Brittan's Lottery System: Argumentative Analysis

For years Australians have prided themselves on their prowess across a wide range of sports from cricket to rugby to swimming. But the country’s performance has become more inconsistent in recent years amidst tough competition and higher sports spending by rival nations. (Finical Times, 2016) This has sparked vigorous debate regarding what funding system we should use and where this money should be spent. Some consider Brittan’s Lottery fund as a better alternative to our own, which would help to fund our elite athletes to compete at an international level and assist getting our country out of our current health crisis. While others argue Australia should not adapt their funding system, as it focuses on benefitting elite sports and athletes whereas the nation's long-term sporting success is dependent on strong support for grass roots sports and because the link between success in the Olympics and mass
participation is vague and unproven (Scrutinizing the sport pyramid metaphor 2013)

Great Britain funds the majority of its high-performance sports through it’s National Lottery system. The Lottery System fund was created after the humiliation in the Atlanta Olympics, where Britain was 36th on the medal table, with just one gold. The lottery system puts 50% of returns back into the prize pool, 28% goes to “good causes” (such as sport) and 12% goes to the government. (ABC, 2016) The results from this funding increase from the lottery are significant with every Olympics staged this century, Brittan has won more medals than the previous. In London, a Game funded by $3.7billion in lottery funds, the home team won 65 medals. In Rio, Britain won 67 and finished second only to the US in the medal count. (The Conversation, 2016) The Australian Sports Commission chairman agrees that using the Great Brittan’s Lottery System is the only way Australia can stay internationally competitive. “It is absolutely clear to me going forward that with no (government) funding increases in seven years, if Australia wants to remain competitive in world sport the financial challenge is increasing and the funding of sport has to increase,” Wylie said. (Herald Sun, 2016) By Australia adapting their own national lottery system, elite sports will have greater access to large sums of money, removes the pressure placed on athletes when there is an expectation of return on taxpayer’s dollars and our elite athletes will no longer have to sacrifice their financial security, work, and study in a bid to represent Australia.

The Australian governments tend to justify large investments on elite sport with the argument that elite athlete success and hosting international events will generate numerous positive outcomes including the capacity to inspire increased mass participation in sport. (Scrutinizing the sport pyramid metaphor 2013) Weed, (2009) in his study with 1509 rugby and cricket players in New Zealand, determined that elite success did not have a significant impact on those who rarely or never participated and are therefore not already emotionally engaged with the sport. (Weed, 2009) This study showcased the limited link between elite sport and mass participation. Furthermore, another study analysed the relationship between membership data and athlete success in Flanders over the past 15 years. The membership figures from Flanders were compared with figures from the Netherlands to identify the common trends. It was found that across 20 sports revealed no consistent relationship between membership levels and success. (Scrutinizing the sport pyramid metaphor 2013). These studies have shown evidence of a relationship between elite success and mass participation is lacking and therefore unproven.

One of the greatest public health challenges confronting Australia and many other industrialised countries is the obesity epidemic. Australia is one of the most overweight developed nations, with 62.8% of adults and one in four children overweight or obese. (Health, 2014) Australia is currently in a health crisis, in part due to a lack of physical activity, furthermore encouraging sports participations is the way out of it. The benefits of sports are extensive including, increase life expectancy, increased confidence, better sleep patterns, positivity & better moods, and finally will improve your fitness and weight goals. (MU Health, 2016) By adapting Great Brittan’s lottery fund we will give children the chance to become successful elite athletes and continue their sporting careers furthermore inspire more people to get active to help get out of current health crisis.

Recently, funding issues have arisen, with sporting representatives voicing their concerns that using Brittan’s lottery system focuses on benefitting elite athletes, whereas it could be better used in grass route sports.
The Australian Health Survey conducted in April 2012 found that 25 per cent of Australian children and teenagers, aged five to 17 years, are overweight or obese, indicating that we need to foster a more sports-minded culture that encourages children to be physically active. (Better Health, 2015) Using the sports money to help strengthen grass route sports and physical activity is a way out of our youth and adult obesity epidemic. Some experts believe that our success at the Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympic Games was based on supporting elite sport development. That is, talented youths were identified and supported to achieve success. (Olympic Glory: An Analysis of Australia's Success at the Summer Olympics, 2008) Many believe our nation's long-term sporting success is dependent on strong support for grass roots sports
rather.

Australia implementing Great Brittan’s Lottery System fund would create a new source of funding that is necessary to further support our elite athletes to compete at an international level and help our country get out of the current health crisis we are in due to a lack of physical activity. However, Australia not adapting their funding system would help support the nation's long-term sporting success which is dependent on strong support for grass roots sports and because the link between success in the Olympics and mass participation is vague and unproven. Due to this disparity, there is an evident need for greater equity in the Australian Government's expenditure on sports.