Comparative Study of Government Sport Policies: Strategies & Outcomes

This essay offers a comparative analysis of government sports policies, examining seven key areas: sports strategy, elite sport pathways, sports participation and junior sport, sport betting, sport broadcasting, drugs in sport, and stadia & events. It discusses the shift in sports strategies from 'sport for good' to 'pure sport,' highlighting the government's commitment to investing in sports for its own sake. The essay emphasizes the role of mental factors in elite athletic performance and the importance of policies protecting junior athletes while promoting social justice. It also addresses the challenges of sport betting and the measures taken to minimize its adverse effects, as well as the impact of technological advancements on sports broadcasting. Furthermore, the essay discusses anti-doping policies and the financial dynamics of stadia and events, providing a comprehensive overview of government involvement in sports.

Running head: GOVERNMENT SPORT POLICIES
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF GOVERNMENT SPORT POLICIES
Name
Institutional Affiliation
May 31, 2018

GOVERNMENT SPORT POLICIES 2
Introduction
In the day to day life, people engage in different kinds of sports mainly for leisure,
exercise, professionalism and passing time. There are a variety of games in which people can
engage in depending on their age, size, culture, and government sports policies. At times, the
government gets involved directly in the sporting matters through different ways. This is because
sports have a positive influence on the health of citizens of any country. There are government
policies that guide sporting activities in each country and even globally. The main aim of such
policies is to ensure that citizens access different kinds of sports activities in the country. Such
games can be organized by private clubs, individuals or organizations. This paper focuses on the
seven policy areas covered under the government sports policy (Airey, 2015).
The Sports Strategy 2008-11 expressed 'a cutting-edge system of sports clubs will be the
focal point of individuals' sporting knowledge', along these lines featuring a responsibility by the
Government to supporting sports interest in such conditions. The Strategy focused policy on
raising cooperation to more elevated amounts by 2020 and with 1 million more players by 2012-
13 after the Olympics (a legacy from the past policy stage, however, to be conveyed for the most
part through National Governing Bodies of Sport and their associated sports clubs, an inversion
to sport for its own purpose, as opposed to sport for shared social great. This 'world class' sports
improvement framework was planned to speed the progress from school to club sport, expanding
grown-up cooperation, and in addition assuming a key part in creating capable competitors.
These goal-oriented points will put expanded accentuation on the part of sports clubs in
conveying policy for sport (Devine, Boyle & Boyd, 2011).

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Amid 2008 sports procedures were re-adjusted from the sport for good towards
'unadulterated sport', featuring a dedication from the local government to put resources into the
sport for its own purpose. The Sports Strategy included area particular targets, expressing that:
'… clubs and instructing ought to positively affect cooperation rates. We trust that this will pull
in an additional 200,000 sporting members for every year', members were characterized as
individuals undertaking 30 minutes of the direct sport no less than three times each week). It
likewise set an objective for the Third Sector, a class that while not characterized in the
methodology would normally incorporate sports clubs of 100,000 new members by 2012-13.
Elite Sport & Sport Pathways
Impressive research prove verifies the part of mental factors as determinants of first-class
execution. Dinning (2017), for instance, recognized mental "achievement factors" (e.g., a higher
state of responsibility, long and short-term objectives, symbolism, center, pre-and in-rivalry
designs) that recognized fruitful competitors from their less effective partners. Supporting these
discoveries. Gould and partners found that fruitful Olympic competitors were more dedicated
and centered and occupied with broader mental arrangement than less effective entertainers.
Additionally, bolster for this conflict originates from Green’s (2016) work with Olympic and
World champions. They distinguished, among others, self-assurance and inspiration as notable
mental attributes of these world-class competitors. Furthermore, these champions utilized
symbolism and self-converse with both get ready for rivalry and to stay centered amid abnormal
state exhibitions.
Given the need to put impressive time and exertion into one's action to accomplish brilliance or
elite status it isn't shocking that states of mind and practices facilitative of deliberate practices are
related to viable advancement. For instance, Greenhalgh & Greenwell (2013), in addition to

GOVERNMENT SPORT POLICIES 4
Jones (2010) found that a scope of mental attributes (e.g., duty, inspiration, assurance)
encouraged the advancement of tip-top traditional and non-established performers. In a
comparative way, Hoye, Smith, Nicholson & Stewart (2018) audit of essential and auxiliary
impacts on sports ability proposes that mental qualities assume a focal part and are vital for both
the obtaining an indication of aptitude. Assurance and industriousness, inspiration, and
independence have all been featured as variables fundamental for the fulfillment of perfection by
encouraging the obtaining of aptitudes and empowering competitors to contribute the imperative
time to practice and remain focused on the advancement procedure.
Sports Participation & Junior Sport
Junior sport is characterized by players or members being twelve years old and below.
The Australian government has implemented a sports policy which intends to give protection to
juniors in the course of their sports activities. The policy also gives an opportunity to all
participants below twelve years to develop their lives and talents through sports activities. This
policy emphasizes on fun, enjoyment, creativity, free participation, safety, healthy competition,
recognition, development, the influence of role models and adoption of the codes and behavior
speculated by the Australian Sports Commission (Jones & Jones, 2014).
The policy also aims at promoting social justice through things such as ensuring gender
equality, access to facilities and equipment for both genders, equal involvement in sports
activities irrespective of background, gender, ethnicity, culture, and race among other diverse
qualities. The junior policy also allows competition among the young children in relevant levels.
This can be done for pure enjoyment purposes, and by all groups possessing diverse features.
This policy has been implemented by the involvement of older people who act as coaches,
teachers, parents, officials, and organizations. These people are supposed to give guidance to the

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children in every field of junior sports and participation. They should be accredited by relevant
bodies before being facilitators of junior sports. They should also undergo training so as to
deliver quality coaching and guidance to the young children (Kokko, Kannas, Villberg &
Ormshaw, 2011).
Sport Betting
It is reported that Australia has the highest number of people participating in sports
betting (Lera-López & Rapún-Gárate, 2011). The statistics reveal an 80% figure. This results in
people spending a lot of time betting online and participating in other gambling activities. A
policy was implemented by the Australian government aims to prevent further expansion of the
betting companies. The policy recognizes the adverse effects that gambling can cause to a person
engaging in it. It aims at minimizing the spread of gambling and the effects it causes. The policy
also aims at minimizing the rate at which youths engage in gambling activities (Luiz & Fadal,
2011).
This problem widely affects the youths and also people of other age brackets. The youths
are, however, the most affected. To implement this policy, several laws have been put in place to
restrict gambling. For example, ATMs are not allowed anywhere near entrances to gaming
places. Furthermore, the number of gambling machines has been limited to 105 per place.
Gambling advertisements have also been prohibited around gaming venues. Huge penalties have
also been imposed on those who have broken the policy in one way or another (Mackintosh,
Cookson & Griggs, 2014).

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Sport Broadcasting
According to Mason, Sant & Soebbing (2017), sports broadcasting involves providing
live coverage of a sporting event through media. Live broadcasting can be done through radio or
television. There are policies put in place by the Australian government to guide the media
personnel in their event of live coverage of sports activities. The assortment of writing on the
financial aspects of TV sports broadcasting has developed extensively as of late. This includes
examinations of the qualities of sports programs as wares, the deal strategies for sports rights,
correlations between the North-American and European markets, vertical incorporations with TV
telecasters getting stakes in sports clubs, direction of sports broadcasting for example, the
European Listed Events, the demand for TV sports the telecom of universal competitions, and
the results of mechanical advancements. As of late, different types of business coordination have
been normal in the broadcasting industry. This has been paralleled by generous mechanical
developments, which have achieved new items and add new strategies for correspondence (Potts
& Thomas, 2018).
These developments have influenced sports broadcasting, including both the supply side
and the demand side. The quantity of sports programs has expanded. To some degree, the
character of sports programs has likewise changed. As an outcome of this, utilization designs, for
instance, the manner by which sports programs are seen, have been modified. These progressions
have likewise impacted the systems of the organizations associated with the generation and
dissemination of the projects. Up to this point, these issues have not been tended to in the
writing. Thus, the primary target of the present article is to give an investigation that adds to fill
these holes. Extraordinary consideration is paid to the cooperation between mechanical

GOVERNMENT SPORT POLICIES 7
advancements and business coordination forms, and the part sports broadcasting has played in
this issue.
The connection amongst sport and the media is the characterizing business association for
the two ventures toward the start of the 21st century, and at the world-class and expert levels
sport is winding up progressively reliant on the media for its business achievement.
Administrators of expert or business sports associations and occasions require a comprehension
of the structure of the sports broadcast industry, the ramifications of media assorted variety and
union, the valuation of media rights, and the confinements that government policy and direction
has now and again. The blast in the utilization of online networking stages by customers’
demands that sports directors know how to utilize these stages to convey, draw in, and at last
impact buyer choices in connection to their item, service, or brand (Ramchandani, Coleman &
Bingham, 2017).
Drugs in Sport
Consistent with Raven (2018), doping is a very common practice in sports. It involves the
use of certain drugs by the sports participants to achieve muscle stimulation or other forms of
stimulation. An anti-doping policy was implemented in Australia to restrict this practice among
athletes. The policy applies to sponsored athletes, athletes who are beneficiaries of Australian
Sports Commission financial donations, any other athlete being supported by the Australian
Sports Commission, board members, employees and contractors of the commission. Drug-
trafficking also constitutes a breaking of the anti-doping policy. To be precise, all athletes
belonging to clubs or groups that are recognized under the scope of the commission are subject
to this policy.

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The Australian Sports Commission has implemented this policy by laying down a strict
measure to prevent doping and also penalties in case one breaks it. Penalties include provisional
suspensions, which in turn lead to provisional hearings, suspension of financial support by the
commission, public announcement of the provisional suspension, among other penalties. All the
athletes are strictly bound by this policy. Implementation of the policy only requires complete
co-operation by the athletes covered under its scope. Furthermore, any suspects of doping are
supposed to be reported to the authorities so that necessary tests of samples can be conducted to
prove innocence (Robinson & Minikin, 2011).
Stadia & Events
In 1991, a majority of the stadiums and fields utilized by real class sports groups (77%) were
openly claimed. Just 4 of the 29 stadiums worked since they were developed secretly, and all
domed stadiums, which have turned into the favored office, were worked with public assets. A
comparative circumstance wins in the small time. For instance, proficient baseball at the small-
time level is played in almost 200 groups. More than 90% of these groups play in stadiums that
are freely possessed and worked.
The contention for the significant open endowment, which happens with the distinctively good
office rental understandings consulted with establishment proprietors, is firmly affected by their
capacity to produce comparable monetary advantages to the group in an overabundance of
related expenses. For instance, when city administrators were requested to distinguish the
advantages that their groups got from small-time proficient baseball, 85% referred to financial
advantages.

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Accordingly, Ruhanen (2012) with regards to stadiums takes note of that in endeavoring to
evoke citizen bolster, stadium advocates have underlined the aberrant financial advantage that
stadiums make. Truth be told, a great part of the present civil argument on stadium financial
matters is focused on the extent of aberrant monetary advantages. The greatness of these
roundabout advantages is perpetually estimated by a financial effect examination. The shortage
of expense dollars has prompted a developing open examination of their allotment, and in this
condition, there is probably going to be expanded utilization of monetary effect investigations.
Harassment & Discrimination
Harassment in sports involves a wide range of negative treatments which may include
sexual harassment, bullying, and general unethical conduct. A policy was put in place by the
Australian Sports Commission that aims at protecting each person; young and old, against
harassment and discrimination. The policy covers all people participating in sports and funded by
the commission. It also involves all people belonging to the club including committee members,
players, parents, coaches, and officials. The policy gives a strict restriction to people who
discriminate others basing on their diverse features and backgrounds (Tak, Sam & Jackson,
2018).
The policy aims at treating each person in a fair manner despite their gender, disability,
age, pregnancy, culture and other features. Just like any other sports policy, this policy results in
disciplinary measures taken against a person in the event of violating it. The penalties may
include writing an apology, withdrawal of awards, suspension or termination of membership,
deregistration of accreditation, a fine or any other penalty. Part of the implementation process of
this policy involves signing up a declaration form for all members, declaring their loyalty to the

GOVERNMENT SPORT POLICIES 10
policy. Young children are also protected from abuse in a section of the policy (Thompson,
Previte, Kelly & Kelly, 2017).
Concluding Remarks
From the Australian setting, there is a case of the use of the interpretation point of view,
to be specific an investigation of a sports program started by the state and going for social policy
targets, (for example, consideration, incorporation and getting young people off the road). What
at first, look appeared to be sports clubs reacting to state objectives of sports policy was, in
actuality, self-started movement moored in the necessities of the neighborhood condition as
characterized by the volunteers of the sports clubs.
The work depended on a chain of systems where, to begin with, a few people had a
thought of giving exercises to youngsters in the area; second, these individuals saw the chance of
utilizing a sports club for that reason; and third, when program financing wound up accessible
the thought could be figured it out. In entirety, the sport club delegates' interpretation of both
state policy and juvenile way of life can be considered as a gathering purpose of best down
activities and base up requests. Sport club agents do what is well-known to them, and individuals
react to the social condition, which is above all else the nearby condition.
Research into sports clubs has demonstrated that its agents consider just what is
straightforwardly identified with their work as suppliers of sports activities. In this manner, the
sports club identifies with its provincial exceptional sports relationship, because of the sorting
out of territorial sports rivalries (classes, competitions and so on), and to the nearby sports
gathering since it is deliberate sport's mouthpiece in connection to metropolitan legislative issues
about the arrangements of offices. For a similar reason, sports clubs some of the time interface

GOVERNMENT SPORT POLICIES 11
specifically with the district. Out of the speculations talked about in this article, the interpretation
point of view of neo-institutionalism is the special case which begins at the neighborhood level.
Taking the sports club as the purpose of flight for breaking down sports policy, both
hypothetically and exactly, it is, obviously, conceivable to incorporate different associations in
the model, for instance, neighborhood experts (region).

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