T Becca: Professional responsibility (9 Apr 1998)

April 9, 1998

Professional responsibility

Tony Becca

Once upon a time people who played sports and were paid for doing so were treated with little respect in some societies.

In England, for example, there were two kinds of cricketers. There were Gentlemen - the amateurs who played without pay, and there were Players - the professionals who were paid for their services, and they walked through different gates when leaving or entering the pavilion.

On top of that, in those days captains came from the ranks of the amateurs. It was inconceivable that a Player, a professional, could captain England.

Like so many things in life, that has changed. Today, not only is there no stigma attached to those who play for pay, not only is professional sport and professional sportsmen and sportswomen the order of the day to the extent that sons and daughters of the elite in societies are playing for pay, not only are young men and young women who qualify for other professions playing for pay, but sport is also better off for it.

There are those who believe that sport has lost much of its appeal as entertainment, that many of the sportsmen and sportswomen of today do not possess the flair of those of yesterday, and as far as they are concerned, it is because of professionalism.

While there are those professionals who go for consistency rather than brilliance - professionals who are cautious because they are afraid to fail and to jeopardise their contracts, there are others who have confidence in their ability and are prepared to express themselves through that ability.

Most importantly however, professionalism in sport has resulted in improved skill - for the simple reasons that better technical support is provided, players have the time to train and practise for hours, and that many of them do train and practice assiduously in an effort to be the best and to produce the quality performances which bring handsome fees and lucrative contracts.

Apart from the use of drugs, there is however, one concern in professional sport these days - too many professionals do not appreciate that as professionals they have a responsibility to the sport and to the fans.

To a number of professionals, professionalism means getting paid. Professionalism however, is more than that - professionalism is also commitment and dedication, a high level of skill, performance and, most importantly, responsibility to the game.

Apart from his pursuit of excellence and the drive to win, the professional sportsman has a responsibility to protect the image of his sport and remembering that without them there would be no professionals, to ensure that the fans get their money's worth.

One way of protecting the image of his sport is for the professional to always give of his best, and to conduct himself in a manner which will be a credit to himself, to his sport, and to the organisation which he represents; and barring injuries, one way of ensuring the fans are satisfied is to play when he is scheduled to play.

Apart from believing that it is their right to decide when to train and when to practice, when to give it their best shot and when to cool out, too many professionals, especially in small, so-called third world countries, believe that because they are stars, because they are professionals, it is their right to decide when to play and when not to play - especially towards the end of a season when their team has either already won or is out of the running.

That is not professionalism, and those who pay them should let them understand that regardless of the state of a competition they are expected to play - especially in situations where tickets are pre-sold.

It is unfair to ask patrons to buy tickets with the expectation of seeing certain players and then they are not on show; it is unfair to expect the fans to pay premium prices for substitute players; and in the final analysis it affects the gate receipts and inevitably the sport.

Fans who pre-pay and do not see who they pay to see will react in one of two ways - they will either pay on the day, or if that is too much a hassle, they will stay away.

Source :: The Jamaica Gleaner (https://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/)