Sports Industry Experience 2
Sports Industry Experience 2
Leisure Provision
The provision of sports facilities and opportunities in Britain is the result of the interaction between the public, private and voluntary sectors. All 3 sectors provide different, yet when looked at closely, similar services.
Public Sector
Public sectors are defined as "institutions funded by money collected from the public in the form of direct or indirect taxes - community charges, income tax, business taxes, VAT on spending and National Insurance" (Stafford-Brown J, et al 2000). Public sectors provide facilities and opportunities for the public, but it is subsidised by the local government. The local government/authorities aid them with funds, usually a grant, which is their budget for the year. This grant has to include all aspects of running the facilities i.e. heating, wages and maintenance. Their aim is to break even rather than make a profit. The facilities in public sectors usually come at a cheaper price than private sectors as their market is everyone of all ages and therefore their facilities are not as highly maintained as they would be in private sectors. Examples of public sectors are Cascades Leisure Centre and Fairfield Pools.
Private Sector
Private sector sports facilities are provided by individuals or a partnership and are usually ran by a consortium. These individuals (or companies) invest their own money into the facilities. As a result these facilities are usually named after someone e.g. David Lloyd, or brand names such as Virgin. The newest and most upcoming form of private sector companies within sport are football clubs. Football clubs are now big money investments that have the potential to be very successful businesses. The influence of Roman Abramovich is just one example. The private sector provides sports facilities for two main reasons:
. to make a return on their investment for themselves and their shareholders
2. to make a profit out of sport
Private sectors are all about MONEY and profit, despite the fact that some people have claimed that private sectors are there to improve standards of sport or improving the community the facilities are in.
The private sector provides for sports increasing in demand. It is able to respond quickly to new trends or start new trends themselves. Government owned facilities (public sector) find it takes them a lot longer to respond to trends as they have a much tighter budget and it is a long process to secure the funds. The private sector provides facilities where they can attract a large number of customers or more exclusive facilities where they can attract fewer customers, but charge them more. A lot of private sectors pride themselves on excellent customer service, ensuring customers feel welcomed whilst using facilities and being made aware of personal trainers should they need one. Also facilities are excellent, equipment is up to date and well maintained a well as bath robes and shower gel being provided. Private sector companies like to ensure every customers needs are met. The areas that private sectors are involved in are:
=> Active sports - tennis, golf, health and fitness suites, snooker and pool and water sports
=> Spectator sports - stadiums for football, rugby, tennis, cricket and golf. Football is by far the most popular spectator sport
=> Sponsorship - this has risen from £129m in 1985 to £285m in 1995
The role of the private sector can be well summarised by this quote from George Torkildsen (1991): "The major difference between the commercial operator and the public or voluntary operator is the raison d'être of the business, the primary objective of the commercial operator ...
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=> Active sports - tennis, golf, health and fitness suites, snooker and pool and water sports
=> Spectator sports - stadiums for football, rugby, tennis, cricket and golf. Football is by far the most popular spectator sport
=> Sponsorship - this has risen from £129m in 1985 to £285m in 1995
The role of the private sector can be well summarised by this quote from George Torkildsen (1991): "The major difference between the commercial operator and the public or voluntary operator is the raison d'être of the business, the primary objective of the commercial operator being that of financial profit or adequate return on investment".
Voluntary Sector
The voluntary sector is defined as "inclusive and exclusive clubs that operate as non-profit making organisations and which are essentially managed by and for amateur sportsmen and women" (Stafford-Brown J, et al, 2000). The voluntary sector has the largest participation in sport in Britain, most noticeably in competitive sport. The voluntary sector accounts for:
? 500,000 officials
? 150,000 clubs
? 6.5 million members
The majority of amateur clubs, such as Sunday league football teams, are voluntary run. For example not only are the manager and coaches voluntary but so are the whole playing squad. Each individual within the club gives up their spare time to help run the team, for no pay. Some voluntary clubs own their own facilities e.g. church groups, but the majority hire facilities. Voluntary sector clubs often work in partnership with the private or public sector, e.g. they use the public sector facilities or gain sponsorship from private sector companies.
The voluntary sector is mainly funded by its own members, in the form of membership and weekly training fees. These fees are used to cover the costs of pitches, equipment and training. Sponsorship is very hard to come by for voluntary clubs as so many clubs are looking for it. Other ways of funding that clubs opt for are self ran fundraising events such as discos and quiz nights etc. National Lottery grants and grants from the Government are other available options.
Partnerships
Although all 3 sectors have different business approaches, they all cross over one another in some way at some point. They can link and form partnerships. As said before the public sector forms a partnership with the voluntary sector by renting out its facilities. And the private sector links with the voluntary sector by providing all types of sponsorship for clubs.
Sports facilities are also built as partnerships and again the sectors cross over. The old English National Stadium at Wembley is a private sector initiative by Wembley Plc, however, a national lottery grant from the public sector was also used to build it. They will also go into partnership with other private sector organisations to raise finance and gain sponsorship.
In 1990, Compulsory competitive tendering was introduced to the leisure industry. This was designed to develop partnerships between the public and private sectors. The aim was to give the management of sports centres to private organisations, while the public sector actually still owned the centres. The theory behind this was that private sector companies would aim to run the centres for profit and would therefore be run more effectively. However this may not always be the case and these sort of partnerships may cause more problems than advantages. Staff employed in public centres are not as highly experienced and motivated compared to those in private sectors. Therefore they may not be able to respond as effectively to the private sector management demands. This could lead to customers not getting the service they were expecting and could therefore lead to the centre losing regular customers.
Occupations
There are numerous jobs available within the leisure industry, spread right across the voluntary, public and private sectors. Below I have detailed roles and responsibilities, skills and qualifications needed for just five employment opportunities within the leisure industry.
Leisure Attendant
Roles & Responsibilities - Leisure Attendants are responsible for preparing and supervising facilities in a leisure facility. This will include the sports hall, swimming pool and changing rooms. The majority of leisure attendants will also be involved in coaching or supervising sports sessions in their sports hall.
Skills & Qualifications needed - Leisure Attendants need to be outgoing and people oriented. Communication skills are important as you will have to deal with a wide range of people. An NVQ or GNVQ in Leisure or Recreation is needed as a basis to gain skills and knowledge. The National Pool Lifeguard Qualification is also needed to work poolside and this includes first aid and CPR, however a First Aid at Work qualification is recommended. In order to coach sports, leisure attendants need specific national governing body coaching awards.
Sports Coach
Roles & Responsibilities - Sports Coaches are responsible for developing the physical fitness and skills of their athletes. They need to be able to evaluate their athletes' performances and offer feedback to improve their performances. As a result they will require knowledge of many aspects of sport science, such as anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, nutrition, psychology and sports injury.
Skills & Qualifications needed - Coaches need excellent motivation skills in order to encourage their athletes and also need to be able to gain their trust. Their communication skills are vital as well as their ability to listen and show patience. Every sport will have their own system for awarding coaching qualifications, and coaches must hold that relevant award. Many coaches also hold qualifications in sport science and awards from the National Coaching Foundation.
Sports Teacher or Lecturer
Roles & Responsibilities - teaching usually involves becoming qualified as a PE teacher, however, opportunities now exist to teach on sport science courses as well. Many teachers will specialise in one subject area, however good knowledge of another subject is advantageous. Specialised subjects include sport physiology or sport psychology, while other teachers like to deliver a wide range of sport subjects. PE teachers used to have to teach a second subject, such as geography or maths, but today sport and PE are seen as academic subjects where you can study for a GCSE or A level and the demands of teaching have increased.
Skills & Qualifications needed - this occupation is very demanding and patience is essential, as well as having the ability to deal with young people and their various needs. Teachers need to be organised, maintain discipline and be able to adapt their communication skills to the group they are teaching. They also need good levels of personal fitness and enjoy working with young people.
Sports Massage Therapist
Roles & Responsibilities - this is a varied job, where their massage skills are used to prepare athletes for competition and then deal with any injuries they may suffer. They can also treat people who are not necessarily athletes but whose activities, such as gardening or work, are causing them discomfort and pain. Sports massage therapists can either work one-on-one with a competitor at competitions or work in the field at training grounds.
Skills & Qualifications needed - Sports massage therapists need to have a professional approach as their job involves physical contact with people. They need to be patient, caring and sensitive to an individuals needs. A high standard of personal hygiene and good communication skills will be important to be successful.
Sports Nutritionist
Roles & Responsibilities - gives an athlete advice about how to organise their diet to ensure they maximise the effects of their training and reach competition in the best possible shape. This involves advising athletes on kilocalorie intake and what percentage of kilocalories should come from carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Also how to re-fuel and re-hydrate in the post-training period and how to organise their pre-training meal. A nutritionist may also provide advice on the use of supplements.
Skills & Qualifications needed - they need to be well organised and empathetic towards people and their individual needs and lifestyle. Well-developed communication and interviewing skills are essential, as well as being a good listener. Before becoming a nutritionist you need to become a dietician first. This involves completing a three year degree to become recognised as a State Registered Dietician. To specialise in sports nutrition you need at least one years experience before completing a Sports Dietetics course run by the Sports Nutrition Foundation.
