“You brought the game into disrepute,” he says. Who he is speaking about really doesn’t matter because it always seems that from week to week, game to game it seems to change. This week Andrew Symonds, last week Ben Cousins.
Is it an epidemic that is crippling sporting clubs around Australia. But are we really expecting too much from players? They’re job is to play sport and play it well, they have signed to a club not to the hearts of Australians. However, being in the public eye through reaching that top level of sport, their job surpasses the boundaries of the field and they are well compensated for this job that is a 24/7 role.
There are many factors contributing to the crises that are occurring in sport, in particular football but could some simple public relations techniques and training be the answer?
“Most of these young players come straight from Year 11 or 12 at school, where they are relatively unknown, into a sporting culture where they are heavily revered by fans,” says University of South Australia sport psychology expert Dr Murray Drummond in his interview with Brisbane Times. Yong players are immediately thrown into a situation that fosters a strong masculine culture where they see themselves as powerful and privileged.
The situation these young players face is rather unrealistic. Most haven’t held down a regular paying job for any length of time and then are thrown into a job where they are paid significant salaries and have limited experience on the value of it. Jetstar Titans is combating this problem by making it a requirement for it’s under 20’s team to be holding down a job and/or undertaking training says head coach Steve Murphy. He says the boys not only need to have a back up plan but they need to learn about responsibility and respect.
Football players are bearing the brunt of most negative press. These ‘bad boys’ of the sporting community seem to attract trouble. Yet are their personalities to blame?
One phycology lecture, Mitch Byrne of the University of Woollongong, presented the term, ‘athletic personality.’ Athletes tend to more extroverted, assertive and self confident, as there profession is filled with constant praise and rewards for their behaviour. Cumulate this personality in one team, and you have a group of not only testosterone filled men but an over-representation of extroverted, assertive and self confident people.
Dr Lindsay Fitzclarence has been researching abusive behaviour by footballers for several years. She says in her new book, “There is a fine line between illegal behaviour and the practices required to play body contact sport.” There is currently no adequate training that footballers in particular receive that teaches them how to walk that line and not step over it. Aggression and intimidation is continually rewarded on field and it should be no surprise that it is difficult for this to not transcend off field.
This bad behaviour is also being encouraged by the ‘group think’ mentality that exist within sporting clubs. They see those not in the group as outsiders and as less equal says Dr. Fitzclarence. “Sportsmen [develop] an exaggerated sense of entitlement and a diminished sense of responsibility and empathy, in which personal and group wants and desires dominate over consideration for others,” says Dr Fitzclarence. Add drugs and alcohol and it’s really no surprise we are seeing these scandals.
When these scandals arise a denial is usually imminent. The reason that should be used however is always a last resort. Honesty. Telling the truth, as a child we are always told telling the truth is best and as we grow up we believe the truth will set us free, yet apparently this isn’t the belief amongst sporting greats.
Sport PR encompasses the process through which sports organizations can create and develop long term mutually beneficial and profitable relationships with a range of publics. The best way to keep these relationships is to not piss them off, honesty is the best way to avoid this. However, this is not followed in many of Australian sports relationships. “Every time a crisis breaks in sport, all the rules of crisis communication are broken - people tell lies, cover things up, are not available for comment, believe they have nothing to answer for, believe they are above the law, demonstrate a complete lack of ethical principles, don't appreciate how the media works and generally lack the guidance on how to communicate in such situations. This clear lack of understanding of how to operate in a difficult communications situation demonstrates a profound lack of communication understanding generally,” says Bond University PR Professor Maria Hopwood. Hopwood believes if a club has made a mistake it is better to reveal it, apologise and rectify it, then to attempt to cover it up. This only makes the crisis persist and basically ensures that it will continue making front page news for weeks instead of one day of bad press.
Sports PR is currently lacking in sports, believes Hopwood. “There is a clear lack of knowledge and understanding about the potential and value of public relations which is evident in the way sports organizations conduct their business. Marketing and promotion are considered to be the methods by which contact with audiences is established. It seems that relationship building and management are completely missing from the business planning process in sport,” she says.
Sports clubs have issues presenting a consistent message. In the case of the Bronco’s, many reason’s where given for the scandal, except the truth. PR would have assisted the Bronco’s in presenting a consistent message which was synchronised across all media outlets and their number one most controlled form of media, their website. This is a form of communication many clubs disregard. This is the most basic of public relations and many clubs just don’t understand how important it is to communicate with its public in a forum where there is the opportunity for two way communication. In crisis Hopwood says clubs need to “Tell it all, tell it fast and tell it truthfully,” and their website is the best way to do this.
PR is extremely viable at this current time. In this unstable economic climate clubs need to continue to keep sponsors happy and willing to empty their pockets. Sponsors are becoming more reluctant to hand out not only their cash but their name. Many brands are being scared off by inherent risks of sports sponsorships deals. Sponsors basically just can’t afford to have their name connected to a club that has players tied up in drug and sex scandals. Sponsors need to be assured their image is positive and profitable for them in the current climate. Who would want to sponsor the club Cousins joins? No wonder people teams are avoiding him.
PR can aid in dealing with scandals but how can it be used to prevent scandals? PR can be utilised to train players on how to perform in public and how to deal with the media. PR can train junior players on how to handle the overwhelming situation they are in and how to deal with it instead of them resorting to an outlet of drugs and alcohol.
An example of effective team management is the Jetstar Gold Coast Titans. There has been no serious reported case of any of the boys being involved in drug or alcohol scandals and team member James Griffiths says it’s a result of the training. “We know not to get into trouble because if you stuff up, you’re out, there are strict rules and we are banned from going to certain places like Cavil Ave,” he says. They receive PR training on how to present their image and have positive relationships with their publics.
There is a lack of appreciation for the importance of PR in sport. Sports organizations spend their time reacting to unplanned events that result in negative public attitudes then to proactively attempt to influence public’s attitudes. Clubs continue to have public relations as an under-skilled and under appreciated area. It is important for sport to realise they are dealing with boys that require training on how to handle the ‘role model’ title they are appointed. PR can aid sport in controlling the behaviour of players and successfully manage a crises. The boys will always be bad but that doesn’t mean the management of them has to be.
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