Anyone who plays or has played sport knows that nothing is ever certain. There are no guarantees.
Although it would appear that in recent times we have created an environment in which some individuals believe that there are indeed guarantees.
It is always worth remembering that when you are selected for a team, or even to be a representative in an individual sport it is often the opinion of one individual that has resulted in your selection. As you grow older more individuals become involved in those selections, predominantly to ensure that there is no favouritism. Although, again in modern times this has changed.
One development coach revealing that their selections often are influenced by the jobs that child’s parents have, and whether they could become potential sponsors of that sport. Such information is heartbreaking as one wonders what talent is being ignored for a lesser player whose parent has a better job. This should be irrelevant.
To represent a state, a province or a county at any age should be an honour. It should be an honour that sees the costs of those selected covered by the governing body. This again ensures that the best players are able to be selected.
Once again it is soul destroying to hear that some children have not been selected to save them the embarrassment of having to withdraw because they cannot afford to play for their state. Who makes such a judgement? Maybe if the player was selected, as has happened in the past their club would hold fundraising events so that they could indeed accept the honour. An honour that reflects well on their club. One player who shared that this happened to them still has never forgotten that kindness and support, and now in a position to help the club continues to do so.
There may be others who would step forward to ensure that the said player did not miss out on what could be a life-changing experience. No one should make such a decision on their behalf or rob them of the knowledge that they were good enough to be selected, and that their ability had been recognised.
These two examples of modern day sports administration fly in the face of the role many sports administrations have, which is to develop the next generation and safeguard the game’s future.
Sadly, another thing that we are witnessing of late is a sense of entitlement. Quite where this stems from is hard to fathom.
At the junior, or development level there are some who have been invol;ved in this area in a number of sports who believe that the current pathway systems used in many sports is to blame.
That players selected at say under 12 who then progress through to an under 18 side or an under 21 team develop this sense of entitlement due to that long term involvement. They believe that they are assured of making the next step up to international representation or into professional sport. After being on this pathway they are entitled to play at the next level. Sadly there are no such guarantees.
Coaches have courageously spoken out against such systems and the problems that they are causing, such as players dropping out and walking away from the sport when not selected. Some of these youths even going so far as to attempt suicide when they believe the dream that they have been sold is brought to an abrupt end. Sadly, as more than a handful have told Not The Footy Show the powers that be simply will not listen. one stating ‘the High performance director believes they know best.’
Another explanation for the growing sense of entitlement has been explained away by some as being the result of there no longer being one representative team. For example in a State Championship we now have states sending two teams rather than one. Meaning that twice as many people believe that they are State representatives and good enough to go to the next level. Again on the face of it there is great validity to this argument being the cause of this sense of entitlement.
One has to wonder why States would want to go down this path and double the cost of participation. If however they are getting the parents to pay and skimming a little off the individual cost of each participant, it suddenly makes more sense.
There are others who blame this era of entitlement on the centralised contract system. As has become extremely apparent in International cricket once you are on a centralised contract it is harder to lose it than it probably was to obtain one in the first place. Both the England and Australian set-ups appear to be a closed shop.
No longer do we see players out of form dropped and sent back to play with their state or county, instead they are given more opportunities than their predecessors to find form, or they are “rested” and the lack of form is put down to ‘too much cricket.’
The sense of entitlement has become so obvious. We had David Warner announce almost a year out from his last test match that he would retire at the end of the series against Pakistan at his home ground in Sydney. His form leading into that series saw many saying that time should have been called on his career earlier.
There was a player a few years before Warner, a player who was out of form and being questioned about retirement who allegedly replied ” I will decide when I retire.” It would appear that this is the modern way. No longer will a loss of form see you dropped, and your place taken by a deserving possible successor. Maybe this is why we are seeing this sense of entitlement creeping into so many sports?
It was just over 20 years ago in November 2003 that Steve Waugh, one of Australia’s greatest captains announced that he would be retiring after the Test series with India. In his letter to the selectors which was published he wrote the following:
“This morning I sent letters to Bob Merriman, James Sutherland and Trevor Hohns of Cricket Australia, advising of my intention to retire from international cricket, as both Captain and player, at the completion of the Indian Series in Australia.
The upcoming Sydney Test will be my last for Australia, should I be selected to play.”
While it was unlikely that he would be dropped, Waugh still had the respect and modesty to accept that it was a decision outside of his control as to whether he was selected. His humility also showed a respect for the history of the game. The selectors could easily have said we want to break in a new captain in that final test, but they didn’t, no doubt out of respect for Waugh.
There have been many other players across a number of sports who understand that it is an honour to represent your country and have put that honour ahead of personal glory.
Sticking with cricket, and with another Ashes series just around the corner it is worth remembering how England’s Derek Randall, usually a middle order batsman was promoted to open in the series in Australia in 1979. He also was asked to open against Pakistan in England in 1982. He was even sent in at number 3 against the West Indies in 1984 when they were a formidable side. This would be his last Test appearance.
Many have said that his final batting average was greatly diminished by that willingness to fill a need in the batting order, such was his loyalty to the team. He himself explained that he would play in any position that he was required if it meant playing for England. He very nearly did batting in every position from one to seven.
Another example of a player doing the right thing was England cricket captain Andrew Strauss who had captained his country in 50 of his 100 Tests. He stepped down aged 35 to let Alistair Cook who was 27 at the time take over. Although there were rumours of other reasons for this move Strauss, said, “For me the driver to it all quite frankly was my form with the bat. In truth, I haven’t batted well enough for a long time now. I think I have run my race.”
There are worrying signs across so many sports, and many of the coaches are at a loss as to how to change this mindset. The best solution is to find the cause. Why are we seeing this sense of entitlement creep into so many sports at this point in time?
One wonders if you would ever experience such an attitude within the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team, and there would have been many who would have said that about the Australian cricket team. Certainly past players would never have expected such a mood to creep into the Australian hockey team, after all they receive so little in terms of financial reward nearly all play for the honour and love of the game.
No doubt those close to that particular team will be disappointed to hear that entitlement appears to have crept into this team, and is reflecting badly overseas.
Players from all hockey playing countries were invited to submit to go into the player auction for the Hockey India League as it returns at the end of the year. Players when submitting were asked to declare what the minimum payment was that they would accept. Despite that level being met it is therefore extremely disappointing to hear allegations that Australian players have been trying to squeeze more money out of the franchises they were bought by. One player is alleged to have been disappointed that they were not purchased for a higher rate, and feels that they deserve more.
Just like anything that is being sold, it and they are only worth what someone is prepared to pay. Hopefully the reality of that fact has popped the bubble of entitlement.
The problem with this sense of entitlement is that players are pushing for more and more. Money that their employers simply cannot afford. Those who try to keep them sweet run the risk of sending their sport or team bankrupt.
It would appear that the only way to appease such demands is to stay strong and put the onus back onto the players. Pay them a basic wage and reward them with bonuses when they win. A winning side should attract more followers via whatever viewing platform the sport chooses, and through ticket sales and merchandising and sponsorship opportunities, therefore generating more money for the sport.
Sport is as we are frequently told a business, so these sports need to remind their players of that, and that unless they can generate more income they cannot pay the players more money. Saying that the same applies in administration. Too many staff and some on inflated salaries is always going to cause long term harm to a sport or club.
Whatever the decision sport needs to find the cause of these entitled attitudes and snuff out the cause sooner rather than later. For as Dr Steve Maraboli wrote “a sense of entitlement is a cancerous thought process that is void of gratitude and can be deadly to our relationships.”
Very few if any sports person will make it to the top without the help of others. It may be a coach, a mentor, a teacher or most likely their parents. It is important that they are reminded of this fact. To play at the highest level at any age is a privilege, it should be an honour, and is never something that anyone is entitled to.
