Vision 2030 committee shares preliminary recommendations

“The Super Sports Clubs will create opportunities for more sports participation beyond the school years. They will provide access to a wide network of affordable, well-designed facilities with quality sports programming. People will also be able to use the Super Sports Clubs as a place for family sports activities, corporate team building and corporate leagues,” said Mr Leslie Tan, Future Ready subcommittee co-chair.

As a means to encourage working adults to increase and sustain their engagement in sports, the Vision 2030 Committee proposes 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
• A competitive corporate Sports League
• Customised sporting solutions for companies to develop employee loyalty programmes
• Appropriate incentives and recognition for companies that support Sporting Singapore.

Access

Access is about taking a more inclusive approach towards providing sports facilities for the community as well as capitalising on the power of sport for social activism.

The Vision 2030 Committee suggests that SSC consider the following in formulating a ‘Sports Facilities Master Plan’:

• Masterplan a good mix and density of sports facilities across Singapore, with the regional facilities as the nucleus for the Super Sports Clubs. The regional facilities would be supported by a network of school and community facilities to cater to the sporting needs of residents

• Work with MOE to expand the number and types of Dual Use Facilities to maximise public access e.g. open air basketball, tennis and volleyball courts.

• Determine opportunities for co-location with People‘s Association and other government agencies

• Explore the innovative use of space for sports with planning agencies such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority, Housing & Development Board and National Parks Board

• Enhance SSC sports facilities through the use of universal design principles to provide better access for the elderly, people with disabilities and people with small children

The Committee also recommends a ‘SportCares Movement’ to use sport to inculcate stronger social values among Singaporeans and to improve the wellbeing of vulnerable segments of our society. The committee is studying the possibility of setting up a foundation to anchor the ‘SportCares Movement’.

“SportCares will provide an opportunity for Corporate and Sporting Singapore to recognise the diversity of our society—by extending a helping hand to all, to ensure that no one is left behind. As a nation, Singapore has been built by many hands. If Singapore is to thrive in the coming decades, we must provide everyone, regardless of race, religion or status, with every possible opportunity to succeed. Sport can be a powerful vehicle to transform lives,” said Dr Teo-Koh Sock Miang, Spirit of Singapore subcommittee co-chair.

Added SSC CEO Lim Teck Yin: “Many people do not realise the power of sport to help those who are marginalised. In many countries around the world, sport is used as a powerful vehicle to transform lives – for example, helping former drug addicts or delinquent youth to rebuild their confidence and assimilate back to society through the values and experiences taught through team sports.”

Capabilities

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.

“With the anticipated increase in sports activities, demand for quality coaches in a variety of sports and programmes will go up. The Coaching Academy will be a key vehicle to help us provide quality professional development and mentoring for our coaches. This is an excellent opportunity to develop the local coaching industry into a viable career option. Qualified coaches from the academy would be trained not only in technical but also soft skills to inculcate the core values of sport, helping to spread the positive message of a healthy, vibrant sporting Singapore,” said Mr Tan Wearn Haw, Balance to the Rhythm of an Urban Lifestyle subcommittee co-chair.

Another key recommendation is a review of the elite athlete support system through the ‘Singapore Sports Institute’. The modern athlete is under ever-higher expectations to deliver in environments of increasing difficulty. A centralised institute under SSC, SSI will support our national athletes in achieving break-through performances on the international stage. It will provide systematic and tailored athlete services in sports science and medicine, coaching and education, rights management and career development. We are currently reviewing the way the SSI functions and will be making some recommendations to further enhance the SSI. More details will be announced soon.

Public views on the recommendations

“Vision 2030 is an ongoing conversation and we hope that people will give us feedback and help us fine-tune the preliminary recommendations,” concluded Acting Minister Chan. These recommendations will be available at www.vision2030.sg for public feedback from now till May 15th.