Reality check required for our well paid sportstars
Roar Rookie
By Kath, 21 Dec 2009 Kath is a Roar Rookie
- Tagged:
- ARU, David Nucifora, Quade Cooper, Rugby Union
Nobody likes to see criminal and antisocial behaviour from highly paid professionals. Those on the average wage and less may be quietly applauded by their colleagues for drunken pugilism, five-finger discounting and amateur locksmithing abilities.
Collectively, they may even feel justified – there’s nothing like skint and struggling to tempt us to cross a moral line.
Expectations are considerably higher for well-paid professionals, paid to ensure large businesses serve their customers.
And that’s what, rightly or wrongly, professional sports people at clubs are. So when I read today that the ARU has ordered Quade Cooper into a period of “extensive personal development and counselling” to deal with “numerous off field issues” I wanted to (metaphorically) slap some sense into David Nucifora and the ship of fools who devised the “collective action plan” upon which Quade’s ongoing employment depends.
There have been many references to Quade’s blinding talent, but few to his seemingly complete inability to manage day to day tasks. For example, getting home late at night without attracting police attention.
The pragmatists among us heartlessly dismiss bad luck, callously accusing Quade of bad management. Getting through day to day life without hurting others is where talent cuts out and life skills kick in. Think George Best.
Being a talented footy star must be a challenging environment for any young man, and the expectations and pressure are no doubt overwhelming at times. But all over Australia, there are 21 year-olds who are raising children, caring for ill or disabled family members, or coping with their own disabilities. Many hold down jobs or educate themselves.
The expectations and pressure are no doubt overwhelming at times. But if it all gets too much and they chuck a Quade-style tanty there’ll be no collective action plan for them, short of what the courts impose.
I say the ARU and other sporting clubs are underestimating the Quades of the world.
Instead of mollycoddling them with half-baked action plans, platitudes and piss-ups, give them an opportunity to show what they’re made of.
Cut off the contract and the salary for a year. Organise treatment if they are suffering from an illness. Help them get a building or plumbing apprenticeship. Get up early and work hard. Spend a year on the average wage, just like most of the fans.
They’ll appreciate the privileges of professionalism, and the behavioural expectations that go with it, when they get back.
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- Explore:
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Andrew Logan said | December 21st 2009 @ 8:17am | Report comment
Couldn’t agree more. Two great examples are Wendell Sailor and Andrew Walker. Both were suspended for recreational drug use (which pales beside burglary as a crime in my book), and both had a year or two to think about it….in Walker’s case he ended up landscape gardening for a year, before regaining a contract with the Reds. He said at the time that it was a major awakening for him, back working at a tough physical job for minimum wages, no plaudits, no recognition, and he realised then how lucky he was to be playing football for a living.
Likewise Wendell, who took his lumps, trained hard on his own for 2 years, and came back to have a fantastic final season with the Dragons in the NRL – having earned respect from the community for his humility and work ethic.
Of course players, particularly young players, need support and guidance, but the support and guidance should never come at the expense of their own development and growth. In simple terms, support them when they have to face the consequences of their actions, but don’t protect them from those consequences.
Andrew Logan said | December 21st 2009 @ 8:20am | Report comment
PS re the line “Help them get a building or plumbing apprenticeship….”. I understand the sentiment, but there are plenty of young players who are capable of bigger things. Many of them should be encouraged and pushed to develop their intellect, evaluative capabilities and critical thinking, in which case a university degree would serve them equally well.
Joh4Canberra said | December 21st 2009 @ 6:15pm | Report comment
Agreed. But I’m not sure Quade Cooper should be going to university. I don’t say that do disparage the man. Some people have the intellect etc to thrive at university while others don’t and should should pursue other things in life. I think Quade Cooper fits into the second category. He’s the kind of guy who would benefit from an apprenticeship and some real world responsibility. An apprenticeship would get him doing something constructive and rewarding where he would have real world responsibility (not to mention a boss not afraid to pull him into line
).
JF said | December 21st 2009 @ 6:25pm | Report comment
I have always wondered how American Football does it, using the university system as football academies. Surely every NFL player is not a scholar? How do they get into university? What are they studying and at what level?
Tom said | December 21st 2009 @ 8:30pm | Report comment
From what I understand, if you are a good enough sportsman in high school you will get a spot in college. I suspect intellect doesn’t play a huge part; hence why most of the wikis of footballers mention they usually have degrees in ‘general studies’ or something similarly wishy – washy.
Sam Taulelei said | December 21st 2009 @ 8:25am | Report comment
Great article Kath you’re spot on with the points that you’ve raised. Can’t say I’m surprised with the ARU’s handling of Quade Cooper, as long as an athlete continues to provide value then they will do whatever is necessary to reatain them. Once they’re seen as a liability then they’re living on borrowed time.
Hoy said | December 21st 2009 @ 8:38am | Report comment
Problem is these days, is the player that is let go, goes elsewhere. Someone is almost always prepared to purchase the services of a good player.
Take Gower for instance. Gets in massive hot water here a few times, heads off. Lote Tuquiri, rightly or wrongly, sacked, then picks up a neat few hundred thousand elswhere.
Good theory to send them to the real world, impossible reality. If they sacked Quade and said go live in the real world, he would skip out and go to Europe.
Is it possible to have a contract that downgrades due to bad publicity? Perhaps that is the way to go. A clause saying if there are problems, you will remain contracted, so you can’t go elsewhere, but your pay will be low.
Kath said | December 21st 2009 @ 12:18pm | Report comment
Andrew – if the player has the ability to complete a University course, they ought to do it. As long as they pay their way under their own steam, which will probably involve working in a bar like other students.
Hoy – Good point. More and more often, administrators turn a deliberately blind eye to abysmal behaviour that will ultimately lead to the downfall of the man concerned (and anyone else unlucky enough to be in his vicinity when he finally hits rock bottom). They do this to avoid the consequences associated with sacking key players. Levelling the playing field would take the heat off administrators’ personal discretion. This could be done by introducing a standard international rugby players’ contract that imposes non-negotiable suspensions for actions that bring the game into disrepute (substance abuse and criminal behaviour).
Ultimately, the rugby community owns the game. If they want respectful behaviour to be the hallmark of rugby, they need to insist on it.
Bill said | December 21st 2009 @ 12:30pm | Report comment
Hoy, in Quade’s case with a charge of B&E hanging over his head getting to Europe might be difficult, especially the UK.
Sam D said | December 21st 2009 @ 6:52pm | Report comment
Too many boofheads getting paid too much money for doing too little. I reckon being a professional sportsperson would be the most boring, repetitive job ever.
The training environment at all clubs focusses on creating the right environment for players to excel on the field, not off it.
I get really frustrated by cushy footy players doing the wrong thing and getting away with it everyday. If the average employee did anything like Quade, they’d be sacked.
Ryan said | December 22nd 2009 @ 10:11pm | Report comment
Sam – the average employee what not be sacked. At least not until found guilty and then maybe not unless they get sent to the big house.
What Quade has done appears to be stupid and irresponsible but what will sacking him prove. ARU needs to support him which they seem to be doing and then keep him on a short leash.