Vision 2030 Preliminary Recommendations

13 FEB 2012

Vision 2030 Preliminary Recommendations

Opportunities

1. Super Sports Clubs
The recommendation is the formation of regional ‘Super Sports Clubs’ to extend the reach of sports programming. The Super Sports Clubs will be a home base for individuals, families and the community to gather, learn, train, and compete in a range of sports, and get together for social or business purposes. The Super Sports Clubs will provide affordable community-relevant programming and coaching for all skill levels and age groups, including fundamental movement skills for young children and modified sports for seniors. The community can enjoy spontaneous play, compete in league-based competitions or host one-off sporting events. The Clubs will also welcome corporate sports teams and will prepare members or teams to compete in national/open championships. The pilot concept for the Super Sports Clubs will be implemented towards the end of 2012. The public are invited to log on to vision2030.sg to vote on the sports they would like to see piloted in the inaugural year.

2. Sports Pathways Committee
The recommendation is to establish a standing Sport Pathways Committee, comprising members from MCYS, MOE, Singapore Armed Forces, People’s Association, National Trades Union Congress, tertiary institutions, Singapore Sports School and the Singapore Sports Council. The committee would ensure a platform for collaboration in the development of different pathways, allowing people to remain active in sports, as athletes, coaches, officials or in other career options available in sports. The committee would seek to provide every youth in Singapore the opportunity to regularly participate in sport, whether at school, university, during National Service or in the community. Additionally, the committee would work to encourage Singaporeans to embrace a sporting lifestyle and that sport becomes a tool to inculcate strong social values in our youth.

3. Corporate Leagues
Vision 2030 recommends that SSC work with Corporate Singapore to see companies expand their involvement in sport. The concepts include:

  • Leveraging on sport for leadership development and learning programmes for employees
  • Forming a competitive corporate sports league, supported and/or organised by companies to play within and cross business sectors
  • Customising sporting solutions for companies to use as employee loyalty/perquisite programmes
  • Developing appropriate incentives and recognition for companies that support Sporting Singapore

4. Seniors Fitness Ecosystem
The recommendation is to develop a fitness ecosystem for seniors. The strategy includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  • Enhancing the multi-agency collaborative platform to encompass private sector partners, service providers and Voluntary Welfare Organisations
  • Working with stakeholders to identify three to five easily accessible sports for seniors to promote cardiovascular health, balance, strength and flexibility
  • Working with stakeholders to create multi-tiered outreach programmes, with modest incentive components, to motivate seniors of all ages and abilities to take up these sports
  • Setting national standards for sports participation and sports safety for seniors
  • Creating pathways and positions for seniors to continue contributing to our sporting communities throughout their lifetimes

5. Unified Sports
The recommendation is for key stakeholders to collaborate and create opportunities for unified sports to bridge divides in society. For example, sporting events could feature mixed teams of the able-bodied and those with physical and intellectual disabilities. The concept of unified sports will revolve around the use of modified rules, play areas and equipment to create a level playing field. The participants will come to learn more about each other as they train and compete together in a spirit of inclusiveness. The relationships and sensibilities developed on the field may be extended into daily life, benefiting all Singaporeans.

Access

6. Sports Events Strategy
The recommendation is to revamp the Sports Events Strategy with a more holistic approach and clearly defined outcomes. A portfolio of events will be identified and developed to serve the different national needs. First, international events will provide national athletes with opportunities to raise their standards and will contribute to Singapore’s positioning as a vibrant global city in which to “Live, Work and Play”. Second, there will be events to inspire participation, either through opportunities for ordinary Singaporeans to see the best of the world play or to take part in, such as the National Games. Third, we will need to create a sports entertainment environment to generate more interest among fans and spectators. This will in turn stimulate private sector interest in broadcast content, branding and sponsorship, sale of rights and merchandise licensing.

7. Sports Spectatorship and Viewership
The recommendation is to enhance the experience for spectators at live action events and the broadcast audience by leveraging on the latest technologies and sports presentation formats. Advancements in technology, such as smart-phones and interactive TVs, will continue to change the way that media content is consumed. Premium-quality production of ‘live’ sporting events, both locally and internationally, will bring sport directly into the homes of Singaporeans. The sustained media coverage of local athletes and teams will also help the public experience the sporting journey vicariously and increase the sense of national pride linked to their achievements.

Having interactive content across the full range of platforms will create a vibrant sport broadcast industry, generating employment opportunities for Singaporeans in diverse areas such as filming, editing, scripting and announcing.

8. Team Singapore
The recommendation calls for stronger connections between the general public and Team Singapore athletes. A deeper identification with Team Singapore will help Singaporeans develop a greater sense of national pride and identity. We want people to realise the impact sport can have on the development of community social capital and to identify with our national athletes.

9. Sports Facilities Master Plan
The recommendation is to develop a new concept for the future planning and design of sports facilities under the Sports Facilities Master Plan (SFMP). The SFMP will incorporate the national sports agenda, strategic plans by other government agencies, the changing needs of the community and shifting demographics.

The SFMP has called for more creative and innovative placemaking for sports, including making better use of space in precincts, parks, waterways and the city centre. This has translated into plans for a more relevant mix of facilities, which will also be designed with broadcast and spectatorship considerations.

10. SportCares Foundation and Movement
The recommendation is establish a SportCares Foundation and Movement. Singapore already has a spirit of sport philanthropy and volunteerism. However a SportCares Foundation would make explicit the efforts of the movement, which would be focused on inculcating stronger social values among Singaporeans through sport. SportCares would use sport to improve the well-being of vulnerable segments of our society. We believe that the creation of the SportCares Foundation could be activated to address this gap in social opportunities.

SportCares would be an ideal platform for Corporate Singapore to use sport for corporate social responsibility. The SportCares Foundation would optimise the positive impact that sport can have on who we are as a cohesive nation of diverse communities. SportCares would be a platform for people who have benefited from society to give back into society, through donations to the SportCares Foundation or through sports volunteerism.

11. Technology to Promote Sporting Awareness and Lifestyle
The recommendation is to improve our communication on sports programming by creating a one-stop platform with information on the availability of sport facilities, activities and events. A more integrated approach will lead to more organic and spontaneous formation of sporting events and clusters, similar to the ecosystem at Turf City.

Capabilities

12. Sports Volunteer Framework
The recommendation is to develop an enhanced Sports Volunteers Framework to add value to the volunteer journey and raise the quality of sport volunteerism in Singapore. SSC should create a “Gold Standard” for sports volunteerism, positioning itself as a platform for learning, development and community. The ultimate aim of the Framework is to develop sports volunteerism as part of a national strategy to strengthen communities and people.

13. Singapore Sports Institute
The recommendation is to expand the community impact of the Singapore Sports Institute by enhancing the sporting system. The SSI will be able to more effectively deliver the benefits of success in high-performance sport to all Singaporeans in the following key areas:

  • Long-term athlete development and life planning support
  • Capability development for sports science and medicine
  • Industry development for sports science and medicine

14. Coaching Academy
A key recommendation calls for the establishment of a ‘Coaching Academy’ to lead the professional development of coaches and the coaching sector in Singapore. The Academy would include mentoring opportunities for coaches and speciality training in working with youth, adults and seniors to meet the growing demand from individuals, schools, sports clubs, national sports associations and corporates. An international advisory panel is expected to be formed to help chart the direction and development of the Academy.

These coaches will range from instructors for learn-to-play classes to participation coaches for youth to high-performance coaches for national teams. The Academy will serve as a ‘Gold Standard’ and establish coaching as a viable and sustainable career choice for Singaporeans.

15. Sports Leadership and Character Development Curriculum
The recommendation is to produce a curriculum on sports leadership and character development for use by leadership institutions to provide platforms for organisations and communities to strengthen their people. The emphasis on sports leadership and character building is key to promoting the holistic development of people through sport. Teaching through sport situations, the curriculum would strive to empower individuals to achieve their full potential, through self management and responsible decision-making. The curriculum would fully align with the national standards for youth sports and the frameworks for coaching, volunteer and professional development frameworks.

16. Integrated Academic and Sporting Curriculum
The recommendation is to work with the Ministry of Education to develop a more integrated academic and sporting curriculum. Many mainstream schools are already trying to accommodate the schedules of students preparing for overseas competitions. However it largely has been done on an ad-hoc basis: students are given extra lessons by their teachers; homework is given in advance for the students to do on the road; or students are permitted to arrive late to school so they may attend early morning training sessions. Through the development of innovative integrated sports programmes in more schools, more students will be able to achieve both academic and sporting excellence.

17. Sports Academy
The recommendation is to upgrade the sports sector by forming a Sport Academy. It will develop the knowledge and capabilities of administrators, coaches, technical officials, and athletes, leading to a more professional and capable industry overall. The Sports Academy will tie up with existing local or overseas universities to offer diploma, graduate diploma, degree, and further downstream, post-graduate certification. There will also be short courses for continuing education.

18. Sustainable Resourcing Model for Sporting Singapore
The recommendation is for Sporting Singapore to explore alternate sources of funding, thereby reducing its dependence on government monies for sport development.

Going forward, in the medium to long term, Singapore could reduce its dependence on direct government support through the continued development of the local sports rights and sponsorship market, and an expansion of sport-related philanthropy.

With more diversified funding, Sporting Singapore will enjoy improved opportunities to realise a more vibrant future for sports in the country.

19. Professional Services in the Sports Industry
The recommendation is for a multi-agency effort, involving the private sector and professional bodies, to grow professional services in the sports industry. Not only will this effort serve growing local and regional demand for such services, it will diversify the career options for athletes. To support Singapore’s position as an Asian hub for sports industry (investment in new business, capex in fixed assets) and sports business (sponsorships of events and athletes, intellectual properties), there is a need for an intellectual infrastructure to nurture the development of sport-related professional services such as in law and marketing. For example, Singapore already is seen as an expert in finance and law and has an excellent reputation in arbitration. Developing its expertise as a regional expert on dispute resolution in sport would be a logical next step.