Sports Policies in Australia - Case Study Example

SPORTS POLICIES IN AUSTRALIA Name: Institution: Course: Date: Sports industry is a crucial industry in a country and especially that it affects most of the youths who in many countries are the vast majority. Sports policies are the key drivers in sports. They are necessary as they dictate the path to follow in order to have a successful sports industry. Policies just like law gives order in the way things are carried out and especially help the stakeholders interrelate without conflicts and also help them have their rights obeyed and followed. A country with good policies is able to develop the sports industry and especially is able to produce high profile sports men and women. Policies in the sports industry ensure that the country has a good progression and that their sports persons are well taken care of and that their effort is not in vain (Palmer, 2013). Elite sport and sport pathways policy The policy problem is how to improve the elite sport in Australia. In Australia there is a problem for players to grow from the basic knowledge of the game to becoming good at it. This is especially at the child level since in the country there are no sports academies. It is true to note that sports schools contribute a lot to the growth of any sports in a country. The countries that invest properly in the growth of the sports in the country aim at first improving the state of the sports schools in the country. A good sports school trains small children from the age of 6 for the sport of their choice. In addition the school employs good coaches and specialist to improve the quality of the sports training. The government has introduced FTEM (foundation, talent, elite and mastery) a framework of sporting development of the whole parts and the levels of sports. This is a policy that is used for planning for the future and is a tool for a broad range of stakeholders in the sports like the parents, athletes, clubs, coaches and sports medicine personnel and organisations (Stewart, et al, 2004). Therefore the Elite sport and pathways policy will help Australia to develop their own talent. This policy has affected a very wide range of people but more specifically the players involved in the sports as they need to grow (Bergsgard, 2007). Sporting participation and junior sports policy The policy problem in the country is how to involve sports to solve the problem of obesity an overweight that is in the country. A recent survey that was conducted in Australia in the years 2011 and 2012 conducted by the Australian Department of health and ageing revealed that at least 63% of the Australian nationals are either obese or overweight. It also revealed that more men were obese that women. At the same time it is also a good point to note that children are also affected by obesity and that from the research about 25% of the children in the country were overweight (Porto, 2003). The Australian government developed the junior sports policy. The Australian government through developing a policy on the junior sports and their participation in the sports encourages people into the sports thus reducing obesity in the country. This is especially since it encourages more people into the sports either for recreation or for competing at an elite level. It also encourages a good link between schools, sports organisation and the government to ensure a good junior growth and delivery in sport in Australia (Nicholson, Hoye & Houlihan, 2010). A sport policy is most crucial to curb this vice of obesity. It is clear that lack of physical activities to the body causes obesity. If both the adults and the children are encouraged to get involved in sports it is a good way to reduce the epidemic. Sports are encouraged in Australia in the aim to reduce obesity epidemic in the country in the future. This policy affects a wide range of people as it affects the whole of Australian population (Liberal Party of Australia & National Party of Australia, 1988). Sports betting policy In Australia sports betting has caused a major problem and a compromise to the results of the games played. In addition, most of the betting companies did not give back to the game the revenue that they got. It is good to note that a good policy is required in the quest to control betting and especially in sports. In addition, the people involved in the betting game require to be assured of the safety of the game and the money they put forward. The policy is responsible in controlling any negative impact of betting game’s integrity. On the 10th of June 2011, a meeting of the Australian sports ministers agreed to endorse on behalf of the governments, a Policy recognised nationally on Match-fixing in Sports. The aim of the policy was to protect the integrity of the sports in the country through taking control of the bets. The policy in Australia helped to regulate all the industry players through the introduction of the regulating and controlling body for a particular sport. A good example is that the AFL the body responsible to run football in Victoria can apply to be allowed to control betting in football. It is also good to consider that the betting game has now been allowed to advertise on the media like television and newspapers. This regulation is very necessary in the sports industry to control canvassing. It is also a policy that affects the coaches, players, the fans and hence a wide range of people. Sports broadcasting policy The federal Australian government implemented the anti-siphoning policy. The policy problem was that the pay televisions bought the rights to air some events of national importance thus making the free to air televisions not to air the events. This made the national government introduce a regulation on the events to be aired on the free to air television and the buying of the rights. The Australian federal government sought to regulate broadcasting of the sports through the Australian Broadcasting services of 1992 and the amendments to it that were later done. The policy also provides the minister in-charge to control the free availability of different types of programmes depending on his views about the programme. In this case, the minister is able to know and control the content to be aired in the national television. It is also instrumental in the pay televisions. The policy ensures that the rights to air a certain event are only given to the right television and especially to those that purchase the rights. In 1994, there was the introduction of the anti-siphoning law to prevent pay televisions buy the rights to air the events of national importance. This policy has helped even the poor in the community to access the events. The policies to prevent pay televisions buy all the rights is a good move by the government as in the society not everybody is able to access a pay television. This policy specifically affects the television stations and hence not a wide range of people (Elliott, Fourali, & Issler, 2010). Drugs in sports policy The Australian federal government implemented the anti-doping policy in the country. This is an instrumental policy as it has reduced the use of drugs in all the sports in the country. The policy also helps to protect the athletes’ fundamental right of participating in a doping-free sports world. This will therefore promote fairness, equality and health for athletes in the whole world. The policy problem was that many of the sports men and especially the athletes used the banned substances to enhance their performance in the sports. Substance and drugs abuse in sports is a crucial factor to consider. Many athletes have also been stripped off their medals after winning if it is found out that the used the performance enhancing stimulants. A policy was made and a body to deal with doping in the world was established. The world Anti-Doping Agency was began in 1999 and was started to control the use of drugs by sports participants. It has since established a good fight against the use of drugs in the sports. This policy has been instrumental as it helps to maintain discipline in the sports industry and also allow a fair ground to compete. In addition, the banned substances may cause other health issues to the participants. The use of the substances in the sports makes the body to overwork and therefore causes problems to the body and also the heart which is expected to beat above the normal pulse rate. In some cases the use of the performance enhancing drugs has caused death and hence the importance of this policy to regulate and ban the use of drugs. This policy affects specifically the athletes (Girginov, 2008). This policy has significantly reduced doping in the sports as currently just a few of the sports men are caught using the banned drugs. Stadia and events policy The policy problem was that there was lack of the sports facilities in the country especially the stadia. Sports stadia are considered to be beneficial to the economy of a country. The stadia are mostly used in the national events and are beneficial in social cohesion, urban regeneration, national image, tourism both local and international as well as improved facilities in the country. The city of Melbourne in Australia has been instrumental in the hosting of the international events and this has made it a destination to many from across the world. The Australian federal government has a policy to help in the building of stadia in the country as it helps the nationals in getting many benefits from it. In addition, the country has control over the building of the stadia to ensure it is done in the right process and that it does not cause any problems when building. A good example is that the government had stopped the building of the Perth stadium for a while due to the financial crisis in the world. The government also has control over the events that take place in a stadium to ensure that the events are good for the people attending the events. This is a policy that affects a wide range of people as it affects all the stakeholders in the sports industry, from the coaches to the players and the fans (Shulman & Bowen, 2001). Harassment and discrimination policy The problem in the country was the increased rate of harassment and discrimination especially in sports. It starts from the choice of the officials to officiate a certain match, the players in the game as well as the spectators. It is especially focused to the officials and the players. One of the major discrimination in the sports today is racism. It has been noted in many events when the black players and officials are booed in the sports events. It has gone to the level of throwing objects to the playing pitch (Parrish, 2003). The officials and players are often subject to criticism abuse and insults as well as harassments and especially from the fans. This therefore is the necessity of having a policy that will help protect the officials and the players from such. As a way to control the harassment, ASC has introduced the official code of ethics that ensures that the officials are not involved in the harassment of the players. In addition, the sorts governing bodies like ASC and FIFA has introduced rules and regulations that prevent the fans from attacking or harassing the sports participants. In case of harassment and discrimination a ban is imposed and a fine added to the ban to ensure that there is order in the sport. This is a policy that affects everyone in the community; the players, coaches and the fans as well as the government (Hylton, 2001). Conclusion In conclusion therefore it is necessary to realise that Australia has managed to have many policies to control sports in the country. The policies have developed the industry and the country has experienced major developments in from the policies. The Australian federal government has implemented the policies to the letter and this is evident from the results that the country gets in major sporting events around the world like the Olympics. Elite sport and sport path ways policy have made it possible for many of the sportsmen to join the national level of games. This policy has allowed the development of players from all the levels. Sporting participation and junior sports policy also has given positive results to the countries that have implemented it. The cases of overweight and obesity have reduced and this policy has encouraged people to the physical activities like sports. Sports betting policy also has regulated the betting in the country and that it has reduced canvassing in the sports (Downward, Dawson, & Dejonghe, 2009). Sports betting policy has brought soberness into the game and controlled the game to prevent canvassing. Sports broadcasting policy, this policy has ensured that even the poor watch the events of national importance. Anti-doping policy on the other hand, has brought fairness into the game. Stadia and events policy has ensured that the country has stadia that are well managed and the events in them controlled. Harassment and discrimination policy has ensured all the participants and the officials are free of any harassments from all the parties. In all the policies that have been implemented by the federal government of Australia the harassment and discrimination policy has been the most influential. This is the best policy in sports as it provides guidelines on the code of ethics of different participants in the sports. This policy made it possible for Australia to have control of the fans and reduce hooliganism in the country. Therefore all the policies have been instrumental in the development of the sport in the country. References Bergsgard, N. A. (2007). Sport policy: A comparative analysis of stability and change. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Downward, P., Dawson, A., & Dejonghe, T. (2009). Sports economics: Theory, evidence and policy. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann. Elliott, G., Fourali, C., & Issler, S. (2010). Education and social change: Connecting local and global perspectives. New York: Continuum International Pub. Group. Girginov, V. (2008). Management of sports development. Amsterdam: Elsevier/Butterworth-Heinemann. Hylton, K. (2001). Sports development: Policy, process, and practice. London: Routledge. Liberal Party of Australia., & National Party of Australia. (1988). Sports policy. Barton, A.C.T: Liberal Party of Australia. Nicholson, M., Hoye, R., & Houlihan, B. (2010). Participation in sport: International policy perspectives. Oxford, UK: Routledge Palmer, C. (2013). Global sports policy. Parrish, R. (2003). Sports law and policy in the European Union. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press. Porto, B. L. (2003). A new season: Using Title IX to reform college sports. Westport, Conn: Praeger. Shulman, J. L., & Bowen, W. G. (2001). The game of life: College sports and educational values. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Stewart, B., Nicholson, M., Smith, A. & Westerbeek, H. (2004). Australian sport: Better by design? The evolution of Australian sport policy. London, UK. Read More