SCIENCE DISCUSSION(NO PLAGIARISM, A++ WORK, QUALITY, ON TIME)

Technology Solutions

Leadership and technology: innovations for the sport spectator By Ozzie Sawicki, M.Sc, Ch.PC.

. fter a short hiatus, it ^ / \ is certainly good to be

V i \ _ back speaking with you, ^ our readers, about the

technology side of sport. As this issue is dedicated

to leadership, I have decided to look at technology, not from the coaching perspective for a change, but rather from the spectator perspective.

In my years of coaching, I have had an unending series of conversations as to why more people are not interested in watching 'my' sport. I vividly remember my own personal experience at the 2OO2 Salt Lake Paralympic Winter Games, in which my co-coach and I planned for how best to visually cover the downhill event to provide feedback to our athletes at the start. At the time, the Paralympic Alpine coaching staff was not a large one, and a downhill is a very lengthy prospect on which to report. Our focus was certainly on covering key areas within the course, but with limited bodies, we made the decision to place a coach at the finish to watch the race on the 'Jumbotron video display' which had allowed us to see the entire speed track, providing seamless coverage as a coaching staff.

Now coming back to this article, I often wonder if, as coaches, we put some thought into what the spectator experience is like in our sport. The better the experience, the more likely we will have an increased size of audience, and interest in our sport. This led me to some research that provided a site that describes nine technology innovations that have improved the sport spectator experience. The article is written by

Thomas Wailgum for the CIO.com business technology leadership website.

The article was interesting from three perspectives. First, it considered nine technologies that have played a significant role in improving the spectator experience, second were the sports that these nine innovations have had an impact on, and, finally, the ability to make comment to other technologies that you, the reader ofthe article, believe have had an impact.

The final point is where my leadership initiative challenges you, the reader. If you believe that you are aware of a technological advance in your sport that has improved the spectator experience, please go to the site and provide this information, I am a firm believer that, in increasing audience enjoyment and opportunity to gain better access to our sports, our athletes, and our participatory opportunities, we will succeed in promoting an increase in opportunities for our sports to attract new potential athletes.

coaches, officials, and, of course, media recognition and sponsorship potential.

The nine technology innovations include: 1. The yellow 'i'' and lo' line in North

American football, 2, The quality of high definition

television and digital technology in the home viewing experience,

}. Online fantasy leagues, 4. Nascar drivers' radio chatter, 5. Instant reply, 6. Madden NFL video game, 7. Real-time March Madness, 8. The tennis 'line judge' Hawkeye

system, and 9. Professional golf's ShotLUik.

In assessing the list of nine, it is obvious that, with sports such as North American football, baseball, basketball, golf, and auto racing included, there is a bias to the North American sport experience. But, having said this, are we not coaches in the Canadian market trying to sell our sport as the most interesting spectator experience? So, how can we take our own sport to the next level of spectator involvement? Furthermore, is this part of the coach's role? Leadership in coaching can certainly come in many forms.

I look forward to hearing from you, our readers, on the subject presented. I can be reached at osawicki® pozitiveresults.ca.

REFERENCE: Thomas Wailgun's article Nine Technology Innovations That Have Made Sports So Much Better for Fans, can be found at http://www.cio. com/spccial/slideshows/sports.innovations/ inde)t#slideshow ^

Ozzie Sawicki is the former Head Coach ofthe Canadian Disabled Alpine Ski Team ond is presently the President of Poïitive Remits Sport Strategiei Inc.

4 6 1 COACHES PLAN | Summer '08 :: Vol. 15, No. 2