Where is Australian sport headed?

Good thoughts, and mostly agree. There is a 'weeding out' process that seems to happen as kids progress in age. On one hands, its a shame because everyone is taught to be THE BEST and not to be THEIR BEST. On the other hand, it does often create elite, single-minded athletes who can deal with the pressure, etc. when they make it to the big-time.

Great article Midfielder. Posed some very good questions that in time will surely answer themselves. Times have surely changed but I don't believe sport will suffer to much. Recent history has shown increased attendances and viewing throughout the majority of our sports. The new audience target is children aged from 5 - 13. The national rugby league easily portrays this, message through their new tv ad to entice a wider audience, maybe not 100% appealing to the die hard supporter but that is no need for concern. We are constantly seeing more sports stars appear in the Australian sporting landscape. Being a mariners supporter you'd know all to we the constant development of younger players coming through. Opportunities are being created and more fans enticed to the games. It's all a flowing effect but ultimately I don't any statistics too back this up, just opinion that is reliant on perception and viewing of Australian sport. I believe a new form of support is developing is Australia, the young passionate 17-25 group. This is, my generation and although technology continues to reach new heights, it does nothing to deter more superstars being unearthed and this technology has come about in my generation. Again just a general observation, cheers for the read.

I live in Korea where E sports are pretty big. There are TV channels which are dedicated to it 24/7. They still play a lot of sport though and one thing that stood out for me is its not just kids. Everyone is expected to have a go and during the warmer months every organisation (work, church, daycare, school etc) seems to have a sports day. Informal football games are everywhere. If you get a group of Korean guys in their late 50's and early 60's together then a game of soccer-volleyball will break out before the half hour mark. One of the other big differences is that most of the times they play video games it is done at an Internet cafe. Game consoles aren't so popular here (the only EB style game shop I have seen was in an area which caters for foreigners). And while they all have games on their smart phones I think there is much less of a stay at home and play video games by yourself culture here. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download it now [http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/the-roar/id327174726?mt=8].

In my experience, organisaed team sports are still popular with kids up until the age of about 14. However, I think there is an increasing focus on the elite players. There is less time, attention and resources out into the average teams of kids who just want to play for fun. It's one of the reasons we switched local clubs from soccer to rugby, as the local rugby club emphasises participation, fun and health (I'm not suggesting this is a general pattern, so settle down, code-warriors). And I think this is one of a few reasons why participation drops off as the kids get older. Another point. Seems to me that individual, "extreme" sports are on the rise. Activities like rock-climbing, mountain-biking. Maybe because less organisation is required?

-Smaller olympic games squads, but a leaner , meaner , fighting machine, real medal chance only will go Let's hope so.

Just taking that a bit further. We are now seeing with the involvement and/or interaction of the various forms of social media, television, and gaming. Add all that to the mix of the adolescent years, where you get your future players from. Some will be lost from a sport or sports forever. The challenge for the codes administrators is to keep the future players interested enough to continue with sport. A tough ask.

Sorry, i just realised this might have been influienced by the movie Avatar. They did the mind and body travell. Ok, go back to what you were doing. Still, the second part where codes will be decided by scouts who will understand body types and what your kids might be good at, even video games for the smarter types, that is the future. Oh and the story about the rats is true. http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/technology/scientists-link-two-rats-brains/story-fn7cejkh-1226588063069

Look, not long ago i had a conversation with my wife. We were talking about time travelling. Being the common sense and straight shooter she said right off, no it is impossible. You cant go either way forward or back in time. Now i had not really given this much thought, and what popped into my head, i said maybe you could time travell by mind. What i said was if you could transport your mind to another person's body, so you are here, in this spot, yet your mind is in another place. Bare with me, this has a ending. So just today i read a article in the paper, i could find it, i think it is in the courier mail or Brisbane times. They have reported a rat transending his thoughts to another rat, useing probs, half way around the world,. So the rat here, is useing his thoughts to a rat on the other side of the world. When i read this story straight away, my first thought, codes, i would like to think rugby league because that is my code of choice, but lets say codes, all codes because one day we all will probably be working together, code wars will just be a thing of the past, codes will be like a child minding centre. You will drop your kids off, (check-them in at security) at your code of not choicce, but recommoendation by a school scouting system, like Gymnastics did with the Romanians and Russians,,,,,and that code will take care of them for however long you wish them to do so. That is the future, dont fight it, it is a good idea. Kids will benifit, as will parents. We all support schildcare, kindy and preschool, this will just be a extension of that process. And less time comsuming. This video nonsens is just a fad, it will be replaced by the next fad. I dont see too many kids with Hoola Hoops these days, huge back in the day.

Allanthus The youtube I spoke of was as I said jaw dropping ... 40K + fans in a stadium watching a computer game final ... take away the screens showing the games and it could have been any sporting event...

Working with a guy now who has utterly no interest in sports, but he is obsessed with this Korean Minecraft online leagues business. They meet in pubs and watch these big events like proper sports. Personally, I am partial to the sports gaming, like NBA2k13, Pro Evo soccer etc..

Fred, you can do that now. Maybe not tennis but certainly play pocket billiards with an attractive, athletic type in a room in Vegas. You need your credit card though.

Midfielder, the question you pose is timely and concerning. Mothers up and down my street had a hell of a job getting us kids in for dinner. We never knew from one day to the next what we would play but somehow we'd all agree, nut out a few basic rules and go from there. And we'd always emulate what we'd seen on TV. Despite that not happening so much now, for the reasons you describe, participation levels aren't as dire as we might believe. Although perhaps the deep seated desire isn't there for many kids now, and so they drop out sooner, or get swallowed up by technology and social media... Every kid who grows up wanting to be Josh Thomas or Kim Kardashian instead of Buddy Franklin or Sally Pearson is one lost forever. With a higher chance that their own kids won't grow up in an environment which encourages participation in sport either.

I think all codes are aware, or, if there aren't, they will be in for a wake up call. The landscape around sports as we move further away from the 'traditional' long forms of all codes to an abbreviated format/s which caters for the time-management of either parents/spectators, and the future of sports - the future players. Which, we can see in the new generations that they want instant results/success. A light deviation from the original article but still in the same context. Look now at training (junior level) at any code and see the skill sets of the players. They don't want to take the time to get the basics down pat, even at the elite level the basics are still covered. Sport in all its various forms is changing to suit, and dare I mention it, the sponsors and the marketing dollar.

Midfielder, Wonderful article. I'll need to digest its contents some more before responding.

Midfielder Yes it's is the OZ sports landscape is changing, and at a fairly fast pace too, and will only change more over the next 20 years eg 2015-2035. -The rise of player welfare, and insurance premiums and litigation USA style will just get bigger so insurance costs will go up, and in turn local community grounds will be improved. -The buzzword grass roots , will just re-emphasise the need now to not let it flow, and more specialist coaching from a younger age eg under-8/10. -Immigration rates have changed more, and that will reflect our playing culture, more Asian centric than european -More sports choices than ever before, spoilt for choice -And teams fighting harder than ever before. -With Asia being so big tv rights can be sold in Asia, so the market share issues can be covered, and more ways to watch and sell ad space anyway. -And social media and technology in general will have a bigger impact at junior level. Not so much DRS, or goal line technology , but far more computer analysis, when working out team tactics, and schedules, and just sending team tactics, and knowledge on exercise science and nutrition, and player welfare. -so kids ar not growing up faster, but are more educated and tech savvy than before, and this will flow on to there sport.

Johnno Your going down a traditional line..... kids like freedom of choice and as little parental supervision as possible... everything you mention involves someone organising it, being there at a certain time, often being forced to play with people you don't like... Then add the time factor with modern parents having much less time to help.... add the stranger danger and our busier streets and stranger danger warnings ... Then there is almost an untalked about topic in the immigration from the 50's tho to the say early 80's was largely European who by and large share a common view towards sports generally ... But many of the current immigrants see education as one, two & three and sport as an after-through ... Most great players of any code say they learnt a lot on the street as a kid ... Just asking ... is the nature of our sporting landscape changing...

Where is Aussy sport headed wow, a good article. My take -Closer ties with Asia or Asia-pacific eg Asian cup., Asian champions league, our basketball team the boomers/opals will start playing Asian countries int he Olympic basketball qualifying from 2017. -More multi purpose stadiums eg like docklands, and AAMI park specialised rectangular ones. -The rise of football for market share will just grow and grow -Globalization means me will win less medals in athletics and swimming, not that we win much in athletics anymore, add golf and tennis to that, as less golf courses and tennis courts will be built. -The NBL will get stronger again as more ties with Asian club champions league eg China, Phillipines, India will rise. - More money for junior sport -Smaller olympic games squads, but a leaner , meaner , fighting machine, real medal chance only will go -And rugby league and AFL , and rugby union, and soccer,, will all survive , but the AFL wlll fail in it's expansion into the Asia pacific , in other words no NZ team in the next 20 years,. -And the A-league will get a team in Auckland -T20 cricket will continue to rise, and a Auckland team will be added to the BBL within 5 years.

A very interesting topic! Kids are the future of our sports. However with globalisation and professionalism in sport there is much more competition for the kids. kids are playing in much more structured competitions and as such don't often have the freedom to shift and change so much. Parents should be urged to immerse there kids in a number of sports from the traditional kids sports such as basketball, soccer, ,little Aths, tennis, swimming through to more recent newcomers like touch footy, football, triathlon, taekwondo etc. On your point about online games. I believe the future of sport may lie heavily online....but not with the static keyboard and mouse. Imagine a future where you can play tennis against someone from north Korea you just met in a chat room. Attending a training session for your rep cricket team by simply logging on to the internet. That's my future anyway!