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Original poster

Team GB achievements - underfunded

40 replies

Onheretoomuch · 31/07/2024 13:16

Is it reasonable to say that Team GB do so incredibly well at the Olympics considering how much sport here is hugely under-funded particularly in comparison to China, USA, Australia, Japan etc.

I have so much respect for the athletes and am so proud. Bring on the next events!!

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clearmoon · 31/07/2024 20:26

WASZPy · 31/07/2024 13:29

It just means that most of our athletes are from wealthy families. My DS sails; the RYA did some research this year and found that the average cost to the family of sailing on the youth pathway is 11k/pa. I bet gymnastics is similar and equestrianism much more.

Edited

I live in London, there is so much sailing available here, and it is cheaper than football

wellington77 · 31/07/2024 20:33

We really aren’t underfunded though. We spend a lot more than other countries, and do really well each year in the Olympics. I personally don’t think we can justify funding more Olympic funding when the money would benefit many more being spent on youth sport in schools, well everyone really, rather than a few elite individuals. Are gold medals worth the money we spend? I really don’t know, yes they inspire people but I don’t know I just feel you can’t justify spending more on it especially in a cost of living crisis

Original poster
Onheretoomuch · 31/07/2024 22:53

Aphrodite89 · 31/07/2024 20:11

But then you're conflating 2 separate things. 'Community sport' (for want of a better term) which I agree isn't particularly well resourced in this country and elite level sport which very much is.

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Not sure you often have one without the other

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Original poster
Onheretoomuch · 31/07/2024 22:55

MargaretThursday · 31/07/2024 20:09

I think one of the problems is spotting talent.

My dc at state school did PE as in 8 weeks of lessons of one sport then onto another.

That was 16 lessons. The first lesson was always non-practical talking about safety and equipment. The last lesson was always fun/sorting out going onto the next lesson. There was also a very high chance that at least one lesson would be rained off/have a trip/teacher away. So I'll call that 13 lessons. 13 hours.
Except realistically with changing maximum of 40 minutes a lesson, so let's call that 9 hours.
In 9 hours, with a group of keen pupils and a specialised teacher... I doubt many would get to the stage of either thinking "this is fun. I want to do more" or "I'm quite good at this."
In 9 hours in a lot of sports you're not really even at the stage of being able to do a proper game.

So you're looking at getting talent from out of school clubs. And barring a few, the children need a parent who is willing to take them, and pay for equipment.

So by this point, you're really reducing the number of children you're looking at to discover talent to a relatively small percentage. Even if you find talent in the club, a parent may say they're not interested (yes, I've seen that, with a coach offering free lessons because they saw huge talent).

From a non-sporty child's prospective (as me and my girls were) the 8 weeks then move on is lovely. Not too much is expected. Any hated sports are over and done with quickly.
But from a sporty child who has potential but not got parental support to do it outside school, it's not going to inspire them enough, or is someone going to coach them to find they're quite good.
My dad was the latter. He is very sporty, and at his secondary modern they did a term of cricket, a term of football and a term of rugby. He was captain of certainly the latter two, and I think played for the county for them all. His parents could not afford the bus fair to get there so he used to walk several miles to play. They certainly couldn't have paid for equipment or club fees.
I sometimes wonder whether if he'd had the money for proper coaching and equipment etc how far he'd have gone. Today it's even harder.

I totally agree regarding spotting talent

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Original poster
Onheretoomuch · 31/07/2024 22:57

NotTooOldPaul · 31/07/2024 19:58

I thought that athletes got lots of money from sponsors. They get paid to have the sponsor's name on part of their kit etc.
I'd rather taxes were spent on the winter fuel payment than on athletes who can get other sources of cash.

Once you reach a certain level sponsorship is available for some athletes/sports. It’s getting to that level in the first place where the funding is lacking.

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Original poster
Onheretoomuch · 31/07/2024 23:05

andyindurham · 31/07/2024 20:14

To stir the pot a bit. Playing a sport is something, essentially, we do for entertainment. Plus a bit of public health. Being part of the rare band that set world records and win medals has little impact on public life. If we make winning Olympic medals the measure of achievement, and invest hugely in the tiny group of people who might be able to do that, aren't we getting it wrong? Similarly, if we have kids' football clubs overrun by parents hoping that they're going to raise the next Premier League superstar and benefit from that kind of mega salary, aren't we getting that wrong as well?

Maybe the money would be better spent on providing grassroots opportunities for people to engage in physical activity for fun and well-being? If someone is talented and committed enough to compete potentially at international level, that's up to her or him.

I love sport, I enjoy watching (at all levels) but I struggle with the idea of being proud that somebody who happened to come from the same island as me ran / swam / rowed / cycled faster than people who came from different places. I'll make exceptions for the athletes I know personally, but that's based on a personal relationship, not a nationality thing (not all of those athletes are British anyway). But I gain more satisfaction from my own (entirely mediocre) performance as a runner, because what I achieve there is about my effort rather than anyone else's.

I was talking about funding at all levels not particularly athletes that have already made it to Olympic level. Like you said, grass roots opportunities.

I respect that you don’t feel pride in our athletes but millions of people do. I also have great respect for athletes from other countries who achieve great things too.

I’d be interested to know which athletes you think aren’t British?

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Original poster
Onheretoomuch · 31/07/2024 23:12

wellington77 · 31/07/2024 20:33

We really aren’t underfunded though. We spend a lot more than other countries, and do really well each year in the Olympics. I personally don’t think we can justify funding more Olympic funding when the money would benefit many more being spent on youth sport in schools, well everyone really, rather than a few elite individuals. Are gold medals worth the money we spend? I really don’t know, yes they inspire people but I don’t know I just feel you can’t justify spending more on it especially in a cost of living crisis

I didn’t say the funding should come from government. I also didn’t say that our Olympic athletes are underfunded. Olympians have to start somewhere and continue. I said Sport is underfunded in the UK.

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bridgetreilly · 31/07/2024 23:21

We do extremely well per capita compared to much larger countries. I think we’re fine for funding, mostly, though obviously some anomalies where it’s excessive and others where it’s not enough.

Original poster
Onheretoomuch · 31/07/2024 23:27

bridgetreilly · 31/07/2024 23:21

We do extremely well per capita compared to much larger countries. I think we’re fine for funding, mostly, though obviously some anomalies where it’s excessive and others where it’s not enough.

I’m not sure many parents with children in competitive sport would agree with you. I’m lucky in that we can afford what is needed but it’s completely out of reach for huge amounts of children.

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andyindurham · 31/07/2024 23:46

Onheretoomuch · 31/07/2024 23:05

I was talking about funding at all levels not particularly athletes that have already made it to Olympic level. Like you said, grass roots opportunities.

I respect that you don’t feel pride in our athletes but millions of people do. I also have great respect for athletes from other countries who achieve great things too.

I’d be interested to know which athletes you think aren’t British?

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I'd define non-British athletes as ones representing other nations, for fairly obvious reasons 😀. Because of my work, I've become acquainted with a few Olympic athletes (more in winter sports, but also a few swimmers who have won medals in Paris). Some of these people made a good impression on me, so I'm more invested in their results. Not all of them represent Britain, because my work is international. Possibly I was unclear about that in my original post.

My point about grassroots is that the funding is wrongly targeted. It would be more useful for GB as a nation to win zero medals, but have everybody engaged in some kind of physical activity. Our funding model means there isn't much money unless you're already an elite athlete. But, of course, it won't change because it's almost impossible to produce measurable KPIs for participation, and fairly easy to say 'look at all these shiny things!' Having said that, it would probably wipe out much of my work if every country followed the same 'not bothered about winning' approach.

HeddaGarbled · 31/07/2024 23:55

I think we fund very well which is the reason we punch above our weight internationally. The other countries you mention have vastly bigger populations. I recently read a NYT article about this - I’ll try and find it.

bridgetreilly · 01/08/2024 01:22

Onheretoomuch · 31/07/2024 23:27

I’m not sure many parents with children in competitive sport would agree with you. I’m lucky in that we can afford what is needed but it’s completely out of reach for huge amounts of children.

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And yet, plenty of people without wealthy families seem to be at the Olympics after all.

WASZPy · 01/08/2024 08:12

clearmoon · 31/07/2024 20:26

I live in London, there is so much sailing available here, and it is cheaper than football

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Not once you go onto the pathway. 11k/pa was the average cost to families and it's obvious when you see what kids are doing (frequency of new boats/ international travel etc) that many spend much more.

Nobody is getting onto the British Youth Squad borrowing a beaten up old club boat and pottering around their local reservoir on a Saturday.

Original poster
Onheretoomuch · 01/08/2024 09:04

bridgetreilly · 01/08/2024 01:22

And yet, plenty of people without wealthy families seem to be at the Olympics after all.

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Which families in particular are you talking about?

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