INDUSTRY VIEWS
Karen Maxwell asks key sports administrators to share their London 2012 Games experiences and how they plan to use the lessons learned in a positive way
OLYMPIC ANDY REED, CHAIR, SPORT AND RECREATION ALLIANCE
only was it a sporting triumph but so- cially too there was an effect across the nation that sport needs to capture. How many times did we hear people say: “I’m not into sport but this has inspired me?” The challenge now is to draw in those people that have been inspired by the
T
he success of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games was even greater than I had expected. Not
Games – or about sport in general – and help them make sport a way of life. No Olympics has managed to turn the inspi- ration into a participation legacy but our sport bodies have been planning for this surge in interest. We get one shot at this! If the Olympics taught us just one
thing, it was the importance of plan- ning. The planning by LOCOG and the construction by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) have given us renewed confidence in our ability to deliver. The UK Sport system now in place proves we can deliver medals. We have to drive this level of professionalism throughout our network on participation too. If we can be half as welcoming to new
Games Makers were key to Games success
members as the Games Makers were at all the venues, we can capture those fans who became armchair experts and
get them engaged with sport. Our welcome and the offer are vital to growing our clubs. However, of the 150,000 sports clubs in
the UK, more than a quarter report that they are running at a loss. We know just how much this massive network does for society – in keeping kids off the street, improving health and building communi- ties. No government programme could invent that network. So the question politicians must ask themselves is: what are we doing to support them? We can harness the ‘Olympic bounce’
through the lessons we’ve learned and with the support of politicians – if they genuinely listen to what helps our sport system through school, community and elite levels and joining up their delivery.
SALLY MUNDAY, COO, GB HOCKEY T
he Riverside Arena was a triumph at this year’s Games. The famous pink and blue ‘smurf turf’, as it be-
came known, boasted a stunning view of the entire Olympic Park. The noise that emanated from the
stands of the open-air venue was phe- nomenal – attracting an explosion of interest in the sport. Not only could the public watch the fortnight of hockey action, we also provided an interactive zone neighbouring the stands, where more than 30,000 people picked up a stick and gave hockey a go on the two mini inflatable hockey pitches. Hockey’s presence on the park was
critical to both the success of our teams and the lasting legacy of the sport itself. As a temporary construction, the pitch will now be relocated permanently to
Eton Manor for increased playing oppor- tunities in East London. Public interest throughout the Games
confirmed that hockey is a fantastic spectator sport for all ages and sporting interests; 630,000 ticket holders enjoyed
Six hundred sites across the UK are offering 20,000 opportunities to get involved in hockey
the live hockey action, 75 per cent of whom were new to the sport. The sport was also televised every day of the Games sparking huge consumer demand. Imme- diate results through our Hockey Nation Give it a Go programme have shown that
26 Read Sports Management online
sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital
people up and down the country are turning up to try the sport; 600 dif- ferent sites across the UK are offering 20,000 opportunities to get involved in the likes of Back to Hockey, Rush Hockey and In2Hockey. The sport has also engaged with a new
generation of spectator; a 600 per cent increase in traffic to
www.greatbritain-
hockey.co.uk was tracked, along with a 61 per cent increase in Twitter followers and 40 per cent growth in Facebook fans. With the spotlight moving from Lon-
don to Rio, both Team GB squads will now act as important role models to future generations. They are passionate about using their success and sporting experiences to drive the sport forward and create a lasting legacy.
Issue 4 2012 © cybertrek 2012
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