|
|
< SEP 7 2010 > |
|
    |
|
|
 |
Media Clipping The Province, April 10, 2001 What kind of athlete should we invest in? By Jason Proctor
--- On the day Canada's basketball team returned home from the Sydney Olympics last year, Greg Edgelow made a promise to himself. Medal-less despite stunning play, the players arrived in Vancouver to find only a few members of the media waiting along with one Steve Nash fan. Edgelow, a former athlete and current manager of sport tourism for Vancouver, swore that the next returning Olympian would receive a hero's welcome. Buses were arranged, the airport authority became involved, a flurry of phone calls were made. By the time Daniel Igali set foot on Canadian soil with a gold medal around his neck, 2,000 fans were waiting for him. The mood was electric -- and Edgelow saw the beginnings of a dream taking shape. "Sports creates heroes, and it helps develop dreams for young and old. When their team wins, their community wins and they feel they've won something too," says Edgelow. "It's my goal to develop more of a sport culture." A majority of Vancouverites side with Edgelow, according to The Province's Great Cities poll. Our respondents make it clear that health activities and sports are an important part of Lower Mainland life. To some extent, we already have a sport culture. But at the same time, the poll also reveals an underlying dissatisfaction with the state of professional sports in Vancouver -- and anger at the suggestion that taxpayers should be subsidizing what many feel is a substandard product for big bucks. Forty-six per cent of respondents said they were not satisfied with the value for money of professional sports teams in Vancouver. And a staggering 72 per cent of people said they disagreed with the government providing financial assistance for professional sports teams. To that end, the departing Vancouver Grizzlies met with particular venom: 74 per cent of respondents disagreed with public money going to help the beleaguered team. At the same time, 70 per cent favour financial assistance for cultural events. And an overwhelming majority are satisfied with access to parks, beaches and other facilities. There is no doubt that sports can draw a community together. In terms of its impact on the Lower Mainland, the 1994 Stanley Cup series is unfortunately remembered mainly for the riot that followed game 7. That one night has provided both the city council and police with grounds to discourage large gatherings. What has been forgotten in the mix are the playoff games that preceded the final match. The series was the topic of conversation around every water-cooler in town. Huge crowds gathered peacefully on nights preceding the riot. The series generated a genuine buzz which hasn't been seen in the city since -- with the exception, perhaps, of the anger at Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley's attacks on the city's so-called lack of support for his team. Edgelow believes Vancouverites love their sports. The mountains, oceans and beaches make this a paradise for weekend athletes, sports and health enthusiasts. But when it comes to sports, people also want value for their money -- and a sense of mutual respect between athletes and the cities they represent. Edgelow feels that successful sporting events are part of a great city. As an example, he points to the recent World Figure Skating Championships, which sold out in an hour, and the accompanying SkateFest, which drew thousands to the Plaza of Nations. The event placed Vancouver in the international public eye and Skate Canada left behind a $600,000 legacy for B.C. skate clubs. "The bottom line is that it's going to provide more opportunities for our youth to get involved in figure skating," says Edgelow. "In a perfect world, it would be great to help our professional teams. Investment in professional sport should be considered if it makes good business sense, generating jobs and revenues for local businesses. But it would be remiss for the government to subsidize professional sport and forget about amateur sport." Following his success with the reception for Igali, Edgelow has come up with two programs he hopes to tour the country promoting: "Welcome Home" and "Stay at Home." The first program would promote amateur sports figures to create local heroes for communities such as Vancouver. The second would counter what Edgelow terms the "brawn drain" -- the athletic version of the brain drain, which is drawing our best athletes and coaches to the United States. He feels we should challenge business and government to better support amateur athletes. "They're the leaders of the future, a valuable resource . . . we want our kids to look up to Canadians."
Photos and article courtesy of The Province Read more of The Province's Great City Series
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Copyright 1999-2009 The Vancouver Board of Trade. All Rights Reserved |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
