Sport is straightforward… You discover a few buddies and begin enjoying collectively. When you don’t have any buddies you select a person sport. When you do have buddies you want hanging out with, you get to play a teamsport. Possibly hockey? Fortunate you 😉
The following step is you become bored with at all times enjoying the identical group of buddies and also you need to get organised to play extra and perhaps even in additional of a aggressive method. You discover different teams of buddies and collectively create a event or a league.
You then develop up, begin a household and your spouse/husband begins complaining you don’t spend sufficient time along with her/him and your youngsters anymore. Sounds acquainted? So that you begin a membership the place you all come along with your personal workforce of buddies to play your hockey and also you ask others to do the identical so you possibly can all play collectively and one another. And collectively you might have plenty of enjoyable enjoying your sport and revel in being amongst household and buddies.
Enjoyable is contagious
Enjoyable is contagious although. So earlier than it your membership grows. The opposite golf equipment develop as effectively and a few individuals volunteer to assist organise these video games, tournaments and leagues. That’s once you get associations or federations caring for issues. When extra individuals become involved some will proceed to play only for enjoyable, others extra competitively. Some solely at times, others each week, and so forth… You get the gist. Catering to completely different wants retains it enjoyable for all. So extra of your pals need to be a part of. The golf equipment develop and so does the affiliation. Getting issues organised turns into a much bigger job and the volunteers working issues get some paid assist…
When sport turns into much less easy
Now’s the time to concentrate as a result of issues have gotten extra difficult, much less easy… Now we’re mixing individuals simply having enjoyable and other people getting paid to do a job. By no means a simple combo. That you must set clear tips what are priorities or the individuals getting paid take over with their very own agenda. In any case, they’ve an curiosity in defending their job. So make sure that the priorities stay easy: organise the game in such a method it’s and stays enjoyable, sustainable, inclusive, accessible and in line with the values of truthful play selling a wholesome “mens sana in corpore sano” way of life.
Let’s be very clear that each one actions carried out by individuals working the game are focussed on this one and solely precedence. Which means all these different targets and actions associations (nationwide or worldwide) are inclined to develop are contributing in a measurable (!) option to the unique aim. To be clear…entertaining followers just isn’t the aim, it’s a means to an finish. You can find lots of people in (inter)nationwide associations telling you getting TV offers, entertaining followers, rising the variety of followers on their social media accounts is the best way to run the game. It’s not ! I’m not saying it has no worth. It does… however let’s by no means cease asking if it provides to individuals beginning or persevering with to play the game. Whereas we’re at it… Sport just isn’t about making a dwelling or for use to get a free training. If you can also make some cash from it, go for it… However that’s not the unique aim. The aim of sport is to have enjoyable with family and friends and add to a wholesome, blissful life.
Let’s maintain it easy
When you ask me… You want lots (actually lots) of individuals watching the game to search out one prepared to choose up the stick and play it. You want lots much less individuals (and assets) to persuade a buddy to return and be a part of you for a coaching or pleasant sport and provides it a go. I might know the place to speculate time, power and assets… Let’s maintain it easy.
Now ask your self… Are the individuals working my sport focussed on the primary precedence? Or is it time we maintain them accountable for the alternatives they make and ensure we as soon as once more deal with the actual aim of sport?
