Mozambique Basketball Association received sponsorship from Vodacom to revive their basketball through the National League as reported on www.mybasketball.co.za . Vodacom is making itself known through this sponsorship campaign in that country. I was tempted to ask myself the reasons the company does not involved with basketball in the country. But they do, through the winning Wheelchair Basketball League.
I am sitting with what I call Donor Directory as well as the book called Best Companies to work for in South Africa. The question arose, why does not basketball get sponsorship in the country? There are ample companies which are making strides out there.
However it will be complicated to think about the answer. Nevertheless I have one solution for consideration. Well known advertisers are sponsoring the big three sporting codes. But they are a lot of listed companies with big purses. I can mention the Blue Label Telecommunications company as an instance. It is not that well know company but it is making a lot of money. Why don't we get basketball officials to approach Peppadew International? See, this will be an opportunity for them to make the target market aware of the nice tasting Peppadew which is an exclusively South African product.
The idea is that we should try to focus on the companies that do not advertise. Let us focus on those companies which I will call second tier organisations. These companies do not really advertise but they can do with an awareness of some sort.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Are Numbers Crucial?
It is interesting how numbers seem to attract sponsorship. A team such as Bloemfontein Celtics managed to have full attendence when they hosted matches at Seisa Ramabodu. Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and Vodacom entered into a partnership (ZOK) whose audience is a massive followership of Zion Christian Church. Absa has been stuck with rugby through thick and thin. But something interesting happened in cricket. The Free State Eagles does not attract many people to their games. This has resulted in Cricket SA's lack of interest as far as Outsurance Oval hosting an international match. In our subject, does basketball have what it takes to bring the numbers for the marketers?
Remember that sponsorship is a tactic as well as a strategy for a marketer to have massive consumption of their product.
Through my experience in local basketball I note that basketball has the capability of bringing numbers. It takes a black and white pamphlet to get a few people at the local games. And that number increase with the consistency of hosting the basketball matches.
Research by reputable companies can tell another story. But an educated person will tell you to be careful of statistics. Just the other day a company made an impression that 65% of former graduates of one institution earn above R250 000 per annum. Yours truly asked the person from tha institution how many people provided answers to the questionnaire. He replied 64 did. Is that a true reflection of the population of that institution. No ways. 64 is too small a number.
Marketers must take this in consideration. There are more than 650 000 people who have their televisions on for a basketball magazine. Basktball is probably watched by a million people. Think about that.
Remember that sponsorship is a tactic as well as a strategy for a marketer to have massive consumption of their product.
Through my experience in local basketball I note that basketball has the capability of bringing numbers. It takes a black and white pamphlet to get a few people at the local games. And that number increase with the consistency of hosting the basketball matches.
Research by reputable companies can tell another story. But an educated person will tell you to be careful of statistics. Just the other day a company made an impression that 65% of former graduates of one institution earn above R250 000 per annum. Yours truly asked the person from tha institution how many people provided answers to the questionnaire. He replied 64 did. Is that a true reflection of the population of that institution. No ways. 64 is too small a number.
Marketers must take this in consideration. There are more than 650 000 people who have their televisions on for a basketball magazine. Basktball is probably watched by a million people. Think about that.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Sponsors Need Awareness
I had a hectic time on Friday and missed the opportunity to publish. One crucial decision to write today is my absence until this week on a conference.
Over the last two weeks I watched with awe the talent in the high schools through two tournaments in the target market. The skill depicted in the game of basketball is art. How it is done must be the questions raised by the sports scientists.
Although there is immense talent, there is no more funding to basketball which will advance the pedigree of the sport. Engen Petroleum Company ended their partnership with BasketballSA earlier in the year. On observation, the termination of the sponsorship was due to the inability of the Federation to meet its obligations to the sponsor. The sponsor want the maximum exposure as possible which they could not get. The Engen Advertisement that ran on television advertising basketball was late. There could have been a marketing strategy to enhance the sponsors earlier in the partnership. But the authorities relied on their own knowledge and ignored the public awareness the Engen needed. This must be a lesson to the authorities that when a sponsor put in so much money, a budget for the marketing mix must be put aside from that money. The sponsors must be well catered from the money that they give out. The sponsor cannot put away money that was not budgeted for, to promote the code which is responsible for promoting them.
As an example, the chunk of the money given to the Premier Soccer League goes into advertising. The broadcaster in turn give the PSL a discount on the placement of the advertisements on radio and television. These ads are produced by the agencies on behalf of the sponsors, where the agency will be commissioned to place the ad on behalf of the PSL.
Sponsorships are a tactical means for a company to create an interest from the public. Over the last few years this money has increased sharply because it is a cheaper way for companies to let the public know about them.
When BasketballSA overlooked their responsibilities, little did they know that they were pushing the sponsor away from them.
Sports is a business and must be conducted that way. There are no sentiments in business but the facts that will make organisations grow.
It is unfortunate that the high school basketball had to suffer through the Federation and individuals in the schools sport all in one year.
But as business people will point out, if a business can go through a recession, they will make bigger profits thereafter. In the same way, basketball seem to be getting better through participation in tournaments such as these. Once the sponsorship hit the ceiling in soccer, basketball will be the alternative to give sponsors the best of their returns.
Over the last two weeks I watched with awe the talent in the high schools through two tournaments in the target market. The skill depicted in the game of basketball is art. How it is done must be the questions raised by the sports scientists.
Although there is immense talent, there is no more funding to basketball which will advance the pedigree of the sport. Engen Petroleum Company ended their partnership with BasketballSA earlier in the year. On observation, the termination of the sponsorship was due to the inability of the Federation to meet its obligations to the sponsor. The sponsor want the maximum exposure as possible which they could not get. The Engen Advertisement that ran on television advertising basketball was late. There could have been a marketing strategy to enhance the sponsors earlier in the partnership. But the authorities relied on their own knowledge and ignored the public awareness the Engen needed. This must be a lesson to the authorities that when a sponsor put in so much money, a budget for the marketing mix must be put aside from that money. The sponsors must be well catered from the money that they give out. The sponsor cannot put away money that was not budgeted for, to promote the code which is responsible for promoting them.
As an example, the chunk of the money given to the Premier Soccer League goes into advertising. The broadcaster in turn give the PSL a discount on the placement of the advertisements on radio and television. These ads are produced by the agencies on behalf of the sponsors, where the agency will be commissioned to place the ad on behalf of the PSL.
Sponsorships are a tactical means for a company to create an interest from the public. Over the last few years this money has increased sharply because it is a cheaper way for companies to let the public know about them.
When BasketballSA overlooked their responsibilities, little did they know that they were pushing the sponsor away from them.
Sports is a business and must be conducted that way. There are no sentiments in business but the facts that will make organisations grow.
It is unfortunate that the high school basketball had to suffer through the Federation and individuals in the schools sport all in one year.
But as business people will point out, if a business can go through a recession, they will make bigger profits thereafter. In the same way, basketball seem to be getting better through participation in tournaments such as these. Once the sponsorship hit the ceiling in soccer, basketball will be the alternative to give sponsors the best of their returns.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Olympics
It is time for the quarterfinals at the Beijing Olympics. Olympics are the biggest stage for the sport of basketball. Africa has one spot of qualification. Of course Angola is representing the men division and Mali surprising represent women.
Vision2008 was a programme with good intentions by South African Basketball. It was launched at the same time as the new brand image of BasketballSA. The image was to distinguish basketball from other sports particularly boxing federation commonly referred to as BSA. The launch was pretty exciting especially when one thought about the positive development of basketball. I remember vividly that there were talks in the corridors about the new national league which was to be sponsored by the third mobile operator. Of course those were just rumors.
A question arises as to what stopped the Vision2008 from being achieved. The basic answer would be that the national team did not perform according to expectations. However I would not see South Africa beating Angola out of the blue and qualify for the Olympics. Perhaps the strategy of the authorities was to get FIBA to vote on have two African teams as representative in the Olympics. It is quite easy to listen to South Africans since the country is well developed as compared with other countries in Africa. Our country is also economically sound.
Nonetheless it is unthinkable that FIBA would agree to such a proposal seeing that South Africa does not have a professional league. It would be taking the organisation back to 1989 when they passed a motion to have professional players to participate in the Olympics. That is a cool 19 years back. Even with the good intentions they had, the basketball authorities' argument would be taking the sport back.
It is critical for the Professional Basketball League to resume. The league will give youngsters an opportunity to showcase their talent in a competitive environment. This environment is crucial for the strong competition that athletes face at the African qualifiers for world events such as the Olympics. There is no shortcut to becoming a competitive nation. The PBL is the only solution for South Africa to represent Africa by participating in the Olympics.
Vision2008 was a programme with good intentions by South African Basketball. It was launched at the same time as the new brand image of BasketballSA. The image was to distinguish basketball from other sports particularly boxing federation commonly referred to as BSA. The launch was pretty exciting especially when one thought about the positive development of basketball. I remember vividly that there were talks in the corridors about the new national league which was to be sponsored by the third mobile operator. Of course those were just rumors.
A question arises as to what stopped the Vision2008 from being achieved. The basic answer would be that the national team did not perform according to expectations. However I would not see South Africa beating Angola out of the blue and qualify for the Olympics. Perhaps the strategy of the authorities was to get FIBA to vote on have two African teams as representative in the Olympics. It is quite easy to listen to South Africans since the country is well developed as compared with other countries in Africa. Our country is also economically sound.
Nonetheless it is unthinkable that FIBA would agree to such a proposal seeing that South Africa does not have a professional league. It would be taking the organisation back to 1989 when they passed a motion to have professional players to participate in the Olympics. That is a cool 19 years back. Even with the good intentions they had, the basketball authorities' argument would be taking the sport back.
It is critical for the Professional Basketball League to resume. The league will give youngsters an opportunity to showcase their talent in a competitive environment. This environment is crucial for the strong competition that athletes face at the African qualifiers for world events such as the Olympics. There is no shortcut to becoming a competitive nation. The PBL is the only solution for South Africa to represent Africa by participating in the Olympics.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Pick and Roll
Every day at the playgrounds we see the best of the pick and roll offense. When done right this is the formidable play of all times. We are talking about the most elementary play of basketball. This basic rule was the one set the hearts of Americans on fire at the past World Championships in the hands of Greece.
I understand that those athletes that understand and implement the basics of the game are usually the ones who get picked for the national teams. These players have an exceptional intelligence of the sport. Their talent is what make them the superstars of the game. Even when they practice on their own, they focus on the basics.
The basics are also important in the business of the sport. A good friend of mine told me how he was being taught the most basic things in his accountancy class at university. It was the stuff he does everyday in his quest to become a business man. The elementary way of promoting basketball is crucial. There are no short cuts to the success of basketball. The leaders must stick to the basic principles of the sport and everything will follow.
Back to the Americans, they went back to the drawing board and selected players who would play for what is written at the front of their apparel. It seems like the Beijing Olympics will be great for them. Whilst at the back is their names written, the front is for their country. This focused mind of doing things for the country is a great motivator. It is about carrying the hopes of million other people on your shoulders. They count on you to represent and play with excellence.
It is important for the authorities of basketball to focus their minds on the number of people they represent. They are carrying the dreams and hopes of all South Africans that love the sport of basketball. It is critical for them to make a decision and implement a different tune in the game. A tune that will bring smiles to the people of South Africa.
Our leaders should consider humility as a winning attitude. They will realise this by making friends with their peers in other sporting codes seeking advise of success. It is also important to befriend corporate leaders and ask them exactly what they need with regards to sponsorships.
It will be difficult to befriend but easy to become a social butterfly. It should not be a problem to buy a grand seat at functions such as Marketing Excellence Awards and pick one decision maker to establish a relationship with. If they are on the defensive, roll all over them with assistance of others leaders in sports. Your feet should always be in a triple threat mode so that it enables quick reaction. Speed in business is critical. So does speed in basketball.
I understand that those athletes that understand and implement the basics of the game are usually the ones who get picked for the national teams. These players have an exceptional intelligence of the sport. Their talent is what make them the superstars of the game. Even when they practice on their own, they focus on the basics.
The basics are also important in the business of the sport. A good friend of mine told me how he was being taught the most basic things in his accountancy class at university. It was the stuff he does everyday in his quest to become a business man. The elementary way of promoting basketball is crucial. There are no short cuts to the success of basketball. The leaders must stick to the basic principles of the sport and everything will follow.
Back to the Americans, they went back to the drawing board and selected players who would play for what is written at the front of their apparel. It seems like the Beijing Olympics will be great for them. Whilst at the back is their names written, the front is for their country. This focused mind of doing things for the country is a great motivator. It is about carrying the hopes of million other people on your shoulders. They count on you to represent and play with excellence.
It is important for the authorities of basketball to focus their minds on the number of people they represent. They are carrying the dreams and hopes of all South Africans that love the sport of basketball. It is critical for them to make a decision and implement a different tune in the game. A tune that will bring smiles to the people of South Africa.
Our leaders should consider humility as a winning attitude. They will realise this by making friends with their peers in other sporting codes seeking advise of success. It is also important to befriend corporate leaders and ask them exactly what they need with regards to sponsorships.
It will be difficult to befriend but easy to become a social butterfly. It should not be a problem to buy a grand seat at functions such as Marketing Excellence Awards and pick one decision maker to establish a relationship with. If they are on the defensive, roll all over them with assistance of others leaders in sports. Your feet should always be in a triple threat mode so that it enables quick reaction. Speed in business is critical. So does speed in basketball.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Volunteerism is Special
The involvement of basketball at this stage is coupled with a vision for better returns in the future. Yours truly got that feeling over the past few days when putting the sport into perspective. Many people go out of their way to organise fixtures and never expect anything in return. They get satisfied by realising the satisfaction of people who still want to play 'ball. It is not easy to make people happy unless you meet their needs.
It came upon the writer that there are still many people who are sitting out there hoping for the better future of basketball. These are the people who believe in the game. They can do anything for the sport. These people have great skills but just want to see something happening. These people have emotional deposits of the game, something which never really helps that much. Positive emotions are obviously good for the game. But finding fault in the sport is not at all positive. Each and everyone of us is responsible of what happens in the game. So, do not pass the buck.
Organising basketball events brings pleasure. More so when more people become involved since they approach tasks in specialised skills. It is like a party where the more the people the merrier it becomes. Yours truly has experienced satisfaction by volunteering human capacity so that other people can become involved in what they like. It is a special feeling which is coupled by a positive attitude, love and happiness.
Volunteerism in basketball is critical at this difficult time of the sport. The rewards thereof are invaluable. Many organisations are thriving because of the efforts of people who exercise purity towards the sport. Volunteerism is special and needs to be employed by all those who claim to be the number one followers of basketball.
It came upon the writer that there are still many people who are sitting out there hoping for the better future of basketball. These are the people who believe in the game. They can do anything for the sport. These people have great skills but just want to see something happening. These people have emotional deposits of the game, something which never really helps that much. Positive emotions are obviously good for the game. But finding fault in the sport is not at all positive. Each and everyone of us is responsible of what happens in the game. So, do not pass the buck.
Organising basketball events brings pleasure. More so when more people become involved since they approach tasks in specialised skills. It is like a party where the more the people the merrier it becomes. Yours truly has experienced satisfaction by volunteering human capacity so that other people can become involved in what they like. It is a special feeling which is coupled by a positive attitude, love and happiness.
Volunteerism in basketball is critical at this difficult time of the sport. The rewards thereof are invaluable. Many organisations are thriving because of the efforts of people who exercise purity towards the sport. Volunteerism is special and needs to be employed by all those who claim to be the number one followers of basketball.
Friday, August 8, 2008
An Appeal to the Masses
The game of basketball has a spiritual connotation. Like many of us, people follow the sport. This is a crusade which focuses on entertaining the guests. The excitement created by the antics in the sport is beyond measure. The superstars of the game are an extraordinary addition into the sport that we so care about. Those who are average do wonders to make the superstars to do amazing stuff.
Basketball has an emotional appeal. Those who love must do something about it. But what happens when they do all they can do to realise the true value of the game? Prayer is a solution.
All mankind believe in a Supreme Being Whom they call by different names. Some say it is God, while others have a name Allah. Others will follow the spirit of Ancestry. Human Being communicate with the Superior Being for guidance and many other things. What do basketball followers in South Africa do to seek divine intervention for the game of basketball?
Let us consider praying for basketball. It is important to look for assistance in the Republic of South Africa. The Superior Being we communicate with knows our situation and will provide assistance. This is an appeal to the masses to pray for the development of basketball in South Africa. It is an appeal to pray for the creation of jobs through the followership of basketball. I guess nothing is too heavy for the Superior Being. Let us put basketball in South Africa in our prayers and thoughts.
Basketball has an emotional appeal. Those who love must do something about it. But what happens when they do all they can do to realise the true value of the game? Prayer is a solution.
All mankind believe in a Supreme Being Whom they call by different names. Some say it is God, while others have a name Allah. Others will follow the spirit of Ancestry. Human Being communicate with the Superior Being for guidance and many other things. What do basketball followers in South Africa do to seek divine intervention for the game of basketball?
Let us consider praying for basketball. It is important to look for assistance in the Republic of South Africa. The Superior Being we communicate with knows our situation and will provide assistance. This is an appeal to the masses to pray for the development of basketball in South Africa. It is an appeal to pray for the creation of jobs through the followership of basketball. I guess nothing is too heavy for the Superior Being. Let us put basketball in South Africa in our prayers and thoughts.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Providing Content for Basketball
What is there to talk about in basketball? This question has been on my mind for the last couple of days. What people talk in a relaxed mood has a powerful way of capturing the mind. The topics people share are intriguing. It is even more attractive in this age of mobile technology where people share their thoughts through the said platform.
Yours truly met a good friend of his who shared how he was a member of a basketball blog site. It came as a surprise since that person never responded to the messages posted on the platform. Talking is crucial. It makes the world stand still for a moment. Talking gives a lot of ideas. It provides direction to the soul. It adds value to the lives of people. Talking informs. Talking attracts.
The much needed content for basketball comes from the minds of human beings. It is critical for the basketball community to watch what is available to them a talk to people about it. Although some may not understand the talk, they would really come to love the passion.
The local leagues around the country provides content for basketball. The talk enhance the mind and gives a clear picture of the vision we all hold for basketball. That vision is entrenched in the passion prevalent in the lives of basketball enthusiasts.
I am amazed at what talking can do. It directs the listener to an action. It is critical to focus on talking thereby influencing whoever is around to talk to other people about the basketball subject. Talking will make a difference to the game of basketball. Some people may not agree with what we have to say. That should not discourage one to step towards the accomplishment of tasks that lead to the attainment of a vision. Talking will show South Africa how big we think basketball is.
Yours truly met a good friend of his who shared how he was a member of a basketball blog site. It came as a surprise since that person never responded to the messages posted on the platform. Talking is crucial. It makes the world stand still for a moment. Talking gives a lot of ideas. It provides direction to the soul. It adds value to the lives of people. Talking informs. Talking attracts.
The much needed content for basketball comes from the minds of human beings. It is critical for the basketball community to watch what is available to them a talk to people about it. Although some may not understand the talk, they would really come to love the passion.
The local leagues around the country provides content for basketball. The talk enhance the mind and gives a clear picture of the vision we all hold for basketball. That vision is entrenched in the passion prevalent in the lives of basketball enthusiasts.
I am amazed at what talking can do. It directs the listener to an action. It is critical to focus on talking thereby influencing whoever is around to talk to other people about the basketball subject. Talking will make a difference to the game of basketball. Some people may not agree with what we have to say. That should not discourage one to step towards the accomplishment of tasks that lead to the attainment of a vision. Talking will show South Africa how big we think basketball is.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Fade Away
The history of the Holocaust offers an open and sympathetic view of the community of the Jews. That event has also contributed a lot to the character of the Jews. One cannot talk as they like about the event. But one interesting phenomenon is that the Jews do not focus much on what has happened. Rather they focus their energies on being a better community. The hold each other on high esteem and protect their painful history. These people live above the history they inherited.
However lively it is, the basketball community is living in a cocoon. The are many skilled people out there who easily put the blame on previous leadership but contribute less to basketball. That action adds upon the demise of the basketball sporting code in the Republic of South Africa. It is an acid that gradually hinders the progress of the game.
As a basketball community we need to arise over the status of basketball. We have to take those Fade Away Jumpers over the face of adversity. We need to finish them off with a sharp arc, confidently looking forward to a basket. It is good to look back at what we have accomplished, but best to put in action means that will lift the bar of the sport.
Let us be motivated to represent basketball well in our lives. The positive thoughts we share will make a difference in the lives of many basketball people. Athletes practice the jump shots over and over to increase accuracy. Likewise, let us reinforce the prospects of basketball by talking about it in honest, love and hoping for accomplishments.
However lively it is, the basketball community is living in a cocoon. The are many skilled people out there who easily put the blame on previous leadership but contribute less to basketball. That action adds upon the demise of the basketball sporting code in the Republic of South Africa. It is an acid that gradually hinders the progress of the game.
As a basketball community we need to arise over the status of basketball. We have to take those Fade Away Jumpers over the face of adversity. We need to finish them off with a sharp arc, confidently looking forward to a basket. It is good to look back at what we have accomplished, but best to put in action means that will lift the bar of the sport.
Let us be motivated to represent basketball well in our lives. The positive thoughts we share will make a difference in the lives of many basketball people. Athletes practice the jump shots over and over to increase accuracy. Likewise, let us reinforce the prospects of basketball by talking about it in honest, love and hoping for accomplishments.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
PBL Team Is This Much
The teams with the Premier Basketball League status are Cape Town Eagles, Cape Town Kings, Egoli Magic, Johannesburg Olympians, Kwazulu Marlins, Maritzburg Tuskers, Soweto Panthers and Tshwane Suns. There will be a few statuses added when the new league starts in the future. I know Free State has a status of the PBL. So does Port Elizabeth.
The question arise, how much will it cost to run a basketball league? Things are expensive these days. Some say if you enter business now and survive, things will be easy when the economy turns for the better. The experts say recession will continue for the next 18 months or so.
It is critical for each owner of the basketball status to seek sponsorship for their team. This must not be the role of Premier Basketball League Trust, who must seek sponsorship to add on what the clubs have as well as sponsorship for administration purposes. This will include sponsorship for paying referees, telephones, travelling by league officials, their accommodation and all those things. PBL must also seek sponsorship for their knockout competition which must also raise funds for running the league. The teams are responsible for own marketing as well as public relations efforts.
The previous calendar of PBL will refer.
Lets get this straight. According to www.basketball.co.za/calender the are 17 weeks for the professional matches. This does not consider the proposed knockout competition, the All Star weekend and the Four Nations Cup as well as Africa Competition.(This is the responsibility of BasketballSA { PBL must have their own brand. This will assist in the differentiation of the commonly used basketball. })
One status owner probably needs not more than 6 basketball kits. Lets say those will cost not more than R85 000 including basketballs, training gear and other small stuff such as basketball shoes and white socks. The venue must be hired from the local government offices. But that will be done on alternative weekends. For now you may want to hire outdoor basketball facilities. That will be not more than R45 000 when using the college facilities. An arena will be round about R 25 000 for the entire season. Two comfortable combis for the team will cost about R 600 000. Petrol for the year should not be over R 150 000. The money to spend on the road should not be more than R 300 000 which includes accommodation and catering.
Ok folks, the amounts above add up to R 1 205 000. That excludes salaries for athletes and other officials. Also excluded may be administration costs I do not know much of. As business people you can cut the costs of running a team.
With 10 teams, that will be over 10 million bucks.
Once the PBL is up and running, it will be easier to publish in the national media. Broadcast sponsorship will be easily accessible. After three consistent months of the league, marketers will enquire about branding. A few teams will get their own sponsors within a year. Money from gate takings must be asked from the first game. This will breed the culture of paying for entertainment, from the word go. Merchandise must also be sold by the clubs. The must be a corporate PBL basketball magazine unlike the previous Slam Dunk.
That is easy said than done. It can be done, only by the powerful status owners.
The question arise, how much will it cost to run a basketball league? Things are expensive these days. Some say if you enter business now and survive, things will be easy when the economy turns for the better. The experts say recession will continue for the next 18 months or so.
It is critical for each owner of the basketball status to seek sponsorship for their team. This must not be the role of Premier Basketball League Trust, who must seek sponsorship to add on what the clubs have as well as sponsorship for administration purposes. This will include sponsorship for paying referees, telephones, travelling by league officials, their accommodation and all those things. PBL must also seek sponsorship for their knockout competition which must also raise funds for running the league. The teams are responsible for own marketing as well as public relations efforts.
The previous calendar of PBL will refer.
Lets get this straight. According to www.basketball.co.za/calender the are 17 weeks for the professional matches. This does not consider the proposed knockout competition, the All Star weekend and the Four Nations Cup as well as Africa Competition.(This is the responsibility of BasketballSA { PBL must have their own brand. This will assist in the differentiation of the commonly used basketball. })
One status owner probably needs not more than 6 basketball kits. Lets say those will cost not more than R85 000 including basketballs, training gear and other small stuff such as basketball shoes and white socks. The venue must be hired from the local government offices. But that will be done on alternative weekends. For now you may want to hire outdoor basketball facilities. That will be not more than R45 000 when using the college facilities. An arena will be round about R 25 000 for the entire season. Two comfortable combis for the team will cost about R 600 000. Petrol for the year should not be over R 150 000. The money to spend on the road should not be more than R 300 000 which includes accommodation and catering.
Ok folks, the amounts above add up to R 1 205 000. That excludes salaries for athletes and other officials. Also excluded may be administration costs I do not know much of. As business people you can cut the costs of running a team.
With 10 teams, that will be over 10 million bucks.
Once the PBL is up and running, it will be easier to publish in the national media. Broadcast sponsorship will be easily accessible. After three consistent months of the league, marketers will enquire about branding. A few teams will get their own sponsors within a year. Money from gate takings must be asked from the first game. This will breed the culture of paying for entertainment, from the word go. Merchandise must also be sold by the clubs. The must be a corporate PBL basketball magazine unlike the previous Slam Dunk.
That is easy said than done. It can be done, only by the powerful status owners.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Vision for Basketball
I am not going to bother anymore on the days I publish. Let me just say I publish twice a week.
I have read quite a number of articles published on basketball. My main source was http://www.mybasketball.wordpress.com/ It is an excellent blog that brings together people who are passionate about the game in South Africa. The reader will be amazed about the quantity of basketball in South Africa. Subjectively basketball is big. But formal studies count against us. One obvious reason for this is that basketball does not have supporters. With all my heart I know that the sport can attract spectatorship. It is unfortunate that the person from the street will not be able to see this.
One thing that is keeping the game going is the vision of the community basketball leaders. These people have given hope to the sport that we love. They have kept the flame of basketball burning as every year we see new basketball talent. Since these people have a vision of basketball, do the basketball leaders have a vision of basketball?
Hearsay suggest that the Premier Basketball League has had an interim governing structure since the end of their court case with BasketballSA. Yours truly is of the opinion that this is a bad recipe for the reputation of the league and basketball. One should understand that the leaders of this structure have other responsibilities. It is important to note that the Premier Basketball League is a private company. When a person registers a company, they work hard to make it profitable and successful. A company may make a lot of profit. All that can be turned into a loss due to unforeseen events such as BSA taking PBL to court. That has resulted in the sponsors taking away their investments.
Companies can make a comeback. Some just don't. It is business culture. The days of business are not all rosy.
Do the current PBL executives have what it takes to bring back the company from nothing? Past executives had what it takes and there is one lesson we can learn from them. Each contributed so much money for the birth of PBL. History has got a way of repeating itself. What will it take for the present PBL executives to emulate those who gave birth to the PBL, just for one year. The difference between now and when Sprite was running a promotion will be that you will be doing it for yourself. No one is going to do it for you. You have what it takes to make it. You have a person with great credentials in Graham Abrahams who would negotiate with his bosses for a broadcast sponsorship. Supersport need as much content as possible. They sell and their sponsorship could bring them quite a number of subscriptions. They will have a good number of an audience that watches Slam Dunk.
There is a great spectatorship for basketball in the country. There are local leagues available where we can draw those spectators. There are many ways to attract the spectators. We can also introduce a few loyalty programmes for the Premier Basketball League in the first year.
It has been done before. It is up to you as PBL to take a decision of bringing back PBL at your expenses. History can repeat itself and you hold key to that action. The risk that you will take will be worth it.
I have read quite a number of articles published on basketball. My main source was http://www.mybasketball.wordpress.com/ It is an excellent blog that brings together people who are passionate about the game in South Africa. The reader will be amazed about the quantity of basketball in South Africa. Subjectively basketball is big. But formal studies count against us. One obvious reason for this is that basketball does not have supporters. With all my heart I know that the sport can attract spectatorship. It is unfortunate that the person from the street will not be able to see this.
One thing that is keeping the game going is the vision of the community basketball leaders. These people have given hope to the sport that we love. They have kept the flame of basketball burning as every year we see new basketball talent. Since these people have a vision of basketball, do the basketball leaders have a vision of basketball?
Hearsay suggest that the Premier Basketball League has had an interim governing structure since the end of their court case with BasketballSA. Yours truly is of the opinion that this is a bad recipe for the reputation of the league and basketball. One should understand that the leaders of this structure have other responsibilities. It is important to note that the Premier Basketball League is a private company. When a person registers a company, they work hard to make it profitable and successful. A company may make a lot of profit. All that can be turned into a loss due to unforeseen events such as BSA taking PBL to court. That has resulted in the sponsors taking away their investments.
Companies can make a comeback. Some just don't. It is business culture. The days of business are not all rosy.
Do the current PBL executives have what it takes to bring back the company from nothing? Past executives had what it takes and there is one lesson we can learn from them. Each contributed so much money for the birth of PBL. History has got a way of repeating itself. What will it take for the present PBL executives to emulate those who gave birth to the PBL, just for one year. The difference between now and when Sprite was running a promotion will be that you will be doing it for yourself. No one is going to do it for you. You have what it takes to make it. You have a person with great credentials in Graham Abrahams who would negotiate with his bosses for a broadcast sponsorship. Supersport need as much content as possible. They sell and their sponsorship could bring them quite a number of subscriptions. They will have a good number of an audience that watches Slam Dunk.
There is a great spectatorship for basketball in the country. There are local leagues available where we can draw those spectators. There are many ways to attract the spectators. We can also introduce a few loyalty programmes for the Premier Basketball League in the first year.
It has been done before. It is up to you as PBL to take a decision of bringing back PBL at your expenses. History can repeat itself and you hold key to that action. The risk that you will take will be worth it.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Critical Element of Sponsorships
Scholars are of different views regarding the position of sponsorships. Some argue that they are part of the marketing mix. The other group would say they are part of public relations campaign while the last group point out the necessity thereof in marketing communication mix. One thing stands though, that sponsorships are a means of a corporate to assist in a particular platform with the aim of attracting attention to their company or products. Sponsorships are different from the Corporate Social Investment or cause-related marketing where the company aims to uplift the communities.
There are many people who have the passion for the game of basketball. Others like me have started own businesses as they feel strongly about the contributions they can make in the sport. These people go out and make relationships with the marketers of the Corporates that have financial muscles to consider attracting the attention of the consumers through basketball. Having spend invaluable time to make and maintain relationships, they would approach the leaders of the sport with sponsorship proposals. The people entrusted with the administration of basketball will go out of their way to find the particular contacts in companies approached by the people who want to contribute to the sport. They will make attempts of starting newer negotiations with these executives.
This is an example of indiscipline and lack of business acumen. Instead of approaching the Corporates, the basketball administrator must engage with the middle man on the needs of the sport. Perhaps the figures are not good. The middle man is the one who will convince the Corporates. The basketball administrators have no right to approach the Corporates when negotiations with the middle man have started. Rather, they can make themselves available in forums which will help to iron out issues the potential sponsor might have. The issues that the middle man would have no control of.
The critical element of sponsorships is the relationships between the marketing executive and the person who has approached them. A third person will only create confusion in the beatiful work which has already started. The leaders of the sport are doing a very good job of building the reputation of the sport. This builds a good rapport in the sport's publics. The image of the sport comes before the individual, who is just a small fish in a big pond.
Friday, July 18, 2008
History Matters
The results were not so good when I googled the Premier Basketball League in South Africa. In order to know more about the existence of the league, an interested person can log on to http://www.basketball.co.za/ .
I was actually looking for the history of the Premier Basketball League. I can only remember Craig Gilcrhist, my favorite player in that league. There is also Thierry Kita, who is now doing well in the United States of America. He did a lot of work for the Slam Dunk Programme on the public broadcaster. And the Slam Dunk magazine was great. It was published every other month. The Hoops magazine was published at a bad time, when the PBL started to experience problems.
The PBL had a lot going for them. Allied bank which was to form ABSA with Volkskas, Trust Bank and United Bank. Telkom was one of the sponsors. And a few other sponsors.
When you go to pages 22 to 26 at www.sacsa.za.org/documents/BasketballOfficiatingNotes.pdf
you will learn a few things about the dark side of the history of basketball. It is critical that you read the article and make conclusions for yourself. Briefly the story of PBL brought hope to many people. The story of basketball nearly destroyed the love people have for the game, but the passion of the sport has carried many through the disaster.
It is critical to understand the infighting among the people who led the sport in the country. As they sabotaged each other, the sport suffered the most. It has been some three years since the end of a bitter court case and basketball has never really got a sponsor. Netball is much better than basketball, so does hockey. Are the people who are leading basketball still sabotaging each other? Or is there secrecy to the way forward both parties (BasketballSA and PBL Trust) implemented? Have our leaders integrated the sport?
There are many questions I would like ask. As I receive some answers through the documents I find on the Internet, I become stronger. My hope for the future becomes high. I am only scared at the notion that history tends to repeat itself. Does it also scare the Corporate World?
I was actually looking for the history of the Premier Basketball League. I can only remember Craig Gilcrhist, my favorite player in that league. There is also Thierry Kita, who is now doing well in the United States of America. He did a lot of work for the Slam Dunk Programme on the public broadcaster. And the Slam Dunk magazine was great. It was published every other month. The Hoops magazine was published at a bad time, when the PBL started to experience problems.
The PBL had a lot going for them. Allied bank which was to form ABSA with Volkskas, Trust Bank and United Bank. Telkom was one of the sponsors. And a few other sponsors.
When you go to pages 22 to 26 at www.sacsa.za.org/documents/BasketballOfficiatingNotes.pdf
you will learn a few things about the dark side of the history of basketball. It is critical that you read the article and make conclusions for yourself. Briefly the story of PBL brought hope to many people. The story of basketball nearly destroyed the love people have for the game, but the passion of the sport has carried many through the disaster.
It is critical to understand the infighting among the people who led the sport in the country. As they sabotaged each other, the sport suffered the most. It has been some three years since the end of a bitter court case and basketball has never really got a sponsor. Netball is much better than basketball, so does hockey. Are the people who are leading basketball still sabotaging each other? Or is there secrecy to the way forward both parties (BasketballSA and PBL Trust) implemented? Have our leaders integrated the sport?
There are many questions I would like ask. As I receive some answers through the documents I find on the Internet, I become stronger. My hope for the future becomes high. I am only scared at the notion that history tends to repeat itself. Does it also scare the Corporate World?
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Marketers are the Trump Card
I publish twice a week, Tuesdays and Fridays. Most of the work is written in the afternoon, but last Friday I started in the morning. The day of my work came out as Thursday. The reason is the time difference between South Africa and United States of America where this blog is hosted.
I strongly believe that basketball can and will become the number two sports in South Africa after soccer. It will become the number indoor sport. I was tempted to make some comparisons when preparing for this article. But as you might notice, we cannot even make comparisons between soccer and rugby. One reason is that soccer is played across the world, it is a sport of billions. Rugby is a minority sport. In South Africa, it gets what I will call emotional sponsorship since it is financed by predominantly Afrikaans institutions. Afrikaners will do anything to protect rugby and it seems it will stay as the number two sport in the country for some time.
I have been studying the happenings around the Slam Dunk basketball magazine on channel one (SABC 1) for a few Sundays now. The show has attracted on average 680 996 viewers this year. It is produced for those who are 16 years and over, those that have the influence on what parents must buy. The programme attracted only two 30 second adverts this past show, bringing somewhat R20 000 to the SABC. Perhaps the change it made the broadcaster is due to the audience rating ( AR) average of 3.2 which translates to some 15% of adults who watch the programme. Basketball gets not more than 17 minutes coverage on SABC. But coverage is coverage.
So, the marketers do not think of selling their product to such viewership. Or is it the hype of the world football events in the country? Is it the emotions people have for their sports? Is it the attitude that people also can protect their sport as in cricket? There are many questions we may ask on the reasons money is going to other sporting codes. One thing stands, marketers control where the money goes. It is clear that marketers are interested in the content that will make them a lot of money. The kids' programmes are making more money for the broadcaster than basketball. So does late night rather graveyard programmes on television. As a basketball community, we just have to try to influence marketers to consider placing advertisements on the basketball programme.
I have focused on the SABC because I believe we will grow through them or the free-to-air channel. The sport must be watched by the majority of the population to advance in rankings. The people in Living Standard Measure (LSM) 4-7 do not own the decoders. The programme of Slam Dunk has been broadcast mid Sundays for so long that they might as well extend the spot to 2hrs and show live basketball games. My vision is that upon the comeback, the Premier Basketball League will have a prime match every Sunday at 13h00 so that the end of the game will coincide with the preview of a soccer match. It is not that difficult to change the Sunday content on SABC 1, except that the PBL delegates will have to prepare well for the negotiations. They can also negotiate with etv whose content is also easy to change on Sundays.
It is clear that basketball faces a stiff competition on all aspects. There is a lot of work ahead which requires detail, patience, determination as well as a clear picture. Basketball is our sport and we think positively about it. This positive feeling is the first motivation in the crusade to get the PBL going.
I strongly believe that basketball can and will become the number two sports in South Africa after soccer. It will become the number indoor sport. I was tempted to make some comparisons when preparing for this article. But as you might notice, we cannot even make comparisons between soccer and rugby. One reason is that soccer is played across the world, it is a sport of billions. Rugby is a minority sport. In South Africa, it gets what I will call emotional sponsorship since it is financed by predominantly Afrikaans institutions. Afrikaners will do anything to protect rugby and it seems it will stay as the number two sport in the country for some time.
I have been studying the happenings around the Slam Dunk basketball magazine on channel one (SABC 1) for a few Sundays now. The show has attracted on average 680 996 viewers this year. It is produced for those who are 16 years and over, those that have the influence on what parents must buy. The programme attracted only two 30 second adverts this past show, bringing somewhat R20 000 to the SABC. Perhaps the change it made the broadcaster is due to the audience rating ( AR) average of 3.2 which translates to some 15% of adults who watch the programme. Basketball gets not more than 17 minutes coverage on SABC. But coverage is coverage.
So, the marketers do not think of selling their product to such viewership. Or is it the hype of the world football events in the country? Is it the emotions people have for their sports? Is it the attitude that people also can protect their sport as in cricket? There are many questions we may ask on the reasons money is going to other sporting codes. One thing stands, marketers control where the money goes. It is clear that marketers are interested in the content that will make them a lot of money. The kids' programmes are making more money for the broadcaster than basketball. So does late night rather graveyard programmes on television. As a basketball community, we just have to try to influence marketers to consider placing advertisements on the basketball programme.
I have focused on the SABC because I believe we will grow through them or the free-to-air channel. The sport must be watched by the majority of the population to advance in rankings. The people in Living Standard Measure (LSM) 4-7 do not own the decoders. The programme of Slam Dunk has been broadcast mid Sundays for so long that they might as well extend the spot to 2hrs and show live basketball games. My vision is that upon the comeback, the Premier Basketball League will have a prime match every Sunday at 13h00 so that the end of the game will coincide with the preview of a soccer match. It is not that difficult to change the Sunday content on SABC 1, except that the PBL delegates will have to prepare well for the negotiations. They can also negotiate with etv whose content is also easy to change on Sundays.
It is clear that basketball faces a stiff competition on all aspects. There is a lot of work ahead which requires detail, patience, determination as well as a clear picture. Basketball is our sport and we think positively about it. This positive feeling is the first motivation in the crusade to get the PBL going.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Consistency
I stand amazed at the number of basketball leagues around the country. Basketball is everywhere you can find a hoop. The officials of different municipalities do consider basketball in their planning because of the facilities available. These facilities have been put up as part of the creative work of architectures who wanted more money from their artwork. These people have great knowledge in the applications of different sporting codes.
However it is unfortunate that some of the construction companies that erect basketball facilities would not use the quality materials required for the standard of the game. Thus it is critical for the representatives of basketball to get in touch with these construction companies as soon as they know of the construction of basketball courts taking place. They would then discuss the quality of facilities that are erected and refer them to companies that manufacture basketball facilities. In addition they must make sure that the correct measurements are used, on the court and the structures.
Basketball is not published as one would anticipate. The media want consistency of news. If you have the local league that plays one week and three or four weeks later, it will not help the cause of the game. As the stewards of basketball we have taken upon ourselves responsibilities to organise local leagues. Let us focus on the job at hand. We may do it just for the love of it. Let that love have clear vision for the future. Let that love have measurable goals. Allow that love to benefit the people who follow your concept, for they also love what you do. We may get tired at the seemingly lack of action from the owners of the Premier Basketball league company, thinking that they have folded their hands and do nothing. There is only one thing that I know, that these people are working very hard, meeting often to discuss a way forward to the business that is stagnating. These people are aware of the athletes who have hopes and dreams to play professionally.
So, let us be consistent in organising our leagues. The consistent schedule will act as champions for realising the dream of professional basketball in South Africa. This consistency will enable the talented writer to engage with the fourth estate in publishing basketball.
However it is unfortunate that some of the construction companies that erect basketball facilities would not use the quality materials required for the standard of the game. Thus it is critical for the representatives of basketball to get in touch with these construction companies as soon as they know of the construction of basketball courts taking place. They would then discuss the quality of facilities that are erected and refer them to companies that manufacture basketball facilities. In addition they must make sure that the correct measurements are used, on the court and the structures.
Basketball is not published as one would anticipate. The media want consistency of news. If you have the local league that plays one week and three or four weeks later, it will not help the cause of the game. As the stewards of basketball we have taken upon ourselves responsibilities to organise local leagues. Let us focus on the job at hand. We may do it just for the love of it. Let that love have clear vision for the future. Let that love have measurable goals. Allow that love to benefit the people who follow your concept, for they also love what you do. We may get tired at the seemingly lack of action from the owners of the Premier Basketball league company, thinking that they have folded their hands and do nothing. There is only one thing that I know, that these people are working very hard, meeting often to discuss a way forward to the business that is stagnating. These people are aware of the athletes who have hopes and dreams to play professionally.
So, let us be consistent in organising our leagues. The consistent schedule will act as champions for realising the dream of professional basketball in South Africa. This consistency will enable the talented writer to engage with the fourth estate in publishing basketball.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Let Us Unite
As we want the people who are passionate about basketball to have fruitful careers as professionals, there is one thing we need to consider: UNITY.
Basketball is now ranking lower according to the statistics of BMI at www.bmisportsinfo.co.za , number one sports research firm in South Africa. Unfortunately their consultant could only tell me that basketball is going down. It cost more than R55 000.00 to get a copy of their adult track where the public can have access to this information. I guess the corporate world make their sponsorship decisions based on the information such as the one supplied by BMI . It does make sense. After all the decisions are made by smart people who have made it to the top through education and continuous reading of books and magazines. These people are so smart that they do not take anything for granted. It is one of the many reasons that it is important to make through research about them and their companies before approaching them. Decisions are made because they make a strong business sense. There are no sentiments in business.
As we realize that the statistics are counting against us, we need to stand up united in efforts to bring the Premier Basketball League back to the picture. We need to work together by integrating our approaches to offer South Africans alternative sports entertainment. All the local leagues must support the district structures as well as provincial structure. The provincial structure must relentlessly support the national structure which develops basketball. This synergy will raise the popularity of basketball and ensure the positive comeback of the professional body of basketball in South Africa.
Basketball is now ranking lower according to the statistics of BMI at www.bmisportsinfo.co.za , number one sports research firm in South Africa. Unfortunately their consultant could only tell me that basketball is going down. It cost more than R55 000.00 to get a copy of their adult track where the public can have access to this information. I guess the corporate world make their sponsorship decisions based on the information such as the one supplied by BMI . It does make sense. After all the decisions are made by smart people who have made it to the top through education and continuous reading of books and magazines. These people are so smart that they do not take anything for granted. It is one of the many reasons that it is important to make through research about them and their companies before approaching them. Decisions are made because they make a strong business sense. There are no sentiments in business.
As we realize that the statistics are counting against us, we need to stand up united in efforts to bring the Premier Basketball League back to the picture. We need to work together by integrating our approaches to offer South Africans alternative sports entertainment. All the local leagues must support the district structures as well as provincial structure. The provincial structure must relentlessly support the national structure which develops basketball. This synergy will raise the popularity of basketball and ensure the positive comeback of the professional body of basketball in South Africa.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Money makes the world go around
We love basketball, don't we all?
All I can think of on Friday just after midday is the activities of basketball around my neighbourhood. It is great to see youngsters shooting hoops and popping those threes ahead of each other. It is more exciting to see them dunking the hell out of one another. These are the future of Premier Basketball League in South Africa, as athletes, managers or supporters.
Work in the sport should not end in developing sports stars of the future, but building a support base of the future. Sponsorship is about numbers of a crowd you can pull to your event. The potential sponsor is looking at ways to get a return of investment on an event, be it gaining more clientele or developing brand value of their product through awareness. Their sponsorship end up being a brand of choice among the supporters and people who prefer alternate products.
Some years ago the South African Broadcasting Corporation commissioned a research which pointed out that basketball has the potential to become number two sport in the country after soccer. That is a mountain to climb considering the sports trends in the country. Rugby is aligning itself with soccer. When there is a rugby test or the Currie cup, there will be a radio sports commentator at the rugby match. They will broadcast rugby concurrently with soccer. That gets the listenership of rugby on par with soccer and will contribute to the dwindling numbers of basketball. The broadcasting of matches are sponsored. In this case rugby and soccer share ABSA as sponsor who would agree to such sub-broadcasting agreement.
I have a dream of the success of basketball. One day, I want to walk in an arena full of supporters. I want to hear the sound the crowd will make in anticipation of a 360 degrees slam dunk made from a fast break. I want to see passionate people wearing their basketball merchandise. I want to see basketball being counted as the number one indoor sports in the country through sponsorship revenue and supporters. There is a long list of things I want for basketball and I know you have the same or bigger vision as well.
There are local leagues across South Africa with the hope of the return of Premier Basketball League. As we co-ordinate those leagues, let us think of ways to attract support base of the game. This will tremendously assist the business men who have invested a lot of money in acquiring the statuses of the professional basketball teams from the Premier Baketball League Trust.
All I can think of on Friday just after midday is the activities of basketball around my neighbourhood. It is great to see youngsters shooting hoops and popping those threes ahead of each other. It is more exciting to see them dunking the hell out of one another. These are the future of Premier Basketball League in South Africa, as athletes, managers or supporters.
Work in the sport should not end in developing sports stars of the future, but building a support base of the future. Sponsorship is about numbers of a crowd you can pull to your event. The potential sponsor is looking at ways to get a return of investment on an event, be it gaining more clientele or developing brand value of their product through awareness. Their sponsorship end up being a brand of choice among the supporters and people who prefer alternate products.
Some years ago the South African Broadcasting Corporation commissioned a research which pointed out that basketball has the potential to become number two sport in the country after soccer. That is a mountain to climb considering the sports trends in the country. Rugby is aligning itself with soccer. When there is a rugby test or the Currie cup, there will be a radio sports commentator at the rugby match. They will broadcast rugby concurrently with soccer. That gets the listenership of rugby on par with soccer and will contribute to the dwindling numbers of basketball. The broadcasting of matches are sponsored. In this case rugby and soccer share ABSA as sponsor who would agree to such sub-broadcasting agreement.
I have a dream of the success of basketball. One day, I want to walk in an arena full of supporters. I want to hear the sound the crowd will make in anticipation of a 360 degrees slam dunk made from a fast break. I want to see passionate people wearing their basketball merchandise. I want to see basketball being counted as the number one indoor sports in the country through sponsorship revenue and supporters. There is a long list of things I want for basketball and I know you have the same or bigger vision as well.
There are local leagues across South Africa with the hope of the return of Premier Basketball League. As we co-ordinate those leagues, let us think of ways to attract support base of the game. This will tremendously assist the business men who have invested a lot of money in acquiring the statuses of the professional basketball teams from the Premier Baketball League Trust.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Let us get PBL on track
I have been in basketball for as long as I can remember. My all time favorite basketball athlete was referred to as "the best there is, the best there ever will be". That was in the National Basketball Association' s sports commentators on Michael Jordan. There was a great hope for me in basketball for the future. I dreamt of going to the NBA even though I was to be only 6ft tall and not much of a player. I did coach the Provincial women team to the SASSU competition though.
One event caused the demise of basketball. A court case between the Premier Basketball League and Basketball South Africa. Briefly, the PBL was a private organisation whose activities were perceived to be not conducive to the growth and development of basketball in the country. This in that the PBL had no administrative relationship with the stewards of basketball in the country, Basketball South Africa.
This court case did a lot of damage to basketball in South Africa. What was once the fastest growing sport has become the most stagnant sport in South Africa. The two groups were so focused on their righteousness that they forgot the people who make the sport to tick, the athletes and supporters. These are the main people who make things happen.
Today, basketball in the Republic of South Africa does not have direction. We have great people who are passionate about the game starting own leagues, others in private capacity through companies and others publicly. What comes to mind is the League of Professionals in Johannesburg, the Metro Basketball league and the Gauteng basketball league. We have other leagues outside the Gauteng Province which are in the public sphere. I am amazed at the love that stills exists for basketball. I am deeply touched by the men and women who stand up for basketball. The sport is truly one of the best in the world.
The corporate world has distanced itself from basketball , but the game still lives.
South Africa, what can we do to attract the Corporate World back to basketball? The court case of PBL as SABasketball is over now. It has been quite for a long time. People are hungry. Imagine the jobs that can be created through the re-birth of the PBL.
It is each one of us' responsibility. Let us share ideas, South Africa. What can we do to reclaim the position of basketball in the country?
One event caused the demise of basketball. A court case between the Premier Basketball League and Basketball South Africa. Briefly, the PBL was a private organisation whose activities were perceived to be not conducive to the growth and development of basketball in the country. This in that the PBL had no administrative relationship with the stewards of basketball in the country, Basketball South Africa.
This court case did a lot of damage to basketball in South Africa. What was once the fastest growing sport has become the most stagnant sport in South Africa. The two groups were so focused on their righteousness that they forgot the people who make the sport to tick, the athletes and supporters. These are the main people who make things happen.
Today, basketball in the Republic of South Africa does not have direction. We have great people who are passionate about the game starting own leagues, others in private capacity through companies and others publicly. What comes to mind is the League of Professionals in Johannesburg, the Metro Basketball league and the Gauteng basketball league. We have other leagues outside the Gauteng Province which are in the public sphere. I am amazed at the love that stills exists for basketball. I am deeply touched by the men and women who stand up for basketball. The sport is truly one of the best in the world.
The corporate world has distanced itself from basketball , but the game still lives.
South Africa, what can we do to attract the Corporate World back to basketball? The court case of PBL as SABasketball is over now. It has been quite for a long time. People are hungry. Imagine the jobs that can be created through the re-birth of the PBL.
It is each one of us' responsibility. Let us share ideas, South Africa. What can we do to reclaim the position of basketball in the country?
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