If you run away from problems, your problems will run after you. National sport organisations are discovering that problems don’t go away by simply ignoring them. Problems, issues, concerns, setbacks and failures must be addressed and confronted.
Finger pointing and the blame game is the most prevalent form of running away. National sport organisations and their stakeholders should not adopt the approach that ignoring the problem will make it go away. As difficult as it may be, accepting responsibility is the best course of action.
The blame game is a losers strategy and counterproductive at best. People think by running away from a negative situation, they will get rid of it, but the same situation confronts them wherever they go. They will meet the same experiences until they have learned their lessons.
The big question for many national sport organisations is not so much what goals and objectives should they set but where will the resources come from.
It’s easy to simply say that once a goal is a top priority the required resources ought to be found. We all know and accept that there are resource limitations but that acknowledgement ought not to mean that all is lost.
When you don’t put resources toward a goal, it suggests that achieving the goal or objective is not a priority. But how can you organise resources if they aren’t there in the first place? What do you do if the resources aren’t available? Do you change your goals and objectives or find a way to obtain the resources?
The challenge facing national sport organisations is how to put process and discipline around what really matters in the face of lack or limitation?
How do you create a culture different to the one that currently exists? It must be built deliberately. It’s the role and responsibility of every single person in the national sport organisation to create a positive culture.
Choosing the right people is important because people must fit the culture. National sport organisations should constantly ask how we get people to share our core values.
What is the belief and value system that drives the national sport organisation? What guides the decision making and actions of a national sport organisation? How many national sport organisations can clearly articulate what they stand for?
In the absence of a clear and collective understanding, dysfunction is the order of the day. A positive environment goes a long way toward helping people to want to succeed, as opposed to just going through the motions.
Culture impacts how national sport organisations relate to others, how open it is to new ideas. Having a culture that puts people first doesn’t mean low standards or mediocrity.
I keep saying times have changed. There is a clear need for a different approach to many things and issues that surround sport here in T&T. For many people their first reaction and attitude is always it can’t be done. The response to such declarations should be: what would you do to solve the problem?
Doing nothing is not the answer; instead we should work together to find solutions. Positive energy is needed not negative energy. Positive energy will provide the motivation and inspiration that drives sustainable achievement and excellence.
The challenges facing sport in T&T aren’t insurmountable. As many as the challenges maybe, there is no shortage of opportunities.
Sport matters and whatever can be done to make sure sport lives up to its full potential must be done.