Crawford Report on the Future of Australian Sport – What does it mean for you?

By Wayne Goldsmith | In Crawford report

Well – the wait is over.

The Crawford Report on the Future of Australian Sport has been released.

Check it out at http://www.sportpanel.org.au/internet/sportpanel/publishing.nsf/Content/crawford-report

(While you are there, check out my own submission – which if I don’t mind saying so was about 90% right): http://www.sportpanel.org.au/internet/sportpanel/publishing.nsf/Content/Wayne+Goldsmith

So….what does it all mean?

The first thing to say is HOORAY!

The document is, at the very least, a stimulus for change: at most it is a mandate to change.

It is also an opportunity – an opportunity for everyone involved in sport in Australia to challenge themselves and embrace the moment: the moment for accelerating the change process has arrived.

Reading the Crawford report right now are three types of people:

  1. Those who will read the report with a mindset that they know better and that what they are currently doing is the best way of doing things. They will resist the change process with all their power, energy and influence;
  2. Those who don’t really care and will wait and see how things evolve in coming weeks, months and ever years;
  3. Those who will see the opportunity to radically, positively and passionately change the Australian sports system and who will give all their strength, intellect, drive, enthusiasm, creativity and determination to ensuring the long term success of the system for all Australians.

So….which one are you?

Are you thinking, saying and emailing:

“This will not work” or…

“I don’t really care if this works” or…

“Wow – what a great opportunity I have to make it work”.

So what did Crawford really say?

“We haven’t got a lot of resources so let’s all work together to build a sustainable sporting future for all Australians. At the top end, let’s work collaboratively, efficiently and intelligently across the high performance sports network while we put in place some long term initiatives at the grass roots level of sport” – pretty radical stuff!

But the bottom line of the Crawford report is the need for change – nation wide, systematic, comprehensive change….and this is where the problems start.

All meaningful change is made at a personal level.

It can’t be legislated. It can’t be enforced. It can’t be pushed. Real change is a personal commitment to embracing the opportunity to be different and to make a difference.

Right now- more than ever, whether you are a volunteer coach working with the Berrima Under Nines, a Sports scientist working with a world class runner or the manager of a national team program….success is a choice – what choice will you make?

Some people will lament the lack of “new money” for the top end of sport but – let’s be honest - money is not the biggest problem in elite sport in this country. Money is rarely the biggest problem in sport in any country.

It’s leadership.

It’s hanging on to an old system that has not worked effectively for the best part of a decade for no reason other than “that’s the way we do it here” and the illusion (or is it delusion) that the Australian way is the only way.

Meanwhile, our international competitors are changing the landscape of world sport while we plant more daisies!

If by some miracle the government found an extra 10 – 20 – 50 or 500 million dollars for high performance sport, you know what would happen? We would just do more of what we are currently doing! No “left field” innovation. No real creativity. The most likely scenario is that current programs would merely be expanded or extended….or if you like, we would do more of what’s not working.

Imagine you were digging a hole in the ground using a spoon as the digging tool in an effort to find gold. You dig and dig and dig in the hole for weeks, months, years. Nothing. Someone gives you a shovel. So you dig in the same hole faster – shifting more dirt with each moment. Still no gold. Then you get access to a huge digging machine. It can move hundreds of tons of dirt every hour. You use it to dig your hole deeper and deeper and still nothing.

Then someone comes along and digs a hole right next to yours and finds gold within a few short minutes because they looked in another place.

So, the time has come. The moment has arrived. The opportunity has been presented. We can keep digging in the same hole or we can start digging in other places.

What will the Future of Australian Sport look like???

It’s up to you.

Wayne Goldsmith

© 2009 – 2011, Wayne Goldsmith. All rights reserved.

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November 18, 2009

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