Download Sport Development - Australian Sailing

Strengthening Sailing Report
Summary of Findings
March 2008
Strengthening Sailing
Final Report – March 2008
Australian Sports Commission Funded
Conducted by Sports Business Partners
Extensive Sport/ State/ Industry Input
Five Sections
Foreword & Summary
• “Represents the first of the next generation of national sporting
organisation reviews”
• “A number of the recommendations will be confronting”
• “The sport of sailing can be strengthened significantly”
• “the core business of YA has been inadequately defined and
communicated”
• “there is fragmented alignment …and nine strategic plans
….inconsistent and inefficient approach”
• “growing from a cottage industry to a professional sports business”
• “capabilities of most MYA’s are limited”
• “passive resistance and distrust between some states & YA”
• “overall participation in sailing has stagnated or declined in
some parts of Australia”
Five Sections
1. Business Strategy
2. Sport Development - Community Sailing
3. High Performance
4. Commercial Development
5. Governance and Management
“The Report was well-received by the YA Board and
Executive and the majority of the FA representatives and
MYAs”
Business Strategy
• “There is universal support to develop a market-research based
understanding of sailing’s customers as a starting point to developing
the underlying business strategy for sailing and the customer-driven
business model”
• “The YA board supports the involvement of the MYAs and stakeholders
in the development of the plan”
• “need a customer /demand driven business model”
• “there are some indicators of the improvement of the management of
YA’s business model”
• “need for specific and measurable performance targets for mission
critical goals”
• “needs real commitment to cultural change”
• “need one direction for the sport – endorsement is simply
not enough”
Sport Development (Community Sport)
• “the participation pathway for sailing is complex and perceived as
expensive”
• “many examples of clubs with effective participation programs…. this
is happening in isolation and lacks the consistency of product
offering desirable for national growth in participation of the sport”
• “The MYAs have concerns over their ability to meet expectations to
support the delivery of the recommendations for community sailing”
• “The National Participation Programs should be supported by the
endorsement and promotion by YA of clearly defined pathways for
the Olympic disciplines while at the same time recognising the
diversity of sailor’s interests”
• “tension between elite and social membership/participation”
• “need an evidence based understanding of current and target
customers”
Sport Development (Community Sport) cont.
• “sailing lacks the franchise model for participation ... Something that
is clear and easy to use nationally. We need a pathway and
programs which are well researched, trialled and branded which
provide copy and paste solutions for the club network”
• “the level of understanding for people outside the sailing community
is in fact very poor”.
• “the dilemma for sailing is that it is not uniform in its promotion and
delivery”
• “Sailing is more similar to swimming which requires some form of
basic skills training at the beginning”
• “Australia is moving to a more flexible pay as you go recreational
model and a growing reluctance to join a club”
• “endemic dysfunction in successfully implementing
initiatives…which are aimed at recruitment & retention
volunteers and overall club development”
of
Sport Development (Community Sport) cont.
• “sailing has an attractive product….unfortunately a highly fragmented
approach means it is not possible to describe and communicate ... The
current approach of participation development devolved to clubs is not
working as evidenced by the overall decline in sailing membership”
• “Development of the pathway and programs for entry level
participants should not be left in the hands of clubs …YA and the
MYA’s need to provide stronger leadership if the sport is to prosper”
• “MYA’s are looking for leadership”
• “many clubs are underselling training and seeking to keep costs down
using a volunteer model. Whilst the consumer is seeking value for
money ….the lack of professionalism ..is clearly not working.”
• “sailing does not have the resources to sustain the
inefficiencies of the current approach”
Commercial Development
• “what does the yachting brand mean ?...what is the desired image
and perception?”
• “90% of sponsorship is generated by and for the AST”
• “Need better understanding of consumers profile, attitudes
preferences and purchasing behaviour”
• “major global sponsors of yachting indicate that brand owners are
primarily targeting business audiences”
• “YA Marketing and Communication resources are thin…and
doubtful that a strategy will gain much traction …without the
required media support”
High Performance and Governance & Management
• (Not the role of Sports Development )
• Read the full report at
www.yachting.org.au/stateresources under Sport Dev Plan
• The Strengthening Sailing Report and Recommendations
are a key input to the new YA Sport Development Plan –
Pathways to Success
• But the Sport Development Plan is an action plan for
implementation
Conclusion
• “the interests of the sport will be best progressed through
adoption of a single national strategic plan utilised by YA
and MYA’s and supported by a common performance
measurement system ……some flexibility for MYA’s
…however the key strategic pillars priorities and
performance drivers of the sport should be consistent
throughout Australia and delivered by an aligned and
collaborative YA/MYA management team”
• “YA’s primary purpose and business focus should be to
provide strategic leadership”
• “start with the customer in mind ..a significant behavioural
and cultural change”