of the coaches took this player aside and asked them why they believed that they were being overlooked. There were a range of answers given as they pointed out how in their mind they were a better player than several other players who had been given a professional contract.
The coach agreed that he believed this player was a better player, and then asked if that was the case why would they be selected and not this individual. The individual in question was at a loss for an answer.
The coach asked the player how much extra training they did outside of the club’s twice-a-week sessions. The player looked at the coach, eyes wide open as if to say,’what sort of question is that?’ The answer was none.
The coach pointed out that maybe the players that he believed were inferior worked harder. They were more committed to making the most of their talent. They were leaving nothing to chance. He pointed out that they were fitter and stronger. That maybe they had appreciated that to go to the next level they had to be a great deal fitter than they needed to be playing at this level, after all as a professional you had to train every day.
Finally the penny dropped. For a few weeks the player in question started to train on their own, but it did not last. A professional side never came calling.
That is one example of how dedicated you need to be if you want to play at the next level. It doe snot guarantee you will.
For decades across all sports if you wanted to play in the first team – even in amateur leagues – there was a commitment that you had to make. Not just in terms of fitness and attending training. You had to commit to being available for the whole season barring injury.
When in Australia all the shops closed at lunchtime on a Saturday there were few excuses. Now with many jobs putting greater demands on individuals provate lives, sometimes players are unavailable due to work.
That is understood, and accepted by coaches and team mates.
One player who found themselves in such a position where they had to work every third week, made themselves unavailable for the first team, as they felt it was unfair that once they were available they were selected. It was also unfair on those who were promoted.
So why are so many players today playing at te highest level no longer committed to their team and their club for the whole season?
Today we witness players going off on holiday during the season, taking a weekend off for a Bucks night when there are games, and some even participating in other sporting events. We are not talking about State representative teams where it is an honour to be selected, but tournaments in which they choose to play.
To show how bad things have become we have even had first team coaches going off on holiday during the season, because it is school holidays! What example does that set your players?
Many clubs are at a loss as to what to do to try and stop this, as many do not pay their first team players. If they did they could simply not pay them. Many coaches have stated they would like to leave the player in the second team, but when they lose players to injury, to youth state competitions or other players going on holiday, they concede that they have to play the returning players to remain competitive.
There is no doubt that this trend has become far more prevalent in the last ten years. Some have said that it has become the norm since the Covid pandemic.
Others who have been around sport for a long time feel that it is a result of the way many clubs run their junior teams.
The belief here was that once again parents are not made to commit their child for the season and frequently they are unavailable due to family events. A failure by the parent to understand what it means to be a part of a team and a club. That there are responsibilities, and that commitment is a crucial part of a child’s learning. It teaches them what it means to be a part of a community, and also that once you commit to something you see it through, as you owe it to those around you.
Another issue that was raised was that many of these same parents have their child play and as soon as the game is over it is in the car and off they go. The child missing out on understanding what it means to be a part of a club. Never watching the first team play and having aspirations to make it to that level one day.
Going to training twice a week, playing and leaving straight after the game, and missing a few games here and there has them growing up believing that this is how it works. This is normal behaviour. They clearly never appreciate the work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure that they have a team to play for and kit to wear; so too do their parents.
The problem with such behaviours is that they erode the quality of the competitions. They also result in the talent pool from which the professional sides recruit diminishing. To make matters worse, the clubs do not stand as one to try and raise the bar back to where it was. Many simply accept such behaviours as long as they parents pay the fees each season.
Yet at these clubs there are a diminishing number of people who are committed to keeping them going. Volunteers that give up hours each week not just during the season but also in the off-season to keep things going. They are the epitome of commitment. Do they deserve more from those playing the game?
Sadly, it would appear that commitment no longer means what it used to. The days when players who knew they would not be available all season would drop down and play in the twos, and only step up if required. These individuals understood what it meant to be a part of a club, and to put the interests of the team and the club as a whole ahead of themselves.
The fact that coaches are now going on holiday during the season shows that there is a huge problem in terms of understanding and respect for the club that has trusted them to take on such a role. Any club that is happy to accept such behaviours from coaches in their top teams will eventually pay a price. Certain standards have to be maintained or everything starts to crumble.
Maybe clubs need to bring in an expected code of conduct for all players and parents. The message is clear something has to change across many sports to raise the bar in terms of what is the minimum expected commitment for those aspiring to play in the top side, and equally those in junior sides, so that they learn the culture expected in club sport and also the standards expected of them.
