Teamsiliconvalley - Sports Blog

Its a good time to be a sports administrator

July 4th, 2008

It’s a good time to be a sports  administrator in the Maldives.  Because for the first time associations are getting the autonomy to run their own sports as they wish with the people they want.  Up until now all the top administrators were appointed by the government. Associations had a level of autonomy in the past too, as the government did not have a direct role in the day to day administration of the game. This was especially true of smaller associations.  However, the fact that the people running the sport had no mandate from the stakeholders meant that they were looked upon as caretakers, stooges, politicians or government big shots who were gifted the post as a goodwill gesture by the government.

Even with this control some associations have achieved considerable success in the recent past. Success not in terms of regional or international championships, but in terms of administrative efficiency and development of their respective games. Two associations that come to mind are cricket and basketball.  These associations showed that the failure or success of sports administration did not depended control mechanisms, but on the vision, leadership and planning capability of the people in charge of the associations.

This brings me to the crux of this post. Will autonomy and self rule lead to better administration, success and benefits for sportsmen and women.   Not necessarily. Because success is not merely about who is in control. Success is about planning, teamwork, solidarity, resources and leadership.

Planning is essential in sports as in all aspects of life. If you want to be more than just mediocre,  you need to have an idea of at least what you think you will be in the future. If you want to be the best, you have  to know what you will be in the future. The difference between success and failure is planning.  It was only recently that associations started developing strategic plans. Except for a few, these plans were drawn up on the insistence of the Sports Ministry, on a template provided them. It was too generic and created unrealistic expectations. Most associations just filled it up because the Ministry needed it and forgot about them.  A plan needs to be simple, concise and achievable. It has to be realistic. It’s a matter of knowing our strengths and weaknesses and developing a strategic plan with the involvement of all the stakeholders. 

Sports is all about teamwork. While we expect our teams to go out and show exceptional teamwork to win a game, nothing less is expected of administrators. A bulk of the work in our associations is done on a voluntary basis by ex-players or lovers of a particular sport.  They are a bunch of people who come from  different educational, socio-economic and sport backgrounds. Some are champions in their time. Some just the 12^th man or team ball boy. But they all have a burning desire to see their sport reach number one, and see their players excel.  It is up to the leadership to forge an unwavering  bond between them and between the administrative team and players.  Solidarity is the key in achieving a common goal. I have seen associations  unable to function  as a result of infighting between administrators, administrators and players and players and players. Factionalism and favouritism has been a bane in the development of some of the most popular sports in our country.

A good plan and a great team is nothing without the resources to run the game.  Our sporting bodies have depended on two main sources of funds, government and private  sponsors. Except for football no other sport has been able to raise substantial  funds from their own events.  The change in national sports administration, and the competing demands on the national budget  will make it even more difficult to get money from the government.  Under the change, sports funding is to be channelled through the National Sports Council.  The Council (I hope) will demand more accountability and transparency in financial dealings before allocating annual budgets.  The Council (I hope) will reward associations for good governance and success.  With the expected changes in sport administration,  the competition for the valuable but limited sponsor money will grow.  Especially so, if the FAM gets people who know how to milk money from  sponsors.  But if a “small, unpopular sport” such as cricket can sell all their tournaments and events beforehand, why can’t bigger and more popular sports. All it takes is knowing who will give what and persevering.

Finally, it all comes down to leadership.  A good leader is needed to do all of the above. Someone with vision. Someone who is willing to listen, and treat each member of the administrative team as an equal. Someone who has faith in their team. Someone who knows how to delegate and get results. Someone who respects others for their ability. Most of all someone who has a love of the game above all.  And now we have the power to choose that person.

Entry Filed under: Sports