Timothy J E Jarvis post on the commercialisation of school sport
Last week SuperSport Schools and Nielson Sports SA organised the School Sports Commercialisation Conference. Its stated aim? To unlock the business of school and youth sport.
For unlock the business read unlock the money.
Those familiar with the school sport scene will be aware of the growing creep around the professionalisation of this space. In fact, creep is the wrong word. Tidal wave might serve better because of its destructive nature but also because we can all see it coming but seem powerless to stop it.
This though seems like a step change.
I have written previously that live streaming of minors on a national network was cause for concern. Now it seems this was just the opening foray. Like the roads built through amazonian jungle, streaming has opened up this lucrative environment to the money men.
As SuperSport themselves say, “Streaming has changed the rules.”
So streaming, while problematic, has opened up a whole new issue. The commercial exploitation of children.
It’s chimney sweeps dressed up in first team jerseys.