Succession in sports associations

SINGAPORE – Every time we take a trip to this city-state of about five million (in 2010), we always find time to read The Straits Times that has comprehensive reports in almost any aspect of Singaporean life or any event of major importance elsewhere in the world.

The sports pages of The Straits Times, often at least four pages, provide one with accounts of sports – football, rugby, cricket, lawn bowls, etc. – that are not only of interest to Singaporeans and other former British colonies but also of sports like basketball and baseball and other sports that originated from North America.

Often too, one sees in The Straits, columns that discuss sports management and administration and sports good governance issues, a rarity in our part of the woods. Yet, when one reads these columns or articles, one cannot help but notice the fact that, while Singapore’s economy is way ahead of ours, and for that matter, the rest of Southeast Asia, the problems that bedevil us in our sports community, are no different from those “The Lion City” is burdened and grappling with.

A case in point is a comment made in the Forum section of the Saturday, March 31, 2012 issue of The Straits. The comment, contributed by David Lim, is headlined: “Sports associations – Council spot-on about leadership renewal.” The council referred to in the headline is the Singapore Sports Council (SSC), which is the equivalent of the Philippine Sports Commission.

Lim says he supports the (SSC’s) move to encourage succession planning in (national sports) organizations. Lim adds “some office bearers spend far too much time cementing their positions over a lengthy period, and for a variety of reasons.”

Reflecting on political infighting within sports organizations, Lim says that overstaying officials refuse to accept new ways of achieving goals, and spend inordinate amounts of energy shooting down good people who would otherwise be seen as “new blood”. One only needs to recall instances when high ranking Philippine government sports official found time, amidst the many serious problems confronting them, to directly intervene and publicly campaign against candidates for posts in national sports associations (NSAs).

NSAs, which are in reality among the oldest Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) or Not-for-Profit Organizations (NPOs), have their own logic. NSAs could be considered concrete expressions of social responsibility, like joining the Red Cross or a movement for fair, honest, orderly and peaceful elections are also manifestations of advocacy for concerns of society. NSAs have been around long before the Philippines was overcome by “NGO fever” arising from the bloodless EDSA I Revolution where people empowered themselves and took personal responsibility for throwing out a despotic ruler.

It is clear that the common denominator of all these NGOs, or NPOs or NSAs is that they are essentially volunteer-driven and people serve them gratuitously, for free, for no financial considerations, at least in theory.

It is therefore assumed that people who serve as pure volunteers in sports organizations (or any other socio-civic group) are successful in their respective fields of endeavor and who have therefore, as Lim points out, no time to play politics at the expense of the welfare of the members and ultimately, the sport they represent.

In this respect, professional and business-like rules of good corporate governance should be practiced and internalized by all NSAs.

As a concrete example of enlightened succession planning, Lim uses as a case study, the Asia Professional Speakers Singapore. The rules of the organization call for each president serving one term and taking under his wing a vice-president who is shown the ropes and who builds his own network of people to carry on the work of the organization the following year.

The vice-president still has to run for election at the end of the incumbent president’s term but few oppose him as he would have, in theory, amassed significant goodwill and experience. According to Lim, the outgoing president then serves on the executive committee as the immediate past president with a much smaller role, together with some of the present committee members.

Following this mode of succession planning ensures the development of what Lim calls a leadership culture acceptable to all, retains the expertise of some veterans but allows the new leadership to press on with major tasks. In short, the continuity (of good programs) is ensured while those of doubtful use are either set aside permanently or shelved temporarily after thorough and mature deliberation. The organization also benefits from former officers who can provide the institutional memory that is essential in determining the context and background of an issue.

Lim ends by saying that if incumbents cannot find suitable candidates, it speaks volumes about where their energy has been used. Their despotic control should end because they mistakenly think they are indispensable when, actually, they are just legends in their own minds.