Vusumuzi Dube
Raymond Jaravaza
SCHOOL sports directors must come up with innovative ideas to monetise their facilities to avoid over dependence on school budgets in order to improve sports at educational institutions.
This was said by the president of the Sports Leaders Institute of Zimbabwe, Russell Mhiribidi, during a winter camp held at a local hotel.
The winter camp, an annual sports symposium, brings together sports teachers, school heads, sports directors and school development committee members to tackle issues bedevilling sport in the country.
More than 120 delegates attended the winter camp with dietician Rumbidzai Manyange, National University of Science and Technology (NUST) sports science lecturer Precious Majaka presenting on healthy eating for athletes and the effects of drug abuse in sports respectively.
Mhiribidi, a former Zimbabwe international basketball player and high ranking official in the Sport and Recreation Commission, implored school sports directors to be innovative in their thinking to source funds to run sports teams.
“Schools don’t necessarily always have money to cater for all sports teams and the impetus is on the sports directors to find ways of generating income for your athletes to participate in as many sports codes.
“Sports directors, stop knocking on your headmaster’s office with a begging bowl, there are so many ways to make money from the facilities that your school has.
“For instance, your school might have a swimming pool that can be leased out to a swimming club. Most schools have excellent sports fields which can be hired by professional clubs such as football teams and the school will earn money,” said Mhiribidi.
Mhiribidi emphasized the commercial outlook.
“When schools hold, for example, their inter schools athletics competition, the sports director can approach local businesspeople in the area to advertise their business and products by way of banners and touchline advertising. Most schools have cafe areas and pavilions, which advertisers can use to market their products for a fee.
“The takeaway from this presentation is that sports directors must be critical thinkers, think outside the box and help their schools generate income using the facilities they have at their disposal,” he added.
He, however, cautioned schools selling advertising space to tailor make their products to suit individual sponsors as the ‘one jacket fits all’ principle does not apply to everyone.
Each potential sponsor has different needs and expectations, he said.
Online Reporter