anitalobo’s posterous

Losing the human story of sport

After attending a rash of sport sports-related seminars, I’ve heard and learnt a lot about making sponsorships sweat, running big-ticket events, sticky eyeballs, hot-shot activation and the Holy Grail - ROI. All the energy is spent discussing event execution and broadcast.

Conspicuously absent at all these intensely debated forums is what are we doing to directly support the sports persons themselves – the individuals who wrap their lives around training or building a sports legacy that encourages young people to pursue excellence in sport. This so-called 'soft legacy' is missing.

Sports business seminars on infrastructure mull around ‘acquiring land-building-selling’ – the so-called ‘hard legacy’ is defined in buildings & stadia that in many cases barely comply with competition requirements, athlete comfort be damned!

Facility upkeep or even availability to young sportspersons after the big event is over is not on any priority list.

The discussions among sports marketing folks are confined what they can do to get more advertising around broadcast time. Sports sponsors think ROI equals plastering their branding, first-class box for the bosses, advertising – while non-sponsors think-up new ambush marketing techniques.

Sports federations and organisers’ of the Olympic/ Commonwealth Games devote more energy to legally protecting their brand name, orchestrating events and official delegation visits!

Sports persons who have the most direct and personal stake in delivering the core sport element are incidental and usually ignored while more ‘important’ issues are discussed. There is very little discussion about investing in athlete training and promotion, well before the Games arrive.

Specific to India, the current and escalating demands on athletes include: training, marketing, getting into media; being available for sundry photo-ops with pot-bellied officials and above all, WINNING even if they don’t have the same training facilities that all competitors have!

The human story of sweat, pain, tears, and hours of practise that excludes evenings-out or cuts into family time, to improve the score by a minute or an inch is ignored by most. Athletes go through training on their own steam, sometimes with their coach and family for company.

While I recognise that world-class performers have to enforce a degree of isolation and put in countless hours to reach peak performance, this does not imply:

[A] No-say in decision-making that affects performance especially sponsorship for training [that is if you get a small percentage of what the federation corners]

[B] Not being respected by federation officials, who threaten your place in Team India for the flimsiest of reasons

 [C] Officials excused when they ‘forget’ registering athletes for important competitions that influence world ranking and berth

[D] Not being paid dues on-time even though officials are jet-setting on educational tours

[E] Being made to chase sundry officials every time you travel international, for permissions/ tickets etc

[How difficult is it to ensure dues are paid on time, training-related issues are sorted quickly or travel/ logistics are driven through a speedy clearance for ‘Team India sports persons only’ channel.]

[F] Undue pressure to perform or perish [latter happens more frequently in India, with no support for athletes who need a ‘recovery’ program from bad-form or medical issues]

If our top sportsperson spend a large percentage of their energy just running around to ensure basics are not overlooked and they don’t anger some official on the tree, how will they develop an ‘edge’ that makes vital difference to a podium finish? Wait, we still haven’t even got around to sharing that wonderful human story of overcoming limitations, that’s waiting to be told.

In hoopla around organising bigger events, roads, stadia, greening the city, TV rights, and sponsorship, the real and human story of sport is lost.

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Busting a few stereotypes, early

Girl/ 5 y.o.: I want to be an astronaut

Boy/ 8 y.o.: Girls are not astronauts, only boys go to space.

Girl: I want to play football

Boy: Girls don’t play football, only boys do

Overhearing this a few months ago sent up a huge red flag with me, on how early stereotypes are set.

Probably much earlier than 5, as kids watch cartoons where mummy is always making stuff in the kitchen; girls are always dolled up in pink; and boys are always super-heroes or doing cool stuff.

Turning off the TV isn’t enough of a solution.

At playgrounds, girls get shepherded to ‘safe’ games like swinging and skipping and not kicking around a football.

Well I don’t know what the big solution is, or if there is any escaping gender stereotypes at all?

So what I did was showing evidence that busted stereotypes. Simple stuff really.

Using pictures from the daily paper:

Men who are chefs and women pilots. Women who play basketball; men who figure skate. Male models and women car rallyists!

Proof that women & men can take on any role they want. I have never been more appreciative of the power of photographs!

Mythology is a great source:

Stories are powerful tools. Indian mythology is replete with stories of Kali, Parvati, Durga, Lakshmi – women goddesses who are revered. Their stories exemplify that women are powerful too!

What mom does everyday, matters most!

‘What mom does’ exerts a very big influence on a child’s notions of stereotype – both male and female.

When a child watches their mother work [home/office] and be independent, they’re far more likely to understand male-female equality in their heart as much as their mind.

A big moment for the 8 year old boy was proudly telling his friends, ‘my mom drives a car’.

A big moment for the 5 year old girl was playing football with mom and all the neighbourhood kids. And flat-out races for girls and boys together!

We all know that stereotypes set artificial limits on both girls and boys.

Limits that need to be done away with quickly, gently, firmly and early before they settle in.

The two kids are my children – and this story is yours too.

I’d love to know how you bust stereotypes.

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Have sport-led triggers harmed Australia’s business interests in India?

Ponting’s restrained comments before the India-Australia ODI series had seasoned journalists smiling. Many good-humouredly rued the lack of pre-match aggro!

For some it was a welcome relief to closely focus aggression onto the playing field, and not have it overflow into the wider India-Australia environment.

A series of triggers, sport-specific as well as off-the-field, have sent a negative signal about Australia in India over the past year.

Some of these triggers are:

Australia's Commonwealth Games chief Perry Crosswhite aggressively and repeatedly raising doubts about the security measures in New Delhi, stating that athletes would have to decide themselves whether to compete or pull out.

Persistent rumours that Australia was on stand-by as Plan B host, if India wasn’t prepared in time for the 2010 Commonwealth Games

[Non-sport, but highest public impact] A spate of attacks that have dented Australia’s image as a country that welcomes Indians.

Impact on Australia’s image:

Country perceptions are formed in a cauldron of fact, first-hand experience and news.

At this nebulous frontier, basic questions matter: Do you feel welcomed – as an individual and a business entity. Are India/ Indians liked? What are the cultural/ social barriers to doing business?

On these counts, Australia’s image of being a tolerant & welcoming country has taken a beating.

This impedes new business initiatives with prospective Indian partners.

Let’s look back at why?

Rumours that Australia is geared up to host the Games should preparations for Delhi 2010 falter, was the first major negative signal that shot across the public graph a year ago.

When that subsided, reports of Indians, especially students being attacked started pouring in with alarming frequency. There are over Indian 90,000 students in Australia.

While the Indian media went overboard and sensationalized developments, the Australian media took a defensive-aggressive stance – neither of which helped.

Who loses out?

Mid-sized and small businesses from both countries have found it more difficult to establish partnerships. Uncertainty thrives in a negative environment, making it more difficult to trust.

While established business relationships may weather this tough patch more successfully, the current spell of uncertainty ‘might impact those who are thinking about doing business. In this case, perception is powerful and it would be good if that perception was universally positive, affirms Steve Manallack.

Statements such as, “Australia wants to benefit from India’s growing economy, but doesn’t like India [ns]” are not an exception in private business circles. Mid-sized businesses that are active at Indo-Australian business forums have found the going tough over the past few months.  

In Australia, concerted efforts are being made by organisations such as Australia India Business Council which is deeply involved in working towards reduction in violence against Indian students, according to Steve Manallack, Vice President of the Council.

“Some of our sporting clubs are coming forward to work on a ‘buddy’ system which would link Indian students with local families. We feel this is a good idea for the long term’, adds Manallack.

Curbing triggers, strengthening trust

The attacks on Indians have thankfully tapered off and the local police are actively tracking this now.

However, the Commonwealth Games will continue to be a thorn in our sides, until the Games are done & over with.

The recent visit of Stephen Smith, Australia’s foreign minister was too little, too late in the day. Showing the ‘inspection of venues by Australia’s Foreign minister’ may have unwittingly strengthened negative perceptions, as media reports quote Smith reiterating ‘any decision to boycott the Games on safety grounds would have to be made by Australia's sporting federations’.

While the triggers in this case, are difficult to curb, I hope both India and Australia learn from the challenges of the past year and our bond, as a people and as tolerant, multi-cultural nations, are strengthened.

So besides gagging Perry Crosswhite, offering more [than three] hockey scholarships and praying that India wins some cricket matches against Australia during the upcoming series - what do you think Australia should do, to strengthen the country’s image in India?

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What did you discover at school today?

Have you felt that strange surprise at the first ‘nothing much’ reply?

As parents we can either live with this response or get worried enough to meet the teacher. Then what?

Schools and parents focus on ‘academic excellence is the passport to a better future’, especially in India. There is a huge disconnect between what’s taught at schools and the life-skills children need in a rapidly changing world.

Worse, the sense of wonder and discovery which makes childhood a lifetime memory fades pretty quickly under the demands of school work!

So I’ve put together a wish list of the ‘discovery opportunities’ we could bring to our children during school life. Please do add your wish-list and share this with friends.

MUSIC / ART

Music lessons twice a week – different instruments every year

Art appreciation

Theatre

Dance: Modern and traditional/ folk dances

SPORT

At least one hour of sport every day for all kids, not just the athletic ones

This could fun stuff such as flying kites and even traditional sport such as the Indian kalaripayattu which is the oldest martial art form.

EXPERIMENT

Fridays devoted to ‘practical’s i.e. doing experiments about stuff that’s studied over the week

Understanding science by experimenting

Spending a night outdoors under the stars to understand astronomy & the interconnectedness of all things

INSPIRE

Interactive sessions [guest lectures] from alumni who have ‘made it’ in different fields

Children studying in private schools ‘friend’ an underprivileged child

Reward inspiring teachers –all this won’t be possible without inspiring teachers

WONDER

Field trips to local wildlife sanctuaries/ animal rescue centres

Watching a match – cricket/ hockey/ football

Magic tricks

Now, I’d like your views on:

Will these activities over-burden the child?

I don’t advocate over-programming a child’s life, over-burdening teachers or pushing children to ‘perform’ at these activities! Exploring a forest or making sand-castles on a beach are exciting too!

Should these activities be evaluated in some way?

Can these be tests? How can you measure curiosity? Or the charming memories a child carries into adulthood.

Classmates or parents: what’s better?

While many of these activities take place outside schools, my personal view is that children find the whole experience more exciting when its with classmates, when they’re more likely to act independently and not expect to be ‘babied’ as they would with parents! What do you think?

Who’s responsible?

These activities can be done over a calendar year, if they are planned together by the school, teachers and parents. As parents, it’s convenient for us to think it’s the school’s responsibility to organise everything. The truth is, no school, however well-endowed can do this alone. Parents have to respond and collaborate with schools, for the magic to unfold!

In case you’re wondering, what’s bothering me?

As a parent I am concerned. Our children are at risk of losing a sense of wonder, while negotiating the rigors of modern education. It is the urge to discover things that I seek to foster by making available varied opportunity. A fertile mind, I believe, is better prepared to explore life’s challenges with confidence.

This post came about after several conversations with friends who have school-going kids and share this concern. The immediate trigger was reading Leo Babauta’s ‘Education Needs to Be Turned on Its Head’ http://bit.ly/xHido [do check out the post and reader comments].

These thoughts are still evolving. I am taking a bit of a risk here by sharing a construct that’s a work-in-progress, which I hope will grow and sharpen in dialogue with you.

I intend to share this with as many school principals, teachers and educators – everyone who is willing to listen and help create change!

For small changes often herald big movements.

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