After losing their opening two games of the 2019 Sultan of Johor Cup New Zealand bounced back from a 2-8 mauling by India to score an emphatic victory over the hosts Malaysia. The final score was 6-0 to the junior Blacksticks. The display by the team was excellent and showed bucketfuls of character.
After the final whistle as the players walked over to the dugout, the parents there supporting them broke out into a spontaneous haka, to show their respect for the performance. It was a wonderful sight to witness.
Parents of all sport-playing children are remarkable people. They ferry their children, and often other peoples to and from matches. They stand and watch their child play in all kinds of weather, and find a way to pay for new equipment so that their loved one looks the part.
In the past ten years across many countries we have seen the costs of junior participation in sport rise. Something that is hard to fathom when the children are playing on the same pitches, using similar equipment and playing for clubs that have been around for a long time.
The expectations being placed on these clubs by administrators is often the reason. Now they have to have qualified physios, accredited coaches, and all manner of other “requirements.” Another may be linked to those administering sport as a whole. For example the Football Federation of Australia has more employees than FIFA who run the game globally. What is the cost of that manpower? They are not alone in the increase in numbers of those administering sports.
One of the reasons that the reaction of the friends and family of the New Zealand players was so moving was the fact that each and every player had to pay their own way to compete at this International Under 21 tournament. So these parents had in some cases begged borrowed and fundraised to give their child an opportunity to play in a prestigious international tournament. A tournament that may well catapult some of the players on to senior representation.
There will be many who will say what do you expect, Hockey is a secondary sport in New Zealand and many other countries, but this is not just the case in Hockey, it is happening more and more around the world. Young players are being expected to find the money to cover their costs to represent their country. Which may be OK at under 14 and under 16 level, while they are still at school, but should it be the case at Under 21 level?
Last year we saw the Socceroos and Matildas threatening to strike over levels of pay when playing internationals. Yet these footballers are in the main now full time professional athletes, should not the honour of representing their country outweigh the fee they want for putting on their national colours? Could that money not be better spent subsidising the next generation?
Australia’s Hockey team is ranked number one in the world. They have been in the top four ever since the 1970’s. Yet since the opening of the Australian Institute of Sport, they like many athletes are given scholarships to support them as they look to represent their country in major international competitions. These scholarships though would not be enough for a married player to support a family. In fact it would barely cover the rent, let alone food and rent.
These athletes, all who are receiving scholarships from the AIS are expected to dedicate their lives to their sport, and in return bring home World Championship and Olympic medals. They are given access to the best coaches and support in their quest for success.
Many will be told that an Olympic medal will change their life. That it will set them up for years to come. Yet that has proved to be very far from the truth. Maybe in a country such as the USA where there is a large population an Olympic medal opens up sponsorship opportunities, and athletes can cash in on their success, the opportunities are not so great in Australia. Even today in the USA it is a very small window of opportunity in which to make money. Soon you become ‘yesterday’s news’ and a new hero comes around at the next Olympic Games or World Championships.
What is incredible is that these athletes in Australia, many of whom will dedicate ten years or more to their sport, have limited earning ability due to their commitment to their sport. Not only that, but because the money they receive from the AIS is a scholarship they do not receive any Superannuation. So when they do retire and look to settle down to a family life, they are ten years behind their contemporaries.
Once again many rely on the support of their families to see them through these times.
There is a school of thought whereby those paying huge fees to play sport would not begrudge a percentage being set aside for the junior national teams to be able to go away. Others have said that a percentage of all sponsorship dollars should be paid into a fund and ultimately go towards Superannuation, so that players have something when they retire after giving so much service and enjoyment.
It is hard to know where this is all leading. How many young men and women are missing out because they cannot find the money to compete? How many superstars of the future are sports fans being denied the chance to watch, because as a junior their parents could not afford for them to play?
The parents of those young men from New Zealand are not a unique group, there are many like them around the world. Their emotion after that victory showed how invested they all are in this group of young men. Maybe they would not want it any other way. Yet one feels its should not be so hard.
The coach Bryce Collins said after the victory he hoped that in the future money would be found to support the team, which in turn would mean that they could have more than three days preparation. Hopefully that dream does eventuate.
In the meantime take a bow all those parents who support their child’s dreams and give them the opportunity to pay at the highest level their talent will allow. Your sacrifices are appreciated.
