Dan Andrews, the Premier of Victoria, withdrew the Victorian Government’s commitment to host the Commonwealth Games in 2026.
Health, education, and housing spending, was prioritised ahead of hosting a mega-event open to a handful of elite competitors. With rising rates of homelessness, health issues, and under-funded public schools, this is a no-brainer.
The challenge
After our hottest week on record globally, we can reasonably expect another El Nino summer in Australia, and more fires. All these issues, and stretched family budgets leave less to spend on sport, as spectators or participants. This should cncern every sport leader, whose salary and organisation depends on community spending and government support.
What essential contribution can sport make, that drives growth in areas considered too essential to cut? What if every sport had community programs that helped improve population health, reduce lifestyle diseases, provide affordable rehabilitation after a stroke or cancer? Better still, what if these programs saved governments millions in health care costs?
Opportunity knocks
Sport leaders who support and deliver these programs can diversify their businesses, into essential health services. The programs exist and a number are discussed in my thesis.
“Leading bicycle advocacy I focussed on the public health and environmental benefits for everyone, not the needs of the elite or fearless,” said SportHealthTech CEO, Bastien Wallace.
“This worked to change hearts, minds, laws and budgets. To stay relevant and solvent, sport needs to help solve big problems, not rely on shrinking discretionary budgets,” said Bastien.
SportHealthTech has created Sport Prescriptions, an app to make it easier to set up, measure, monitor and report on community sport-based interventions. This makes life easier for sport organisations, funders and intervention leaders.
