Future of Sport

Introduction
Australia has long over-achieved and out-performed our competitors on the sporting stage but that stage is becoming increasingly crowded and competitive. Whilst new competitors are emerging and old foes are growing stronger, Australia must adapt to these changing circumstances and embrace change. No longer can it simply be business as usual.
Reform of the Australian sports system – both at elite and community level – can be put off no longer. Over the past decade there have been many reports into sport – the Oakley report, the Senate’s inquiry into women in sport, a review of the ASC act, an unreleased plan for disabled sport – and yet very few of the recommendations have been acted upon.
It is clear that we need new directions in sport to meet the emerging challenges and to maintain our status as one of the world’s greatest sporting nations.
If we are to act responsibly and safeguard the future of Australian sport, we must now embrace reform. And it must range from the very highest levels of elite sport, right down to the grassroots (Australian Commonwealth 2007).
Sport as an industry has developed and changed the way it operates, delivers, interacts over the last thirty five years and in conjunction with this Australian politics has developed the way in which it deals with what is a now a considerable industry.
As demonstrated in the above passage, which is an extract from a recent report released by the recently elected Labor Government, sport and recreation is about to face further changes forced upon it by both policy and the economic environment. This paper, while discussing the ‘Future of Sport’, will look at the influences by government and the resulting policies as well as discussing some of the strategies and influences within the sport and recreation industry.
Sport as an Industry
From the early 19th century Australian sport was generally created from the grass roots through community based club structures. This allowed anyone... [continues]

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