tag:theconversation.com,2011:/columns/team-blog-21Team Blog – The Conversation2013-01-24T05:37:37Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/118022013-01-24T05:37:37Z2013-01-24T05:37:37ZCo-created democracy, movements and the masses<p>One thing any decent marketer will tell you is that is that markets have splintered. Mass markets now exist only for needs, not products. Even utility markets are starting to splinter. But it is we as consumers who are now getting harder and harder to target and identify. </p>
<p>And so it goes for politics. The mass market strategy of a one brand fits all approach is no longer relevant or applicable to modern politics in a consumerist society. Leaders who cling to some old fashioned life raft of an idea of a holistic value concept in the stormy seas of the modern market/electorate are likely to find themselves adrift or at the mercy of the sharks of social media. </p>
<p>Instead the value that is sought by us in a political dimension is something along the lines of the co-creation of value logic that Vargo and Lusch (2004) talk about in their seminal services marketing paper. That is that we want to create value directly with a political organisation. They give us what we want, which meeting our needs, and we give them what they value, money and information. </p>
<p>So say a big hello to the co-created democracy. What? Co-created democracy. Democracy at our level. Created on our scale. On issues that we have decided are important for us. Issues that make us become engaged and part of a collective movement overnight, we were become active on social media until we get what we want. Our needs met. Value delivered to us. </p>
<p>Most of the time these collective movements are not about society wide change. Micro instead of macro change. Call it micro-democracy. They could be if the environment and the mood of the market was right a la the Arab Spring. No, most of the time these are issue specific movements created from sometimes the thinnest vapours of ideas or activism by just a few, yet sometimes being made up of thousands or even more in a matter of weeks. </p>
<p>Using the tools of post-modern democracy, mainly social media, to achieve change and create movements on issues at a speed the activists of long ago could only dream of. The three minute movement as Derek Sivers so cleverly described in a recent TED talk. </p>
<p>Uniting that common need, that person seeking to feel valued and active in a campaign without being more than 3 steps away from the coffee machine in their own house, anonymous behind a random username, yet talking to thousands of people who have the same need they do – change on a particular issue. </p>
<p>All of us are part of some form of co-created democracy. It could be the local park down the road that needs to be saved from the forces of darkness. It could be a small business network seeking concessions from government. It could be parents seeking changes to child care. It could be, well anything. </p>
<p>What it really is though is modern democracy at its very best. </p>
<p>The voice of the people. Well the people who feel engaged and involved about that issue. Who want to co-create value with the organisations and stakeholders with the power to resolve that issue to create positive value for all. They freely interact with each other without the rigorous borders or guidelines of branch meetings or committee’s that say lots and do nothing. Instead they upload and download, comment and like, debate and discuss, all as one, but only on that unique need that has brought them together. </p>
<p>This fluidity of formation, development and numbers make them hard for any politician or organisation to spot. Yet they can be lethal to any political career to try and stop. Don’t show any acknowledgement and sympathy and you will look out of touch. Just ask Wayne Goss about the Koala Electorates that saw him lose in Queensland in 1989, or the shock jocks of commercial radio, or Kochie and breast feeding… well you get the picture. I hope. </p>
<p>As soon as one goes, another crops up, just as fervent as the last, and usually made up of an entire different segment of people but based on that one need, that one issue. No way to divide and conquer here. The micro-democracy is as strong as it is fluid. The smart politician will try and co-create value with them, and use it as a way of differentiating their brand from the others to all those not in that movement. </p>
<p>This is democracy with substance, the only spin cycle that on the dryers at home. Empty and devoid of participation or involvement at tired and fatigued branches required by mainstream parties. Mainstream parties who are neither engaging or connecting with the market until they tap into a micro-democracy issue. One that is alive and well. Creating an engaged and involved movement for the needs of the masses. We don’t really care about the broad lifestyle values of parties, leaders or anyone else. We care about value being created with us, by us and for us. At our level. The co-creation democracy level. </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/11802/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
One thing any decent marketer will tell you is that is that markets have splintered. Mass markets now exist only for needs, not products. Even utility markets are starting to splinter. But it is we as…Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/88082012-08-13T03:26:44Z2012-08-13T03:26:44ZA home away from home: why Australia needs Olympic houses<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/14185/original/bbm7qshk-1344828167.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">DSC</span> </figcaption></figure><figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/14185/original/bbm7qshk-1344828167.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/14185/original/bbm7qshk-1344828167.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14185/original/bbm7qshk-1344828167.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14185/original/bbm7qshk-1344828167.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14185/original/bbm7qshk-1344828167.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=575&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14185/original/bbm7qshk-1344828167.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=575&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14185/original/bbm7qshk-1344828167.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=575&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Many of the strongest sporting nations have Olympic houses … so why not Australia?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Richard Baka</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>One of the purposes of my trip to the London Games was to investigate the concept of Olympic Houses – something most Australians would not know about.</p>
<p>Basically these are temporary Embassies of Sport that are set up in the host games city by most of the larger national Olympic committees (NOC). These venues are set up for various reasons but mostly to be a “home away from home” for a nation’s Olympic athletes, NOC officials, sponsors and family and friends of the athletes.</p>
<p>It is a place for sponsors to network and showcase their products, celebrate medals won, for athletes and supporters to socialise, to host special functions, entertain guests and so on.</p>
<p>At the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics I managed to secure a one-day guest pass to the Canadian Olympic House and was very impressed. Every Canadian Olympian could gain access and they could nominate a set number of family and friends who would be accredited to gain admission to this venue.</p>
<p>The house had a media room for athlete interviews, a free internet area, a bar, serving area for food and beverages, message boards with an information service and a large room that could be booked out for corporate or special functions.</p>
<p>When a Canadian athlete won a medal it was a place for celebration. Above all it seemed like it was best used by the family and friends of athletes who could meet them there. Canadian Olympic Committee officials said it was ideal for the athletes and served as “distraction management”, allowing the competitors to train and do their thing but then have a place where they could meet their support networks. (Guests are not allowed in the athletes’ village.)</p>
<p>Over the past few years I have been following up on this concept and in London I managed to get into a number of these specialised venues. This included Canada Olympic House, USA Olympic House, German Olympic House, Russia Park and Sochi Park, Africa House and Italy House. The models are sometimes a bit different.</p>
<p>The Canadian version is by accreditation and invitation only and has no public area. The Americans House is quite private and in London it had two separate houses – one for the corporate sector and the other, sponsored by Procter and Gamble, was for athletes, their families and friends and global visitors from the wider Olympic community.</p>
<p>Germany had a very impressive combined model in a converted art gallery out near Canary Wharf. Not only was there a private accredited area for their Olympic “family” but also a Fan Fest area which was next door. This area allowed the public into a beer garden atmosphere along with music and entertainment.</p>
<p>I managed to spend four hours there one evening where I had a reunion with several academic colleagues and friends from the German Sport University. It helped that a former exchange student of mine was a volunteer at German House and as a result he arranged a guest pass and gave me a detailed explanation of how it all operated. Interestingly the cost was primarily borne by the German Olympic Sponsors.</p>
<p>The Germans have been doing this the longest (since 1988) so they do it well with expert efficiency and a first-class setting.</p>
<p>One of the most famous all of the Olympic houses is Holland Heineken House which is, as the name, suggests a gigantic pub full of big screens and a celebration of Dutch culture. There is a charge to get in and you can even book ahead of time although Dutch citizens have preferential entry. They also have a private accredited section for their Olympic Family.</p>
<p>There were dozen of these Olympic Houses scattered all over London but I did not have time to visit them all.</p>
<p>So where was Australia’s Olympic House in London? Well, there wasn’t one. Apparently the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) tried this once in Atlanta in 1996 but it was never repeated. The only explanation I could find was that it got a bit too “boozy”. It was sponsored at that time by Fosters so I assume the model was like the Dutch Heineken House and the emphasis was on a pub atmosphere.</p>
<p>In lieu of an Australian Olympic House, Aussie supporters, family of athletes and others usually take over and adopt a pub. Our swimmers even have an official supporters group known as Parents, Pals & Partners of Oz Swimmers (POOS) – quite a catchy name but they had no Aussie Olympic House at which to gather.</p>
<p>Parents of our Olympic athletes who give up so much of their time by way of financial and emotional support of our Olympians deserve a common meeting place at The Games. So do our athletes and all of the Olympic Family.</p>
<p>My recommendation is that the AOC, our Olympic sponsors, Austrade (who often host big corporate events at the Games), the Australian Sports Commission/Australian Institute of Sport and our Federal Sports Minister look into this situation in more detail.</p>
<p>Perhaps a rejigged and remodelled Australia Olympic House could be tried again in Sochi or Rio. I’d be pleased to share all my notes and research on this concept. As one of the leading Olympic nations this is one thing we are missing. All of the feedback I could find on these Olympic Houses was overwhelmingly positive.</p>
<p>Here are just a few points to consider if we want to develop this concept:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>We could showcase Australian symbols, icons and our culture.</p></li>
<li><p>It would be the ideal place to fly the boxing kangaroo flag without any IOC interference.</p></li>
<li><p>It should not directly cost the AOC or taxpayers much, if anything, as the majority of these houses’ expenses are paid for by sponsors or by in-kind support.</p></li>
<li><p>It would be the ideal setting to celebrate medals or outstanding achievements by our Olympians.</p></li>
<li><p>VIPs or members of the Royal Family might drop in on noteworthy occasions such as happened at Canada House after a Canadian silver medal was won in rowing.</p></li>
<li><p>Hey we are Aussies and when we travel half way around the world to participate in the Olympics we need a place to hang out.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>What are we waiting for?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/8808/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
One of the purposes of my trip to the London Games was to investigate the concept of Olympic Houses – something most Australians would not know about. Basically these are temporary Embassies of Sport that…Richard Baka, Senior Lecturer, School of Sport and Exercise Science, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/87952012-08-12T09:53:50Z2012-08-12T09:53:50ZFlags of convenience<figure class="align-center zoomable">
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">jonnyr1</span></span>
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<p>Some of the celebrations witnessed at these Olympics have been sensational. The bewildered surprise of Mo Farah as he took gold for the second time in the 5 000 metres; Sally Pearson’s shrieking relief after a cruel 32 seconds of the unknown and of course the heart rending, raw emotion exhibited by many as they achieved their lifelong goals. </p>
<p>And one cannot forget the antics of the German discus thrower Robert Harting. After flinging his implement more than 68 metres he went all ‘incredible hulk’, ripped his shirt asunder in front of the assembled cameras and then proceeded to delight the crowd by hurdling his way down the main straight. </p>
<p>Later, after partying hard, he fell asleep on a train and was relieved of his athlete accreditation and subsequently refused admission to the Village! </p>
<p>Every celebration was unrehearsed, unique and distinctive. There was nary a hint of preparation it was simply, just like the performance that caused it, uncontrollable.</p>
<p>But what is it with all the flags? For the life of me I cannot recall a single instance where a medal winner hasn’t been thrust a flag immediately on finishing. By the conclusion of the athletics it had become ridiculous with nearly every runner given one to wrap around their torso for the lap of honour. </p>
<p>So contrived was it that some even looked like they had either been just taken out of the packet or freshly ironed! </p>
<p>I can see it as a joyful expression of national pride but every athlete is already wearing a singlet, jersey or top with their coat of arms or other depiction on. </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/8795/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Some of the celebrations witnessed at these Olympics have been sensational. The bewildered surprise of Mo Farah as he took gold for the second time in the 5 000 metres; Sally Pearson’s shrieking relief…Dave Arthur, Sport Business, SC Business School, Southern Cross UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/87932012-08-11T23:27:29Z2012-08-11T23:27:29ZThe myth of natural talent<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/14161/original/2fmnybmr-1344816345.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/14161/original/2fmnybmr-1344816345.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/14161/original/2fmnybmr-1344816345.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14161/original/2fmnybmr-1344816345.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14161/original/2fmnybmr-1344816345.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14161/original/2fmnybmr-1344816345.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14161/original/2fmnybmr-1344816345.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14161/original/2fmnybmr-1344816345.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">LondonAnnie</span></span>
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<p>Once again, the myth of natural talent rears its ugly head. This pernicious myth suggests that Black athletes are better at sport that White athletes, and also that White athletes have to be cleverer and more hard-working than Black athletes to succeed in sport. </p>
<p>The myth situates the successes of Black athletes as due to innate ability, downplaying the focus and hard work they have done, while simultaneously situating the successes of White athletes in the opposite way, celebrating their ‘unlikely’ achievements. </p>
<p>This myth, though always present, frequently emerges at great sporting competitions. Here it has been bandied about in the context of the great success of the Jamaicans and African Americans in the athletics competition. The myth says of course they won, they are Black; Blacks always win. It conveniently ignores White success, or situates it as an aberration.</p>
<p>It is a myth. There is no evidence that Black athletes are better at sport than White athletes. Geneticists have long known that there is greater genetic variation within so-called racial groups than between them. Indeed, race itself is a social construction: there is no genetic basis for race. </p>
<p>Think about the category “Black”. It includes people of African, South Asian, Pacific Islander, Aboriginal and mixed backgrounds, and who is included varies depending on where it is being discussed. </p>
<p>Likewise, the category “White” may include people from the Middle East and Southern Europe, or it may not, depending on where you are. There are light-skinned people who are considered Black, and there are dark-skinned people who are considered White. </p>
<p>There may be genetic differences that are associated with better sports performances, but these do not fall along racial lines.</p>
<p>The athletes themselves buy into the myth, and it arguably affects their performance. If a White athlete thinks they can’t beat the Black athletes, then they have lost before they even compete. </p>
<p>On the other side, Black athletes don’t want to lose to White athletes because they aren’t supposed to be as good, so the Black athletes race extra hard. There is nothing genetic here, but the mind games can have an impact.</p>
<p>The myth is pernicious because it gives the impression that Black athletes are not students of their game, and are not suited to thinking strategically, to providing leadership on the field, or in coaching positions after they finish playing. </p>
<p>It should be challenged whenever it is raised.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/8793/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Once again, the myth of natural talent rears its ugly head. This pernicious myth suggests that Black athletes are better at sport that White athletes, and also that White athletes have to be cleverer and…Karen Farquharson, Associate Professor of Sociology, Swinburne University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/87902012-08-10T06:32:40Z2012-08-10T06:32:40ZOn journalism and the Olympics<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/14162/original/nrp3fqrj-1344816664.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/14162/original/nrp3fqrj-1344816664.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/14162/original/nrp3fqrj-1344816664.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14162/original/nrp3fqrj-1344816664.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14162/original/nrp3fqrj-1344816664.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14162/original/nrp3fqrj-1344816664.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14162/original/nrp3fqrj-1344816664.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14162/original/nrp3fqrj-1344816664.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Scorpions and Centaurs</span></span>
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<p>That I can comment on the Olympics is only possible because media organisations pay journalists to report on them. I get my Olympics information from the mainstream news media. I interpret it through a sociological lens, but I am not there and can only interpret what I have access to, which is the news coverage.</p>
<p>I mention this because the mainstream print news media is undergoing major changes at the moment. The Australian media, already very concentrated, is further ‘streamlining’ its news operations. More shared stories and journalists are on the cards, less local news. The popular discourse is that the Internet has killed the news. Why pay for content when you can get it for free online?</p>
<p>For Olympics news to be reported quickly and accurately, news organisations pay professional journalists to get the stories. Some stories, like who won or lost an event, are relatively simple to uncover by following official press releases or watching the match, but others, such as those investigating drug use or successful training regimes in sport, require more skill and time. It is these latter stories that are at risk if we are to rely on amateurs for our news.</p>
<p>It will be interesting to see what type of coverage we’ll have at the next Olympics. Hopefully an alternative model of news provision will emerge that will foster professional journalism while maintaining the viability of media companies.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/8790/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
That I can comment on the Olympics is only possible because media organisations pay journalists to report on them. I get my Olympics information from the mainstream news media. I interpret it through a…Karen Farquharson, Associate Professor of Sociology, Swinburne University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/87882012-08-10T06:25:01Z2012-08-10T06:25:01ZRudisha, Bolt…and a Broken Leg<figure class="align-center zoomable">
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<figcaption>
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">corvette_by_bic</span></span>
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<p><strong>Rudisha</strong></p>
<p>It was perhaps billed as the hors d'œuvres before the main event. But it was far from a second billing with David Rudisha winning the 800m in a World Record (1:40.91). It was perhaps the greatest 800m in history with all 8 men either running national records, personal bests or seasons bests. Even more impressive was that second and third places were teenagers - the future of 800m running looks bright. Rudisha lead from gun to tape running 49 s for the first 400m and 51 s for the second - setting the first athletics world record of the Olympics. </p>
<p><strong>Bolt</strong> </p>
<p>The main event was, of course, Bolt in the 200m. He was going for the Double/Double. The first sprinter ever to defend both the 100 and 200m at the Olympics. Bolt’s start was perhaps the best he has had of the games and came of the bend with a commanding lead. It is perhaps telling that a couple of times around the bend Bolt was looking to the inside to see where Blake was. Blake was coming back at Bolt in the straight but Bolt had it won and took the foot of the gas for the last couple of steps. Bolt wanted to get this double to cement himself as a legend - not only in athletics’s but also in sport, and last night he did just that.</p>
<p><strong>…and a broken leg</strong></p>
<p>Manteo Mitchell is the type of man you want on your team. He is an American sprinter and in the 4x400m relay he broke his fibula halfway round but continued to run. “I didn’t want to let those three guys down,” he said of his his 4 x 400m teammates, “so I just ran on it. It hurt so bad, It felt like somebody literally snapped my leg in half” Despite this, he ran to the line (45 s split), passed the baton on to his team mate and the US duly qualified for the final. </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/8788/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Rudisha It was perhaps billed as the hors d'œuvres before the main event. But it was far from a second billing with David Rudisha winning the 800m in a World Record (1:40.91). It was perhaps the greatest…Matthew Taylor, Lecturer in Biomechanics, University of EssexLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/87692012-08-09T23:53:14Z2012-08-09T23:53:14ZThe 80-20 rule: grassroots versus elite sport investment<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/14164/original/ph6rjvnt-1344817809.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/14164/original/ph6rjvnt-1344817809.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/14164/original/ph6rjvnt-1344817809.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14164/original/ph6rjvnt-1344817809.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14164/original/ph6rjvnt-1344817809.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14164/original/ph6rjvnt-1344817809.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14164/original/ph6rjvnt-1344817809.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14164/original/ph6rjvnt-1344817809.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">wsilver</span></span>
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<p>I am just going to throw this out there. In a radio interview last week I was asked if Australia should continue to participate in the global sports arms race and increase its investment in elite sport. For a whole range of reasons (elite investment can lead to some societal benefits that can be justified scientifically) that we can debate off line I personally feel that elite sport funding should not be cut, maybe even increased (see later). </p>
<p>However, what could happen first is to bring federal funding of grassroots sport in line with elite sport. Again, the implications and origins of such a statement are much more far reaching than can be discussed in a blog such as this, so please take the following anecdotal comparison of countries as a brain teaser rather than a water tight case that can be argued in a court of law. </p>
<p>Here we go. During the past two decades, Australia’s federal sport expenditure has been weighted roughly 80:20 in favour of elite sport. This equation also applies to the Dutch federal sport budget, but there the balance favours grassroots sport. During the past three Olympic campaigns the Dutch won 22 medals in Athens, 16 in Beijing, and 16 in London whilst still counting (at least two more silver medals in hockey will be won). </p>
<p>A pretty stable performance over the past 12 years. Australia’s Athens’ medal count was 49, Beijing 46 and London 29, also still counting, but unlikely to get many more than 30. Whilst the debate in Holland is about shifting the (relative!) investment to elite sport, the debate in Australia is (should be?) about investing (relatively!) more in grassroots sport. </p>
<p>By the way, don’t worry valued commentators on previous blogs! The investment in sport is separate from the discussion about bringing compulsory physical education back into the national curriculum and also separate from establishing wide ranging national policies in regard to increasing physical activity levels and facilitate active lifestyles of all Australians. I do realise that sport only represents a small but important part of the human movement universe.</p>
<p>So let us go back to the anecdotal two-country assessment. The Netherlands and Australia in so many ways are comparable – in regard to their economic development (GDP), population size (17 and 22 million), in terms of their club based sporting systems and infrastructure, and in regard to their cultural values and attitudes. </p>
<p>Sport is important in both societies. People identify themselves nationally with the success of home-grown sporting stars, and sport is an incredibly important part of the community fabric. </p>
<p>It generates social capital through its ability to make people meet, greet, play and engage with each other. Excellent physical infrastructure in both countries facilitates this process. </p>
<p>The last teaser I want to throw out there is that given sport’s wonderful community coverage – it is everywhere, just note how long you can drive through a town on a Saturday without seeing people play sport – the federal investment in sport in both countries is marginal. Federal budgets for sport in the Netherlands and Australia amount to a couple of hundred million dollars at the most - a drop in the ocean when you compare this to, for example, health and education budgets. </p>
<p>If some enlightened sport (and health) ministers in both countries would be bold enough to negotiate, say, 500 million per annum as their sport budget, euros or dollars, both elite and grassroots sport would thrive. Just split 500 million between elite and grassroots and both countries would be top 10 Olympic nations. </p>
<p>And in terms of community sport infrastructure (people and facilities), we would leave the rest of the world miles behind, including China and the USA. </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/8769/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
I am just going to throw this out there. In a radio interview last week I was asked if Australia should continue to participate in the global sports arms race and increase its investment in elite sport…Hans Westerbeek, Dean, College of Sport and Exercise Science and Institute of Sport, Exercise, Active Living, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/87682012-08-09T12:34:40Z2012-08-09T12:34:40ZTripping the life Olympic<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/14120/original/w76s8396-1344556208.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/14120/original/w76s8396-1344556208.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=382&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14120/original/w76s8396-1344556208.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=382&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14120/original/w76s8396-1344556208.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=382&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14120/original/w76s8396-1344556208.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14120/original/w76s8396-1344556208.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14120/original/w76s8396-1344556208.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Brodie (right) rowing in the men’s pairs semi-final.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Competition has ended, and so I find myself able to set my own schedule. This may sound like a normal human enterprise, but for an athlete who has known what he has had to do every morning for the last three years, this is a revelation. Today I played soccer, and while that may sound like a normal pass-time, there’s a bit more to it.</p>
<p>You see, I was invited to play last night during a midnight snack run at the Village dining hall. A friend of mine from the German eight invited me to play with him, and when I showed up, they were already in full swing. Aside from a Canadian rower, I was the only other native English speaker.</p>
<p>If I hadn’t, by accident of fate, studied German in high school then I would have had to guess at what they were saying. But the one thing that was universal, no matter the tongue spoken, was the way the game was played.</p>
<p>As is to be expected, most of us were laughing at our errors (rowers are not the most coordinated on land) and enjoying ourselves. The game inevitably got semi-serious at one point, as it always does with competitive people, and we had to calm down and take it easy. Really though, the jokes were the same, the laughter was the same, we were one in the game.</p>
<p>The Olympic Village is like a living Valhalla, a place for the people most like each other in the world to get together and transcend borders. I think the theme of this experience for me is realisation – I have found so much more meaning in things that I only understood on an intellectual level before. I thought I knew that people were all the same, but laughing and playing and talking with the Germans and Dutch and Canadians and Greeks and Croats and anyone else on the street makes that commonality so much more apparent.</p>
<p>We are the valiant few, chosen to fight and feast for these precious few weeks, and when it is done we will return to the real world. But for now, here, we are all the same, and we have so much to share. </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/8768/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Competition has ended, and so I find myself able to set my own schedule. This may sound like a normal human enterprise, but for an athlete who has known what he has had to do every morning for the last…Brodie Buckland, Olympic rower and student, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/86432012-08-09T12:11:23Z2012-08-09T12:11:23ZThe end of the rainbow<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/14122/original/bftq8b2m-1344557824.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/14122/original/bftq8b2m-1344557824.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14122/original/bftq8b2m-1344557824.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14122/original/bftq8b2m-1344557824.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14122/original/bftq8b2m-1344557824.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14122/original/bftq8b2m-1344557824.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14122/original/bftq8b2m-1344557824.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The sun has set on the Olympic regatta at Eton Dorney.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">andy hayward</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>Since <a href="http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/london-olympics/video/catch-up?uuid=7dd25605-2027-4846-852e-2deff7dea53c">racing in the Olympic final</a>, the notion that, “it’s not if you win or lose, but how you played the game” has taken on a new dimension. I thought that this phrase was simply an injunction against cheating, but as I was coughing and sputtering and wandering around in a pain-daze after my race, another meaning of it struck me.</p>
<p>On a personal level, the process of rowing well, of emptying myself, of eradicating all my doubts with every stroke was a reward in itself. I may have crossed the line in fifth place, but in my heart I know that I rowed the best race that I could have.</p>
<p>Since that time, I have been enjoying the Olympic Village and spending time seeing family and friends around London. I’m gradually resuscitating the parts of my life that had been shut down leading into racing, getting ready to get back to uni and work and responsibility. This time has been so special, and I will always be grateful for the chance to be here.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/8643/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Since racing in the Olympic final, the notion that, “it’s not if you win or lose, but how you played the game” has taken on a new dimension. I thought that this phrase was simply an injunction against…Brodie Buckland, Olympic rower and student, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/87232012-08-08T21:15:55Z2012-08-08T21:15:55ZYou learn something new every day …<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/14024/original/3x8zb8m8-1344471702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/14024/original/3x8zb8m8-1344471702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14024/original/3x8zb8m8-1344471702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14024/original/3x8zb8m8-1344471702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14024/original/3x8zb8m8-1344471702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=609&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14024/original/3x8zb8m8-1344471702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=609&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/14024/original/3x8zb8m8-1344471702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=609&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The feats of the Olympic athletes are enough to bring a tear to your eye.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wikimedia Commons</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The past twelve days have seen me happy as the proverbial “pig in mud”. I’ve gone nocturnal, camped on the couch desperately trying to stay awake in the midst of an onslaught of sporting fare the like of which I’ve never seen before! </p>
<p>I am lucky to have pay TV which gives me two major advantages. Firstly, I don’t have to put up with the inane, ill-informed comments from some of the Nine commentary team and their ridiculous scheduling decisions. Secondly, I have eight channels at my disposal - alas this means have to put up with the inane, ill-informed comments from some of the Foxtel commentary team! As if eight options aren’t enough I also have Twitter as a constant companion and the web gives me further <a href="https://theconversation.com/field-of-screens-its-sport-and-social-media-for-the-win-5355">second-screen action</a>! </p>
<p>Despite constant tiredness I’ve tried to learn new things. Who, for example was that diminutive fella dressed in a different colour shirt next to the spindly volleyballers? A floor wiper, water boy or physio? Nope, I crowdsourced Twitter to find this person was in fact <a href="http://www.volleyball.org/rules/libero.html">the libero</a> not a particularly complex part of an opera. It is a designated defensive position played by someone who chases everything and who can dig better than a graveworker in a plague year.</p>
<p>In shooting I’d noticed some participants standing and lying totally still all the while decked out as if they were about to be a pretend villain at a police dog training day. I now know that the <a href="http://hunting.about.com/od/guns/ss/olympicrifle_5.htm">jackets, trousers and even personal undergarments</a> are specifically designed to keep them just that way – immobile and motionless. Did you know there are 13 rules governing the jacket alone! I do now! </p>
<p>Oh and another thing I’ve learned … how to cry. No matter what your nationality the feats exhibited by these Olympians have been life-affirming. I’ve cried at the cruel hardship that some have endured to get this far, snivelled as lifelong dreams were shattered in a trice and of course booed my eyes out as the athletes accepted the glinting symbols of their superiority. </p>
<p>You learn something new everyday!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/8723/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
The past twelve days have seen me happy as the proverbial “pig in mud”. I’ve gone nocturnal, camped on the couch desperately trying to stay awake in the midst of an onslaught of sporting fare the like…Dave Arthur, Sport Business, SC Business School, Southern Cross UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.