What The Olympic Money Should Have Been Spent On
Whether we like it or not, the Olympic Games are coming to the UK in 2012. Many people think that the Olympic Games are a waste of money, but I only partly agree. I don’t have any doubts that the games will be fantastic for the few short weeks they are on, and I look forward to watching the events (hopefully live if I can get some tickets), but there are issues with the money spent.
One of the justifications given for the large amount of money spent on the games is that the extra facilities will go towards developing young athletes for many years to come, not just the games itself. This is obviously true, but only the most privileged athletes or those living in the immediate area will be able to use the facilities regularly. The average child who loves sport will still end up using the outdated and in some cases dangerous facilities that we have now.
Take football for example. Fans of the England team often wonder why other countries have more technically gifted players, but to me the reason is obvious. If you look at pitches for youngsters in the UK, the vast majority are a disgrace. They are usually covered in patchy grass, and either waterlogged or bumpy depending on the season. Developing players in this environment is never going to allow them to develop their technical skills, as the team with stronger, bigger players will invariably win. Skill levels usually take a back seat, as trying to pass the ball around ends up in frustration and a lost game.
Not only that, but often development of football pitches for youth teams is blocked at every turn. County councils tend to want to avoid spending money on upgrading football pitches and increasing drainage facilities, and the end result is a constant deterioration of the playing surface. The weather in the UK obviously doesn’t lend itself to flat and dry pitches all year round, but there are certainly things which could be done to improve the situation.
Cricket pitches are marginally better, but the facilities are still not great. In America, for example, there are endless places that people can go to practice baseball against a machine at any time of the day. In the UK, most teams don’t even have a bowling machine, and the ones that do can usually only use it once or twice a week. Again, this is not the best way to develop talent.
I can only imagine what could have been achieved if the millions spent on the Olympics was spent on grass roots facilities for children and anyone else who wants to take up a sport. Not only would we produce more top quality athletes, but the general health of the population would surely increase. The Olympics are a great event, and I’m sure they will inspire more people to take up sports, but if the grass roots facilities aren’t there then it’s only ever going to be a short term effect.