TYRANNY OF SPORTS MANAGEMENT

 TYRANNY OF SPORTS MANAGEMENT

Unlike business where one sits down and plans pros and cons with a vision for interests and profits, sports management is an art that a many are yet to understand. I say this in picking a bone with businessmen who get  an opportunity to manage sports and start throwing all manners of boardroom
tantrums. Lest  I am misunderstood , I have no problem with the corporate view of sports or bureaucracy but with the most essential bit of player management.

In Europe, coaches are called team managers for a bigger reason than we notice. Managing the players is a wide pitch that can not be taken for granted if we were to succeed in transforming amateur sports in Kenya to professional sides. Best example is the unruly former Manchester city player Super Mario Balotelli, he was difficult to manage....I agree but somehow the manager who I must hail got the results from him when it mattered. There is a chemistry  between people who understand what sport entails, the adrenaline rush, the anxiety, the excitement and the satisfaction to perform that seldom goes wrong.

Coach responsibility

I believe the coach should be given more mandate in player management than a sport instructor, correct me if am wrong but I tend to decipher from the on goings at KRU that Friday sympathizes with Injera. Whatever was the subject of contention is being thrown out of proportion by these structures of management that may not understand the juice of rugby. A player of Injera's caliber and achievement cannot throw years of hard out of the window if all systems were working at KRU. Isolating him and not settling the issue is a time bomb and may soon start drawing lines in the team. As already witnessed, you can not wish away the disgruntles upon the termination of his contract from some senior players. KRU challenging to look for new players if players boycotted the upcoming IRB legs clearly shows the type of 'Adolfness' thriving.

Sport management needs understanding and appreciating players and not tying individuals in a scare gag to get results. Teamwork takes time to build, such incidences will only tear the team apart and in time we will be wondering where the rain started beating us. There is utmost need for cohesion in such a time when rugby is highly celebrated by the Kenyan fans to continue delivering. Listening to the players and treating them with some respect will motivate their performance and out put. In as much as the details of the controversy remain fuzzy one thing remains clear, KRU could not solve a mere dispute with their best player so far because of hard line stances by a fraction of the management that hardly knows the passion of playing rugby.  It is unfortunate.

 Case of Collins Injera

I have watched Injera so many times, played with and against him, any rugby player will tell you it will take some time to replace his class. The genius, speed, tackle, awareness,and reaction is unmatched. But why not compromise and hear the dark man? Injera has gained a lot from the team he is an investment that has duly paid back and rightly so an asset to the team. Many young players look up to him and suffice to say injustice to my role model will taint my dreams. Media may eat into the story to make a pay but lest we hold back and look into the person, victim and slayer, it may be another case of AFRICA KILLS HER SUN.

Hesmatt

@hesmatt