#BTColumn – Employment in sports

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author(s) do not represent the official position of Barbados TODAY.

by Dennis De Peiza

The playing of professional sports constitutes a major business platform as it provides for the creation of employment and the generation of revenue.

The level of activity allows for the creation of employment opportunities beyond the boundaries of the venues wherever a sport is played. The business end of sporting activities creates opportunities for investment, and stimulates marketing and promotional activities.

With the anticipated level of business potential, sports development forces its way on the agenda of governments and members of the business community.

Government’s investment in sports, starts with a recognition that it contributes to the economic growth of the nation and lends to social development and upliftment of the people. In recognising this, governments must therefore be clear about their own responsibility in developing sports.

The focus is not expected to be at the top end, where Government sees its involvement in sport as becoming involved in highly publicised events which are aimed at garnering recognition and prestige.

While this is important to the marketing and promoting of an individual country, as part of tourism thrust, this ought not to take precedent over the national goals that are linked to the United Nations 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

It is important to highlight Goal 8 of the SDG which focuses on the promotion of sustained, inclusive, sustainable growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. This is important in the context that we live in an era where those who are engaged in professional sports as players, coaches, trainers, managers, support staff and administrators are paid well, and to the point that many are now millionaires.

With this change of economic status, many of them become celebrities in their homelands and across the world. What sometimes can be amusing, is the fact that some of these persons who emerge to the top of the social and economic ladder, are those who are sometimes written off as a consequence of their failure to meet the academic expectations of the education system.

Goal 5 of the SDG is concerned with the achieving of gender equality and the employment of women and girls. This certainly is linked to the provisions of Goal 8, which highlights the need for full and productive employment and decent work for all.

In the progressive societies of the world, this underscores the need to eliminate the thoughts of marginalisation and discrimination against women in our various cultures. This points to the embracing of the concepts of equality of treatment and association.

The very recent development in the United States of America, where the court has handed down its decision that the USA Women’s Soccer Team is to receive the same pay as the men’s team, underscores the point that inequality in pay in sports is to be denounced. Where conditions of work are the same, there can be no justification for unequal treatment.

The thinking of governments about investing and promoting sports can well be informed by the fact that sports play a significant role in nation building.

The full extent of this is embedded in the fact that it ultimately contributes to the promotion of nationalism, patriotism and unity.

These are particularly showcased when citizens identify with their sportsmen and teams which are participating in international and regional sporting events.

The value of embracing these, can be recognised in how the members of the community respond in support of sportsmen and teams at the community and local levels.

The value of sports to nation building must also be seen in the overall development of the people, inasmuch that sports contribute to discipline, team work, education, deportment, social skills, communication skills, health and fitness.

The investment in various forms of infrastructure starting with stadia and training facilities, means the governments are committed to the building out of the landscape that will energise and drive the development of sports as an economic and social good.

It is important to recognise that the extension of this is the building out of hotel plants to accommodate the many fans who travel to support sports teams. Then there is a range of services providers. This includes those who are directly or indirectly involved in the business of sports, and who stand to benefit from the generated business.

A key derivative from the investment to be made in sports resided within the marketing potential that goes with it. Government and the private sector are the principal beneficiaries from this exercise. The exploits of our sports ambassadors significantly contribute to the marketing efforts of countries.

Every country should therefore have an obligation to recognise and reward its distinguished sports ambassadors; and to do so taking into consideration that their contributions have helped to spur the economy in more ways than one.

It should always be remembered that professional sports do not only contribute to the economic growth of the nation, but help to achieve widespread improvements in the standard of living. This would be in addition to the alleviation of poverty.

Dennis De Peiza is a Labour & Employee Relations Consultantat Regional Management Services Inc. website: www.regionalmanagement services.com