Now that the Rio Olympics are over, the pre-games predictions for Australia’s medal haul has dissolved in post-games analysis of why Australia’s athletes failed to reach the heights predicted.
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Australia’s top 10 finish is nothing to be ashamed of. But while commentators are questioning the $340 million cost for Australia’s 29 medals, some peak sporting bodies are already calling for an increase in funding to elite sport.
We all get a buzz from seeing Australian athletes standing proudly on the podium while Advance Australia Fair sounds over the Olympic stadiums. And their success can inspire athletes of the future to aim for similar heights, or encourage children to hit the sporting fields or pools.
But before increasing funding for elite level sport, Australia should consider whether funding might be better spent at grassroots level: On improving public sporting facilities, assisting local sporting clubs with training and equipment, and spending on public education programs to get people moving.
After all, some of our greatest sporting heroes have come from humble beginnings. We’ve all heard the stories of Don Bradman hitting a golf ball against a tankstand, or the Lithgow Flash, Marjorie Jackson, training in winter by the light of car headlights.
Yes, sport science has advanced vastly from those days, but most athletes still begin at the same place: Kicking, tossing or hitting a ball on local sports grounds, riding their ponies in local showrings, and lining up on the Little Athletics track.
This week, Mudgee has been hosting the PSSA Rugby Union State Carnival at Glen Willow. Perhaps a future Rugby Sevens Olympic star may have been among the young players on the field. Maybe one of the many young runners in Sunday’s Mudgee Running Festival will be our next star of the track.
Mudgee is lucky to have some outstanding sports facilities and great clubs and coaches who play an important role in identifying and developing talented young sportsmen and women. But most local sporting clubs stay financially afloat only by the efforts of dedicated volunteers, and many families struggle to find the money for registration and ground fees. Before our governments open their wallets in a bid for more Olympic gold, let’s think about how that money could be spent to make sport more accessible for all Australians.
