MMS711: Exploring the Future of Sport Through the Australian Model

This essay provides a comprehensive analysis of the Australian sports structure, focusing on the influential factors shaping its present and future. It begins by examining the current four-pyramid model, which represents the management, organization, and structure of Australian sport, highlighting the roles of government, traditional sports clubs, elite sports systems, and corporate teams. The essay delves into factors affecting the sports industry, including NSO affordability, performance indicators, youth participation, and the impact of traditional versus modern sports. Furthermore, it explores the importance of sports management policies, their applicability, and their potential impact on the future regimen of Australian sports. The essay concludes by inferring sports management functionality and visualizing the 4-pyramid diagram in the context of future sports endeavors, emphasizing the need for embracing emerging dynamics and adapting sports infrastructure to ensure the continued success of the Australian sports system.

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The Future of Sport

Executive Summary
This paper reflects an essay on the Australian sports structure, highlighting the key influential
factors of the same. The sports structure of Australia is considered as one of the most eminent
sports structure in present sports scenario. The present structure is called four pyramids of sports.
This structure is focused on development of each and every aspect of Australian sports sector.
Under this structure the country has experienced an increased number of Australian athletes
coming out as skilful and trained enough to join the national and international level of sports
events. An increased amount of participation has also been noticed. This essay deals with both
the present scenario of sports sector in Australia and also the effective sports models for a better
future of Australian sports industry. With such a large pool of talents in sports sector, Australia is
bound to reach heights of success with implementation of accurate sports policies and programs.
This paper also highlights a sports structure for future based on the assumptions made through
this assessment.
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Contents
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................2
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Part 1: The Present...........................................................................................................................5
Factors affecting the sports industry............................................................................................5
Elucidation of the 4-ring model for present study.......................................................................6
NSO and its affordability.............................................................................................................7
Performance indicators of Australian Sports Association...........................................................8
Youth participation array.............................................................................................................9
Traditional sports v/s modern sports..........................................................................................10
Implication and applicability of 4-pyramids model...................................................................10
PART 2: THE FUTURE................................................................................................................11
Importance of sports management.............................................................................................12
Factors affecting the sports management policies.....................................................................12
Applicability of sports management..........................................................................................14
Total impact on future regimen of Australian sports.................................................................15
Inferring sports management and functionality.........................................................................17
4-Pyramid diagram w.r.t future sports endeavour.....................................................................18
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................20
References......................................................................................................................................21
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Introduction
Australian sports sector is enriched with talented sports persons and has always been on the top
of sports charts. Over the years, Australian sports persons from various sectors have performed
excellently well in their respective platforms and garnered respect and praise for themselves as
well as their country. Australia is undoubtedly a pool of talent when it comes to sports sector,
hence, the name of the country can be found among the top listed teams in any international
sports event. With supreme command over their preferred sports, Australian sports persons have
emerged as the best in many renowned international sports events, making their country and
countrymen proud. To support the pool of sports talents in Australia, the Government should
implement favourable sports policies so that the sports persons and sports enthusiasts are
benefitted from the developed sports infrastructure of the country (Brockett, 2017). This essay is
all about the overview of Australian sports structure with thorough assessment of some important
and relevant aspects of the same. The first part of the essay deals with the structure of 4 pyramids
of Australian sports and how the pyramid represents the management, organisation, and structure
of Australian sport. The second part of the essay highlights on the impact on the sport
organisation, management, and delivery in the future.
Part 1: The Present
Sport industry is one of the major industries of Australia, from which a vast number of excellent
and skilful athletes are emerging every single year. Although the participation in mainstream
sports was declined in 2005-2010, the Australian sports industry has been able to put up with the
changing scenario of the sports sector and has taken a relatively faster pace afterwards. Action
sports are found to be showing a higher growth rate, both in terms of demand and supply, around
the world than that of the other type of sports. Freestyle BMX and inline skating are tow most
popular action sports around the new generation and have climbed the ladder of popularity
quicker than ever (Willem and Scheerder, 2017). The risk and individualism which revolve
around these action sports are considered as the reasons for which their popularity is sky-high
among the generation Y of Australia. The country is having a long history of sporting clubs. The
present sports system of Australia started to evolve in 1972, when the Government of Australia
invested in sports infrastructure and programming for the first time. Although initially there was
very little support from the end of Government, the country generated a successful participation
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base and international sporting record. The current sport structure of Australia is referred as the
four pyramids of Australian sport (Reis et al. 2017).
Factors affecting the sports industry
Australian sports industry is having a number of influential factors which directly or indirectly
affect the growth of this particular sector. Four pyramids of Australian sports is one of the most
important aspects of the sports industry and sports structure of Australia. Each of the pyramids
represents a hierarchical system which considers sports for four different segments of the sector;
 Government (local, state and national)
 The traditional sports club system (state sport organisations, regional associations,
national sports organisations and clubs)
 The elite sports system (institute of sports)
 Corporate teams (Professional leagues)
Elucidation of the 4-ring model for present study
The given figure of four pyramids of Australian sport illustrates that the communication flow
moves vertically within each of the pyramids, and horizontally between each of the pyramids
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clearly. In accordance to the theory, it can be said that the mainstream sport system provides for
a clear understanding of coordination among provider, participant, policy and funding sources,
unlike the action sports industry (Charles-Edwards, 2017). From the four pyramids of Australian
sport, a deeper understanding regarding the development process and structure of the Australian
sports system can be obtained. The outer ring illustrates the community level sport activities, also
reflecting the basic level or local level groups. Local authorities around Australia are important
to develop the sports infrastructure and render maintenance so that sports participation is
positively affected. The rest of the segments up to the elite level are fed and nurtured by the
source formulated from this ring. The foundation of the sport system is also formed with the help
of the elements of the outer ring. The local level groups are generally owned by respective local
sports authorities. At this level, a critical part is formed by the club system, and voluntary
participation is preferred. This level is comprised of managers and participants among whom
most of them are deprived of required skills, knowledge and experience to handle the sports and
resources.
A systematic progression towards a more organized and skillful segment of the sports industry is
reflected by the inner rings of the model. Career improvements of the Australian athletes through
a structured sports development system is represented by the progression for the outer rings to
the inner rings (Beck et al. 2017). The coordination and interrelation among the network of rings
and stakeholders, illustrate the structure which makes the sport development process in Australia
stronger. Resources are believed to play a pivotal role in order to ensure that the sports system is
started to grow right from the local authority level. Emerging dynamics and rapidly changing
aspects of sports industry in Australia have to be embraced by sport infrastructure and suitable
network of stakeholders so that the Australian sports system can be flourished and become
successful in future.
The inner-most ring represents the national level governing bodies such as NSOs and policy
formulation and funding providers such as ASC. The institutions in elite sports system are of
much importance as they are responsible for rendering needful training, coaching, relevant sports
related opportunities and concept or framework about sports science. The skilled performers are
highly benefitted by these institutes which helps them to acquire new sports techniques and also
sharpen their existing skills (Bradbury and O’Boyle, 2017). Thus, with all the rings consisting of
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various important factors related to Australian sports system, the four pyramids of Australian
sports is of much importance while creating a strong foundation for the Australian sports
structure and providing base for the possible changes in the future of sports industry. National
leagues provide a pathway to elite competition whereas the state and national sports institutes
provide necessary coaching and knowledge about sports science infrastructure to the eminent
performers belonging to state and national level (Hopwood and Skinner, 2017).
NSO and its affordability
National Sports Organisations or NSOs are responsible for managing and coordinating
Australian sports. NSOs are referred as national representatives of Australian sports. The NSOs
basically implement the policies which are formulated by Australian Sports Commission (ASC).
On behalf of the federal government, the ASC administers and funds sports nationally. Both
ASC and Federal Government play crucial roles in formulating sports policies and provisioning
finance in different sports sectors. Australian Institute of Sports (AIS) is responsible for
providing training and coaching to the best athletes (individually or in team) to upgrade their
performance level by enhancing their skills. For the development purposes in sports sector of
Australia, sport science, funding, medical services, and also sports scholarship programs on 26
sports are integrated by AIS. The federal government aims to achieve a continued growth rate in
the performance level of Australian athletes in international level (Jamieson and Ostermeyer,
2017). The primary focus of ASC is to take Australia to the peak of success in international
sports level and also ensure that Australia reaches a reputed height in the context of excellence in
sports. Sports Development Group (SDG) focuses on increasing the number of Australian
participants in various events related to sports and physical activities. Sports Excellence and
Sport Development grant programs of ASC, which provided necessary funding to NSOs to carry
out organisational operations, are administered by SDG (Hassan, 2018).
Performance indicators of Australian Sports Association
Australian athletes showed an improved participation level in sports events in 2000-2001, the
key performance indicators of the same was:
1. Total number of Australian athletes who were participating in the sports,
2. Participation level in organised sports,
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3. Community awareness level of the advantages of playing sports,
4. Demographic trends in participation,
5. The total number of organisations who provided programs in order to support
participation (Burton and Leberman, 2017).
As for the participation level among the Australian athletes, the participation rate among children
was more than that of the participation rate among the adults in Australia (Huxley et al. 2017).
As per a study conducted in 2007, it was found that Australian football was having participants
as huge as 615,549. Athletics Australia has a total of 34,000 athletes, coaches and sports officials
registered with them (Godber, 2018). Most number of Australian sports persons are said to be
connected with basketball, making it one of the most popular sports of the country. In
accordance to the National Cricket Census, a total of 1,311,184 people played Cricket in 2015-
2016, which is an 8.5% increase on the total number of Australian cricketers in 2014-2015
(Rossi, 2017). Cricket is currently at the top of the most favourite sports chart of Australia.
The Australian Government opts for huge investment in the sports sector of the country to ensure
a better and developed sports infrastructure for the athletes. More than $357 million have been
invested in order to support sport and recreation activities in 2016-2017. This level of investment
is made to make sure the desired value is achieved and also the value placed upon in sports
sector by the society is reflected accurately (Erb and Hautbois, 2018). In order to understand
expectations of the sports sector of Australia, National Sport Plan is introduced by the
Government of Australia. Australian Government is working closely along with other
departments, agencies and policies to make an impact on the planning and development of
sporting facilities of the country.
Different types of sports are played across Australia with varied number of participants for each
of them depending upon their popularity level in the country. Cricket, football, basketball, rugby,
swimming, horse riding are some of the most popular sports of Australia (Weed, 2017). Not only
adults, children are having equal enthusiasm in the sports sector. With more number of
Australian children are prone to become athletes, it is clearly seen that the country has sports as a
significant aspect of their overall development process. As more Australian athletes are being
produced each year from different sports institutions, the numbers of participation from the end
of Australian athletes are increasing rapidly. As more Australian athletes are interested in or are
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joining national and international events, the country is seeing a rapid change in their economy
as well. Also, the success of more Australian athletes in international level of sports events, the
country is gaining immense reputation and recognition in sports sector globally (Gowthorp et al.
2017).
Youth participation array
With the help of sports scholarship programs implemented by the Government of Australia, more
skilful youths are being part of sports organisations at ease. Money or power is not an obstacle
anymore to explore ones skills in sports sector in Australia (Sherwood et al. 2017). The young
athletes, on the basis of their respective talents related to sports or physical activities, are
considered for the sports scholarship so that their path towards success becomes free from
thrones. The girls are also a crucial part of Australian sports sector with a huge number of female
athletes participating in national and international sports events. As both the Australian teams of
cricket and football are very much popular across the countries because of their successful
qualification for World Cup cricket and football tournament respectively each of the year, the
girls are not far from achieving this kind of success (Eime and Harvey, 2018). With so many
woman cricket and football players, it can be assumed that Australian women’s team in both the
sports category will be emerging as one of the strongest teams in these tournaments.
Traditional sports v/s modern sports
In Australia, traditional sports is properly managed and accurately organised while being
compared to the new sports categories. Formal structures are generally used to define
mainstream sport. The mainstream sport is comprised of a network of support stakeholders
which includes Government, clubs and the sport associations (Hargreaves, 2014). Australian
sports have been witnessing an increased number of participation in sports events along with
continuous success by the Australian athletes. Being inspired the back to back success and more
participation from the Australian athletes, the government of the country has invested a large
sum of money for the development of the sports infrastructure of the country and also the
individual betterment and growth of the athletes (Hoye et al. 2015). With more investment
coming in, the sports sector of the country is flourishing day by day, exploring vast opportunities
and scopes for the new as well as experienced athletes. The old systems and infrastructure was
unable to provide efficiency and required directions to the athletes as per as the requirement of
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meeting the national and international standards of the sports sector. The present sports structure
of Australia is one of the best when it comes to upgrading the sports standard and quality of
athletes within the country (Pedersen and Thibault, 2014).
Implication and applicability of 4-pyramids model
The four pyramids model of Australian sports is not only responsible for generating more
participation in different sports sector, but also implementing relevant and fruitful programs and
policies to help in betterment of the Australian athletes. When it comes to social aspect, sport
plays a crucial role in generating harmony among communities having different cultural as well
as religious background. A particular team can be comprised of players coming from various
community and religious groups, existing in Australia (Eime et al. 2015). Also, sometimes, a
non-australian athlete is a part of Australian team as that individual is having the citizenship of
Australia. Thus, that athlete might face discrimination in the ground as well as team (Schulenkorf
et al. 2016). But with the current sports structure, this type of discrimination can be eliminated
and players can be at peace with their teammates. When a team represents a country, all the
players in it forget their personal differences and focus on strategies to bring out the best version
of themselves, making their country proud. This way, a sport can spread harmony and peace
through their performance and attitude during the game.
Australian sports structure is believed to be the best possible sports structure globally (Hums and
MacLean, 2017). The reason can be its varied functions and coverage to different aspects of
sports. However, the country is aiming to implement more effective and fruitful policies and
programs to motivate their athletes to attain more success in sports sector. In a country like
Australia, sports is considered as a crucial aspect and a better and more effective sports
infrastructure can benefit the athletes causing overall development of the sports sector of the
country. The present sport models of Australia are providing amazing results and it can be
assessed that in future the country will be witnessing further progress in the sports sector.
PART 2: THE FUTURE
Given your knowledge of the evolution of the management, organisation and delivery of
sport thus far, how will sport organisation, management, and delivery be impacted into the
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future? Refer to information about emerging models of sport creation and delivery, and
sport clusters as the basis for your analytical discussion (as seen in your textbook).
Create the next evolution of the 4 pyramids diagram.
Sport and economic development of a nation is closely connected. Through the close observation
it can get noticed that a nation with strong sport regime is much stronger than any other nation.
On the other words, it can be said that proper sport regime has the power to represent and pave a
great place of the nation in the international platform. And when it comes to Australian economic
development then here sport plays a great role.
It is noticed that sport and economic development of the country incorporate numbers of various
issues. In order to align the assignment with the future scenario of the Australian sport and its
impact on the nation, having clear idea on the entire related facts is important. Actually, there are
four identified areas of limitation which Australia can face if it comes to contribution of
economy to the economy of the nation in near future. (Routledge et al, 2015)
Importance of sports management
Before discussing the four areas of limitation, understanding the structure and importance of
sport management is important. A nation can expect great outcomes from the sport teams when it
avail the perfect sport management regime for all the sport teams. Without proper management
system nothing can shine or make place in the market of competition. Sport management can be
accepted as a regime where business deals with business and activity. It is an all accepted fact
that without the efficient managers, a management system cannot run and it is also application to
the sport management system. It is not that all the sport teams at the beginning stage are capable
of playing in the international level (Filo et al, 2015). Regardless of the level type, availing
proper management system and efficient managers at every level is important. Proper guidance
and management can make a team stronger to play in the highest levels. There are few specific
places where the need of a sport manager is prominent such as front office system of professional
sports, college sport management, recreational sport, marketing of sports, facility and event
management, sports economics, sport financing and sport information.
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Both the nation and countrymen get profited thorough the proper sport management options. At
the first place, it can be stated that through the proper management setting the nation can win a
lot of international levels easily on the contrary, it adds new dimension to the economic
development of the nation. The benefit of sport management is not limited here. A proper setting
or regime can attract a lot of young people to take part in and it is also applicable to the sport
management setting of Australia. Sport management can offer various job opportunities to the
eligible countrymen. When a country is too much interested about the sport regime then it is very
common fact that its management setting automatically attracts a large number of people.
Factors affecting the sports management policies
Sport management in a modern context is often seemed complicated. On the contrary, it can be
said that the complication takes place due to the changing nature of the related factors. When it
comes to completely business regime then management can get accepted as a set of act or skill
through which controlling and forming decision in a business context of sport is possible. Sport
management is related with a lot of other major factors such as-
Growth of sport- the idea of sport management is directly connected with the stages through
which the sport regime has reached the present platform. It can get seen through the close
observation a lot of games are from the ancient times and in the past days the regime followed
undeveloped rules and regulations. For instance it can be stated that in the earlier time Tennis got
played in an hour glass shaped court and this is truly illogical. And Rugby was also played by the
hundreds of men and this too is completely illogical but the continuous growth and technology
and evaluation power of the sport management has concealed the yeasts. The overview of 1896’s
Olympic regime and the over view of 2016 Olympics’ overview, can help to identify the exact
eras of development. A lot of effective discipline, rules and regulations have taken place in the
modern setting and these can be accepted as the utmost things to enrich the sport culture of a
nation. (De Bosscher et al, 2015)
Sport organisations- it is noticed that modern sport organisations generally follow two types of
objectives, the first one is about the promotion and development of the sport and the second one
is about the collecting revenue and making more profits. Here a sport club can be assumed as a
sport organisation. Actually, it is noticed that the sport clubs do not follow any selected form of
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