Success is overcoming a challenge: The bigger the problem, the bigger the opportunity.
Local sport must develop a “can do” attitude that sees difficulties and problems as opportunities. Whenever the key issues facing sport in T&T are discussed, for some people the cure-all answer is simple—money.
It’s not about ideas and structure that can deliver sustainable solutions and revenue streams. It’s never about how national sport organisations (NSO) can achieve more. Or, how do we encourage more women and girls to participate in sport?
It’s not about finding creative solutions to the challenges or about improving good governance, transparency and accountability. The solution is more money.
Sport has powerful emotional and mental benefits. How can we harness these benefits and create value? How can we inspire and motivate the modern generation to embrace the timeless principles and values of sport? How do we promote and communicate the Olympic ideals, Olympism and the Olympic spirit in a way that the modern generation will listen and accept in consideration of the problems facing sport? The process we use to define and frame the problem is important.
What is the nature of the problem, its causes and the elements involved in the problem? Are NSO building foundations for its brand and associating its brand with its core values?
NSOs must develop its brand equity. Managing a brand is a critical issue for any NSO.
Do NSOs understand and appreciate that their brand is what creates sponsorship and revenue opportunities?
The emphasis and focus on money without placing all aspects of problem formulation and the problem statement in its proper context will continue to cause corruption and unethical behaviour to thrive seems to evade many. What is the basis of evaluation?
Is lack of money the illness or the symptom?
There is a tendency for subjective rationality and rationalisation along with implicit favouritism when money is discussed.
Money then becomes the discriminatory pass word for entry. The perception that there is a scarcity of money then becomes the determining factor. What gets lost in the discussion is the fact that money is the means to an end not the end itself. That wealth is created as a result of ideas, knowledge, imagination and creativity gets lost in the shuffle.
As I have stated in previous columns, T&T doesn’t have a money problem. Our problems are that of a lack of creativity, vision, ethical conduct and self-belief.
You can easily get the answer you want to hear by asking the wrong question. There is an abundance of opportunity for NSOs to make significant progress.
How? By focusing, not on the scarcity of money, but on wealth creation.
It requires a paradigm shift and a willingness to accept the challenge and complexity of resolving two different concepts: amateur and professional sport.
The Olympic games were once strictly for amateur athletes. In 1988, professional tennis players appeared at the Olympic games, and four years later the American basketball Dream Team of NBA stars won the coveted gold medal.
The history of modern sports is an evolution from games played primarily for entertainment and leisure to an industry.
Sports over the last hundred years have reflected changing social attitudes and standards. Local sport can transform and thrive with a marketing approach that incorporates the history, social and cultural dimensions that are specific to sport. It’s far better to establish a solid, congruent and coherent foundation, infrastructure, systems and policies first. In other words we need to establish a sustainable sport eco-system.
Risk management and rigorous checks and balances must be foundation stones. NSOs have to generate wealth through the exchange of new ideas, products, quality services and solutions and effective problem solving. Accept no limit. It’s time for a paradigm and culture shift. Money is not a barrier or obstacle.
God Bless. Have a creative and blessed week.