Sport in Australia is being battered by minorities and media alike for image concerns and negative impact of individuals as role models. They are losing a battle without stating their case at all. Too many sportpeople are becoming public whipping boys for doing nothing like what goes on every saturday night in every city . They have not broken any society laws and yet they can be unrealistically punished for such indescretions

Relaxation is crucial in sport , so is fun and comraderie. These must be balanced with extremely high discipline and mental focus on technique, tactics and endurance, while remaining  within the national laws. I suspect sport has lost this balance and has given up defending such balance. This needs to reemerge before representative sport becomes too tedious for the majority not just the handful who have opted out so far. Sonny Bill, Hugh McMeniman and Andrew Symonds the latest of a swag who have taken on new challenges, over honour.

Sport has stopped coaching the behaviours required to be a sportsman in favour of banning stuff and this can’t be good. Stop taking things so seriously that enjoyment is sapped from every experience. Endeavour to have players not approach their sport as a job rather than justify the coaching staff’s existence and train more often , to appear clever. It is now a job but the players don’t have to approach it like that – it still needs to be their dream, and let it be a job for the workers alone. ie the staff.

Banning drink or women or whatever,  totally for long periods shows a total lack of trust in the majority rather than coaching young men to consume or partake in relationships appropriately. The parameters of behaviour requirements have definately changed but they are still coachable so that a balance can be achieved. The ability to drink enough to unwind but not get into strife is something that needs to be learned with experience, not by being banned for 8 months then let loose.

Responsibility has to be discussed, trust shown and consequences applied consistently for misdemenours.  Two very respected and diligent sporting organisations in the Broncos and Cricket Australia have thrown their hands up in recent times and stopped coaching . Symonds, banned from drinking in public while on national duty and Joel Clinton inviting a lady home prior to a game was punished severely. Their offences were breaking agreed promises to the team or franchise, which isn’t good but hardly a crime.

The frustrations of both organisations are clear , having to resort to agreements of such a petty nature,but once these are cleared up and explained publicly I hope they can get back to some real balance and mentoring so that young players dreams can be lived not worked ,as in a job.

Ian Healy