Sport Systems – fragments of thought #13

previous fragments – #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12

Above is a snapshot of a ‘map’ I created earlier in the year, and have been tinkering with since, to help make sense of the highly problematic ‘Sport as Economy’ phenomena evident today. I’m getting close to writing up a coherent narrative to accompany this…something far more substantial than is appropriate for this ‘fragments’ series.

However, in the spirit of a fragment, I read two statements recently that have stirred enough emotion to at least throw a couple of thoughts out there for now.

Both reflect Sport as Economy issues – one pertaining to the language of ‘’marketing”, “advertising” and “pitching” physical activity to children, the other a sports technology provider’s intention to exploit Artificial Intelligence to “‘make us billions of dollars hand over fist”.

One of the central quotes on the map is the following from umair haque…

“The paradigm is the problem. A solely one-dimensional economic approach to human organization”

Shifting our organisational endeavours in sport to a more human approach will require the relearning of ‘value’…

I’m filled with hope by interacting with and supporting a small number of people in sport who are leading the way in this regard.