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LETTERS ISSUE 4 2011


Do you have a strong opinion about your industry? Where are things going wrong, or right?


Sports Management would love to hear from you. Email: sm@leisuremedia.com


digital magazine See Sports Management online www.sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital


What are the benefits of hosting overseas squads in 2012?


With less than one year left to the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the scramble by British cities to host overseas squad training camps is set to intensify. Already we know that China will ini-


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tially be based in Leeds, while Jamaica will set up in Birmingham. The kudos for cities in attracting squads is obvious. As such, it is safe to assume there will be some economic benefits accrued to cities, no matter how intangible they might be. Yet two questions remain: what will


be the tangible economic benefits of hosting and will there be a net economic benefit to the cities fortunate enough to play host to an overseas squad? It’s difficult to see there being huge


tangible economic benefits as squads will only be in town for a short period of time, will probably bring their own supplies, and it is unlikely that team members deep in pre-Games training


Birmingham to host Usain Bolt’s team mates


will be spending time shopping and so- cialising where they are based. One also has to consider the cost of


squad hosting; for instance, security sweeping and policing and there’s likely to be disruption to local communities. Given the paucity of economic benefits, such costs must challenge the benefits.


Professor Simon Chadwick, chair: Sport Business Strategy and Marketing, Coventry University Business School


A more play-based curriculum needed


The Association of Play Industries (API) supports the recent recommendations made by the ‘Erosion of Childhood’ letter, published by The T


elegraph and signed attention buyers!


fi nd suppliers and innovation updates www.sport-kit.net


buyers’ guide:


For suppliers of products and services, turn to page 80


SAPCA Sports Management is the offi cial magazine of the Sports and Play Construction Association (SAPCA), the trade body for


the UK’s sports facility construction industry. Sports Management and SAPCA work in partnership to promote high standards in the design, construction and maintenance of UK sports facilities.


by more than 200 academics, authors and children’s charities – encouraging a more play-based curriculum for children. More needs to be done to link educa-


tion about healthy eating and obesity with better opportunities for play. In response to the letter, Children’s


Minister, Sarah Teather, said: “Govern- ment can only do so much. As a society, we all have a stake in making sure there’s time for family life and children are free to cherish their childhoods.” There was no mention of play. A recent report by UNICEF into the


culture of materialism in the UK found that our children are still some of the unhappiest in Europe and have the lowest wellbeing overall of the 21 developed nations surveyed.


6 Read Sports Management online sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital The report found that children want-


ed to spend more of their time outdoors and recommended that play facilities be made an active priority of both local and central government. API chair, John Croasdale, said: “The


UNICEF report and current obesity fig- ures suggest that children want more time and better facilities to play out- doors. We need to further the learning links between childhood obesity and play – particularly in deprived communi- ties where the need is greatest.” The API has produced several articles


warning of the links between a low standard of health education, particu- larly for communities deprived of play facilities and where there is a high prev- alence of obesity. For more details go to www.api-play.org.


Deborah Holt, association manager Association of Play Industries (API)


Issue 4 2011 © cybertrek 2011


PHOTO: ©AZWEGERS


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