AT the beginning of the month the Lady Jamrockerz, our female national basketball representatives, competed in the Caribbean Basketball Conferation (CBC) Championships in Tortola, British Virgin Islands. As the defending champions from last year’s tournament, the team and staff departed with high hopes of repeating, but fell in the final by four points to claim second place — a good showing nonetheless. The continuity between the squads selected last year and this year was impressive, and a few more years of these individuals playing together, if they continue to progress in basketball terms, could make the stated aim of qualifying for the 2020 Olympics a reality. But in the setting of this goal, we must not forget to plan for what must come after in order to sustain this success.

Sport in the modern age

We live in a time where sport is a billion-dollar industry, a serious revenue stream and job creator across the world, and I am of the view that we have a unique combination of assets that make us ideally placed to benefit from this industry if we plan properly.

Could Jamaica not place itself as a hub of sports tourism, attracting individuals and teams taking part in pre-season, post-season or mid-season training camps or tournaments? Could we not develop leagues that are the envy of the rest of the Caribbean and attract talent from across the region who want to perform at a high level on a weekly basis to improve themselves, making these leagues and teams the subject of local and foreign investment? Could we not make Jamaica an attractive destination for sports studies from students across the world, especially as it relates to the wonders of our track and field athletes, while also facilitating exchanges with other sports institutions across the world? In truth, steps toward such should have been made years ago to leverage our increased visibility on the international sporting stage and monetise it. However, I am of the belief that if urgent moves are made toward such efforts now will not be too late.

All of these options and others will not materialise out of thin air and with the money involved in sport at present time globally, which is only projected to continue to rise, prudent strategic planning beyond the short term and an ability to adapt quickly to market trends are necessary tools we need to have growth and stability within our sports. While I am happy with the Jamaica Basketball Association’s (JaBA) short-term goal to get to Tokyo 2020, plans must be made to ensure that the basketball programme in Jamaica grows beyond that and is able to sustain and develop better coaches, players and administrators for the sport in order to make qualification a regular occurrence. These plans should comprehensively and honestly assess the current state of basketball in the country and must take into account a number of aspects. Does the Jamaica Basketball Association have plans in place to develop better facilities (including indoor courts), increase the use of support staff (data analysts, sports psychologists, etc), train more coaches to teach basketball properly across the island, develop grassroots programmes for children, implement a league structure that allows players to play regularly and at a high level and introduce a well structured player development pathway from grassroots to the national team. Without plans like this, the JaBA is simply looking at a one time event, much like our 1998 qualification to the FIFA World Cup.

The Football Example

As we all know, it has been a struggle for our national team to reach such heights again, or even to make a worthy challenge for a World Cup spot during CONCACAF qualification because we continue to operate in an outdated footballing structure that does not provide youngsters with the necessary skills to be successful on the international stage. Due to the dearth of talented individuals able to sustain lengthy careers at the international level, coaches have continuously cycled through player after player and increased our reliance on foreign born additions to the programme in our efforts to return to the ‘promised land’. Of course there have been development initiatives for players, coaches and administrators over the years, but one wonders if there is an actual structure being followed in order to rectify the problem or if ideas are just thought up and then initiated (and subsequently stopped) based on what is going on at that particular point in time.

Fail to plan, plan to fail

An example of the shift in thinking which would lead to greater productivity and a more healthy sports industry was shown in a June 12 piece by Andrew Edwards, who highlighted the imbalance of the current football league system and one of the major reasons it is not performing as well as it could. This is an example of the impact of ineffectual planning and it is for all stakeholders with a vested interest in sports, including the Government, who could stand to benefit from a growing, sturdy and efficient sports industry and the possibilities that such could open up globally.

Governing bodies must bear the brunt of responsibility for the stagnancy or decline of talent output and financial support they experience because they have continuously failed to develop and adhere to long-term plans towards a clear outcome. In order to avoid the same fate as our football, I would urge the JaBA and other governing bodies of sport in this country to take seriously the long term strategic management of their own structures. Sport is now big business and cannot — and should not, with the positive impact sport can have on health, wellness and tourism in Jamaica) be approached as a pastime in the present age but must be approached with deep thought and careful planning.

The fact that larger, more developed and more successful national governing bodies across the world see fit to research, develop and adhere to a clear strategy regarding programmes and processes towards specific, tangible goals is evidence that it is not something beneath our consideration.

Machel Turner is managing director of Prime Time Sports Management. Send comments to: machel.turner@gmail.com