Australian sport in crisis ??

Post by **Newelly** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 2:37 pm

Get Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett, John Eales, Wally Lewis, Michael Lynagh, David Campese, Dennis Lillee, an eye dropper of the Dons DNA and start a state sponsored champions cloning program.

commonwombat · Post by **commonwombat** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 4:54 pm

Better start a matching program with the women too, Newelly. If you look at the record over the past 20+ years, they have frankly outperformed the Aussie men in a lot of sports.

The Prototype · Post by **The Prototype** » Sun Dec 07, 2003 8:52 pm

I don't know about Aussie sport, but sport down here in Tassie is in a bad way.

HAL · Post by **HAL** » Sun Dec 07, 2003 8:53 pm

Huh. . . . Thats interesting

Post by **Newelly** » Sun Dec 07, 2003 10:00 pm

Prototype,

Tassie has produce its fair share of champions per head of population. Boonie, Punter and Watson on the way. You don't have a huge group to choose from.

commonwombat · Post by **commonwombat** » Mon Dec 08, 2003 7:18 pm

Newelly,

Proto is on the money. With the probable exception of cricket, talented Tasmanians in most sports have to go to the mainland if they are to further their careers, esp for coaching, training facilities, money.

HAL · Post by **HAL** » Mon Dec 08, 2003 7:20 pm

That sounds like a plan.

Post by **Newelly** » Mon Dec 08, 2003 7:35 pm

I wasn't suggesting they don't

. Just saying that they have done alright considering their small population.

Joel · Post by **Joel** » Mon Dec 08, 2003 7:39 pm

I just wanted to say that at the lower level of sport, alot of umpiring/refereeing etc is a bit of a joke, and this is one cause (among mnay others) that stops many people not taking up or persuing a sport.

I play basketball, and the standard of refereeing is a appalling, and I've played in two different leagues over the years and the situation has been no different. Can I also add that the administrations of these places are usually incompotent, and full of people with their own interests at heart. How can the standard of Australian sport increase when the game at the lowest level is so appalling?

In the end, this disenheartens ALOT of people, and they just give up, preferring to stay at home and watch the tele, than play a game where the adherence to the rules is virtually non-existent.

commonwombat · Post by **commonwombat** » Mon Dec 08, 2003 9:51 pm

Well said, Joel as you have identified a contributing factor. Also many talented and enthusiastic young sportsmen are dissuaded by the structures in place in sports like cricket when they graduate from junior to senior and grade standards. The step from leaving school and joining the workforce also sees many leave competitive sport.

piedys · Post by **piedys** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 11:41 pm

MAGFAN8 wrote:Aussie sport 'in crisis' December 3, 2003 - Fox Sports

Half of those medals are likely to come in cycling and swimming.

"So if Grant Hackett goes down (with health problems) like last week, or Ian Thorpe, we're in a bit of trouble," he said.

Peters said superpowers like the United States and China can draw on a massive talent pool.
"China wants to dominate the Beijing Games (in 2008)," he said.
"They are building mini AIS's all over China.
"The resources they are putting in are unbelievable."

Superpowers like the United States and China can draw on a massive talent pool. Yep, and a massive drug pool too.

The resources they are putting in are unbelievable. The gear they are taking is unbelievable.

Just as well AFL isn't an Olympic sport. We'd have the Brissy Bears fly the flag for the Aussies, win us GOLD, only to be disqualified after officials find their changing room floors littered with disgarded viles of juice!

We all know Thorpedo was as sick as a dog at the Sydney Olympics, he'll carve next year.

And i hope this legal nonsense about disarming our shooter Michael Diamond is quashed for the doggy-doo it is.

dyso

Blanch · Post by **Blanch** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 10:06 am

I have to say don't look for aussies to come through in the tennis ranks any time soon. Our State league tennis in WA has degenerated to a point where the best don't even play anymore. The clubs got together and a verbal "I won't pay my players if you don't pay yours" was done. Now they coach kids on pennant days and earn $400 instead of getting that $400 to play for a club.

If any junior shows promise they are quickly whipped overseas to a swedish or american program to follow. Australia has nothing in the way of tennis programs that can be followed through via the AIS. Each state has their program for juniors but it's all organised by the state organisation. I don't know much about other sports but tennis will require some serious tweaking to produce another batch of champions.

commonwombat · Post by **commonwombat** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 6:45 pm

Blanch,

You're dead right there. Tennis isn't my thing but by and large it has became a sport for the upper middle class and therefore has much declining participation rates.

The grass roots and participation rates of many sports in Australia is cause for concern. I have received many voodoo needles to my furry hide for commenting on these lines about cricket. Problems in officiating has been aired and is certainly a factor but participation rates are probably the prime concern. The lack of attention with school sport blends in.

It may still take a while to filter through at elite levels with many current generation sportsmen still active. My crystal ball says Australia's Olympic performance in Athens will certainly be more than respectable, not in the Sydney range (58) but prob somewhere near Atlanta (41) maybe more. Beijing will probably be respectable enough if not quite up to recent levels but if the grass roots are sick, it's only a matter of time.

This malaise is widespread across most sports and also branches into areas of public health, with the publicity over obesity rates.

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Australian sport in crisis ??

Australian sport in crisis ??

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