If we want medals, we must fund athletes

SOCIAL STUDIES - Published Monday August 18th, 2008

The Canadian government, through Heritage Canada, has spent $111 million on direct funding to sports within the country for the 2007-08 calendar year. Of course, that is spread out between 85 separate organizations, including provincial sports initiatives. Not a lot of this money goes towards Olympic athletes in particular.

If the television ads are to be believed, then Rona, HBC, Bombardier, Bell, Aliant and Chevrolet; and admittedly I may have missed some, put in money -- especially to the athletes that work for them in the off season. It amounts to something like $3-4 million. But there you go; our athletes tend to have to have jobs to get by. I guess that is what makes them amateur athletes.

But there is another problem with the system; some amateurs seem pretty darn professional.

Forbes reported that the top 10 wage earners in the Beijing Olympics are actually professional athletes; Kobe Bryant for example plays for the LA Lakers and gets about $9 million a year. Federer and Sharipova, tennis players, have net worth in the $27-40 million range. But . . . these are professional athletes who somehow manage contracts that are exceptional.

Someone running track and field is not getting much over $1,500. Neither are swimmers, fencers, runners, gymnasts; in fact, the majority of them.

So what of them?

If they are really lucky they might score it big with a medal win. The United States and Canada both provide financial incentives for medals. CNN Money reports that this year the United States Olympic Committee is giving out $25,000 to gold medal winners, $15,000 to those who take home a silver and $10,000 for a bronze. This is the same incentive system we use with our athletes; if any of them can manage to overcome all the obstacles in their path and actually win a medal.

Perhaps it is not so mysterious that the best remain the best year after year; they can afford to keep it up. If you get $25,000 extra you can afford a better treadmill, more coaching time, airfare to more training camps.

Speaking of which, did you hear the interview on radio with the men's rowing team who train in a boat shed on a public lake in B.C.? This is the type of facility the government helps to create; and I do not think this is the exception for our athletes. Most of them train in public facilities, often with poor equipment, and have to sacrifice most of their time and livelihood to fulfill their dreams. While at the same time, professional athletes who basically play for their own glory, make millions.

The media reported last February that when it comes down to the nitty gritty our athletes are paid a stipend of $1,500 per month to cover living expenses, training costs, coaching, equipment. . . Most of us could not make rent, food, car and heat with $1,500 let alone hire Olympic calibre coaches.

American Athletes, for comparison, get $2,000 per month, competition, camp and travel expenses, health insurance, performance incentives, and Nike apparel.

I heard that there was a time when Russia employed every single athlete in the army. They did not have to fight, but everything was paid for -- they were in fact state employees, with state funded training programs and facilities, fighting their own battles on the rink, track, or in the pool. Countries still do this -- Pakistan does. This seems like a really good idea to me.

But my problem is not so much that we underfund our athletes -- which we do.

My problem is more with expectations.

We put enormous pressure on these young people to represent us as a country, to make us proud, and then we fail to follow through with the actual support necessary to make them the best trained, best equipped, and simply the best people in their sport.

Why are the Montreal Canadiens worth so much more money than Team Canada?

Should they be?

Someone said that we should win 16 medals at these Olympics and as I write this near the end of the first week we do not have a single one.

I want it to be different; and yes, I want us to put more of our tax dollars towards this goal.

I am not sure what I want to give up -- perhaps one new helicopter in Afghanistan? How about taking a few statues down? Maybe reduce the pensions of elected members by one per cent? Or perhaps I would even support an increased "sin" tax on things that stop us from being competitive, alcohol and tobacco, for example.

Maybe we could even take 10 per cent of casino revenues and put it towards the Olympic program.

I don't know, I just said all that to push people's buttons. I am not an economist -- I am a proud Canadian who wishes that when the Olympics rolls around we could prove to the world that we are contenders.

Thank God for hockey.