Sport is easy… You discover a few pals and begin enjoying collectively. For those who shouldn’t have any pals you select a person sport. For those who do have pals you want hanging out with, you get to play a teamsport. Possibly hockey? Fortunate you 😉
The subsequent step is you become bored with at all times enjoying the identical group of pals and also you wish to get organised to play extra and perhaps even in additional of a aggressive manner. You discover different teams of pals 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 together with her/him and your children anymore. Sounds acquainted? So that you begin a membership the place you all come along with your individual workforce of pals to play your hockey and also you ask others to do the identical so you’ll be able to all play collectively and one another. And collectively you’ve numerous enjoyable enjoying your sport and revel in being amongst household and pals.
Enjoyable is contagious
Enjoyable is contagious although. So earlier than you understand it your membership grows. The opposite golf equipment develop as properly and a few folks volunteer to assist organise these video games, tournaments and leagues. That’s once you get associations or federations taking good care of issues. When extra folks become involved some will proceed to play only for enjoyable, others extra competitively. Some solely from time to time, others each week, and so forth… You get the gist. Catering to completely different wants retains it enjoyable for all. So extra of your mates wish 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 sophisticated, much less easy… Now we’re mixing folks simply having enjoyable and folks getting paid to do a job. By no means a simple combo. It’s good to set clear pointers what are priorities or the folks getting paid take over with their very own agenda. In any case, they’ve an curiosity in defending their job. So ensure the priorities stay easy: organise the game in such a manner it’s and stays enjoyable, sustainable, inclusive, accessible and in line with the values of honest play selling a wholesome “mens sana in corpore sano” life-style.
Let’s be very clear that each one actions carried out by folks working the game are focussed on this one and solely precedence. That means all these different objectives and actions associations (nationwide or worldwide) are inclined to develop are contributing in a measurable (!) option to the unique purpose. To be clear…entertaining followers will not be the purpose, it’s a means to an finish. You will discover 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 way in which 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 folks beginning or persevering with to play the game. Whereas we’re at it… Sport will not be about making a residing or for use to get a free training. If you can also make some cash from it, go for it… However that isn’t the unique purpose. The purpose of sport is to have enjoyable with family and friends and add to a wholesome, glad life.
Let’s maintain it easy
For those who ask me… You want quite a bit (actually quite a bit) of individuals watching the game to search out one prepared to select up the stick and play it. You want quite a bit much less folks (and assets) to persuade a buddy to return and be a part of you for a coaching or pleasant recreation and provides it a go. I might know the place to speculate time, vitality and assets… Let’s maintain it easy.
Now ask your self… Are the folks 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 give attention to the actual purpose of sport?
