03 Aug 2009

Hi everyone

My level of excitement in playing a leadership role for the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) and in Australian sport has continued to grow as I listen and learn and identify opportunities to work with other sporting system partners to better Australian sport.

The Australian sports system is certainly not broken, but there are many opportunities for us to improve it and we are doing just that.

Improving high performance delivery

I am proud of the progress we are making in working closely with key system partners — the state institutes and academies of sport (SIS/SAS), national sporting organisations, the Australian Olympic Committee, Australian Paralympic Committee and Australian Commonwealth Games Association — to develop a more coordinated approach to the delivery of high performance programs for our athletes.

The ASC is leading the development of a number of new initiatives, which I believe are some of the most significant changes ever to the way we deliver high performance programs. Some examples of these new initiatives are:

• a new collaborative approach to involving SIS/SAS in high performance planning
  
• joint development with the National Elite Sporting Council (NESC) of a proposal to establish national athlete support agreements.

Through our work with national sporting organisations in developing their high performance program plans and strategic plans, we have agreed to embrace a more collaborative approach by engaging SIS/SAS and the Australian Institute of Sport together in planning discussions.

We are finalising a proposed new collaborative partnership agreement to give effect to a commitment by all partners to work cooperatively and collaboratively.

This new, more inclusive approach has been welcomed by the SIS/SAS and is a great example of how, with new approaches, we can tackle some of the inefficiencies inherent in the way we have previously chosen to operate. Let’s face it: we have to address some of the duplication of effort in high performance delivery and improve our coordination of services to athletes to demonstrate to government that we are efficiently using existing funding.

Similarly, our current work with NESC in formulating new national athlete support agreements is another important and practical step in addressing the existing fragmentation of effort in high performance delivery. For athletes and coaches, we will provide a more consistent and national approach to services and support for Australia’s most elite athletes, regardless of where they are located.

Better supporting our coaches

Another exciting new ASC initiative is the establishment of the National Coaching Advisory Panel. The panel will meet for the first time later this month. It will play an important role in advising the ASC on how sports can develop and deliver their coaching initiatives, as well as promoting the importance of coaching in ensuring Australia’s future sporting success and articulating the challenges and issues facing coaches at all levels of Australian sport.

This initiative appropriately recognises the importance of coaches to all levels of Australian sport and it will help us strengthen coaching across the whole pathway.

Getting clear about the value of sport

The positive value of sport is felt by many Australians, from those that are participating at the highest levels, to the parents and volunteers on the sidelines. Our prime minister has also spoken about the role sport plays in shaping our national identity here in Australia and overseas.

While many of us feel this value intrinsically, the ASC is working with Frontier Economics to undertake new research to understand and quantify the value of sport to Australia. This work will build on some already existing research demonstrating the positive impacts of sport in the health, social wellbeing and education spheres, and provide us with a better understanding of the economic impact of sport. This research will provide important information to support any request for additional funding for sport.

On the road... soon!

Later this month, senior ASC staff will hit the road to engage with our staff and system partners about the future direction we will be embracing.

We are continuing our work with the ASC Board and key system partners to develop where we ought to head given the challenges facing Australian sport. This engagement will not be limited to ASC’s future direction, but will also include how the key system partners will be contributing to improving Australian sport.

Finally, what a privilege...

Over recent months I have had the privilege of seeing many of our national representatives perform in international competitions and experienced the great feeling of national pride they generate. While I have always had a strong interest in sport, it has been truly fantastic to be invited to see first-hand so many great sporting events and witness the passion of both our athletes and the Australian public who go to support them.

I will not forget the pride I felt when watching the Australian Hockeyroos play the final of the Samsung Champions Trophy in Sydney last month. On that Sunday afternoon I saw a young team outplay their more highly credentialed opponents from Argentina only to lose in a penalty shootout.

I was privileged to present silver medals to the Hockeyroos. I felt their disappointment at getting so close and hope they will soon appreciate what a fantastic job they did and how proud we all were to be Australians at that match. Captain Madonna Blyth and her team did not win the match but won our hearts. They demonstrated the essence of Australian sport: striving for excellence and success but also reminding us that everyone has a role to play in promoting and displaying good sportsmanship and fair-play values.

Thanks for your continued support and great work.

Until next time

Matt Miller
ASC CEO