The Sunday Mail
By Hasting Kamanga
AS domestic sport emerges from the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a lot of debate on its future in the new normal, and football being Zimbabwe’s flagship sport naturally grabs much of the spotlight.
Sport has undergone tremendous change over the last few decades across the globe, making it challenging to survive in this business. At the same time, technology has created new ways to organise and engage fans in the business of sport.
Frailties and complexities of sport governance have been exposed by the pandemic.
Never before has there been debate of whether or not to conclude a football season throughout the world. In most countries, the governance of sports is under scrutiny because of its popularity. Most countries have designed codes that associations have to adhere to.
While sport is resuming in most countries, ZIFA and the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) have still not made public any guidelines or training protocols.
The purpose of these guidelines is to ensure that there is minimum risk of spreading the virus. It is highly likely that local sport will return without fans, thus club owners and sporting codes will have to rethink fan experience. The capabilities of sports administrators will be put to the test.
Do our clubs have any strategies to connect with fans away from the stadium?
Are players able to perform at the same level without fans in the stadium?
How can digital platforms be used to recreate the experience for fans at home?
How can these digital platforms be monetised? However, many organisations and football clubs have dismally failed to build strong brands and fan bases beyond their communities, let alone beyond borders.
Local sport brands need new and innovative ways to enhance their visibility.
Covid-19 has pushed sport to evolve faster and most organisations are having to be agile and adaptable.
This has naturally brought to the fore critical issues of sports governance.
The financial viability of organisations is under threat, especially with people and companies becoming more price-sensitive to engage in sport.
Non-contact sport is likely to increase in demand while there may be a huge decline in fans attending sporting events because of fear of contracting the virus.
Lack of innovation and boldness to try new things seems to be holding back local sport.
Most administrators seem to have mastered the art of creating deliberate confusion.
They do not appreciate how sport has evolved and lack the right people capable of managing change. Most associations are unable to respond to challenges wrought by the pandemic because of their reluctance to rope in professionals and failure to adapt to changes. A return to football requires a formally predetermined strategy.
More importantly, it requires direction and control towards achieving the desired plan.
Unlike in the past, organisations and clubs will now need to have a high degree of entrepreneurship to match the need to come up with sustainable future strategies.
We seem to have mastered the art of breeding sport administrators who are more concerned about personal and short-term gains than long-term policy success.
There is need for an effective response across most sporting codes for honest and courageous leadership that will develop and implement strategies.
The power athletes now have, must never be underestimated.
Marcus Rashford launched #maketheUturn campaign in June 2020 for food vouchers for the most vulnerable children and within two days the British government had changed its mind. Governments, especially those that fund sport consistently, are likely to reduce funding as budget challenges mount because of recession. Athletes and coaches have not only lost a complete season but financial benefits as well.
For some, it could be a lost opportunity to move abroad or secure sponsorship.
Beyond all the damage and sadness brought about by the unique circumstances, it is an opportunity for organisations to be innovative, rethink policies and re-assess priorities.
Digital Revolution
The digital revolution on the consumption of sport in the early 90s, the ability to watch on digital devices and emerging new broadcasters are welcome developments in sport.
The sheer dynamism in the evolution of digital technology means football clubs and governing bodies that do not adapt will continue to lag behind.
One of the greatest advantages of the digital age is the declining cost of media creation, as sports organisations are able to produce and share a lot more content with enhanced quality and heightened interaction between fans and the club.
Only those that are innovative, agile and flexible will reap the rewards or get the opportunity to engage the new generation of fans.
Sport presents an ideal platform for advertising, staging global/local events, and the management of organisations, teams and athletes.
All these activities are linked to the management of media rights, which constitute the biggest part of revenue generated by most actors in the sports business cycle.
There is still more potential, as new forms of accessing content are constantly being developed.
Experts say any sport organisation that does not have an expert on digital is getting it wrong.
The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) recently partnered with their Super League to create a subscription-based channel as a way of generating additional revenue from TV rights.
Technology has enabled clubs to monitise their heritage by leveraging on their sporting history.
Several clubs have discovered that reworking footage from yesteryear games can create a whole new experience for fans and is vital to generating additional revenue.
However, ZIFA and the clubs do not seem bothered with heritage and probably do not have a librarian to store such content.
After Covid-19, ZIFA, PSL and clubs will need to do more than simply rely on match-day revenue.
Despite the lack of live sport, consumption of sport-related content hit record levels during the lockdown period as fans had a lot of spare time at their disposal.
Leagues, clubs and associations around the world turned to their archives and took advantage of this to grow their digital fan bases.
There is a lot that can be done to grow brands and earn additional revenue.
The EPL social engagement grew by 145 percent and NBA 119 percent.
The Bundesliga was the first to return to football behind closed doors and had 34 times the number of viewers on the UK sport channel (BT Sport)
It is, therefore, undoubtable that the overall appeal of sport on digital platforms will not diminish.
It will take some time for companies to sponsor sport to pre-Covid-19 levels.
Current structures are broken and unworkable in the long term.
There is need for sport governing bodies to establish working partnerships with local authorities, schools, colleges and community clubs to provide sporting opportunities.
Sport can be a vehicle for social cohesion.
The establishment of sports clubs and associations that are deeply embedded in local communities is crucial.
Volunteering is said to be an altruistic activity where someone or a group offers services for no financial gain for the benefit of a group, person or organisation.
Volunteering in sport is not just about being a coach or official, it can be helping out at an event or organising youth tournaments or games.
It could also be the use of skills such as IT, administration, marketing, fundraising or management to assist community clubs.
There are benefits derived from volunteering in sport such as giving something back to the community and making a difference, gaining experience, confidence, acquisition of new skills and employment opportunities.
SRC will need to come up with a guiding vision, sports policy or strategic plan for the development of sports at a national level, because most associations do not have the capacity in administration, structure, planning and strategic development.
Hastings Kamanga is a UK-based Zimbabwean who is the academy coach at AFC Rusden and Diamonds. He holds a BA Hons in Football Studies and an MA in Leadership and Management of Sport and Physical Activities from the University of Bedfordshire.
