Research Article - (2012) Volume 2, Issue 5
1Department of Physical Education, Tabriz branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran
2Department of Physical Education, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran
The purpose of this study was to design strategies of sport for all in East Azarbaijan Province, Iran. The descriptive methodology would be applied based upon the case study. The Statistical population includes the physical education professors, the managers of Physical Education departments and post-graduated students in this province. The statistical sample encompasses 50 individuals selected totally due to limited Statistical population. To collect the data, we used library resources, literature and background review, interviews and open as well as closed questionnaires. Having developed the closed questionnaire, we had the validity confirmed by the professors and their reliability was confirmed using Cronbach alpha Coefficient (α=0.86). For analysis of data used Friedman test with SPSS 18. After identifying the most important strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the field of sport for all and ranking them in the existing order, we selected most important ones through group discussion. Based upon the internal factors evaluation matrix (2.33) and external factors evaluation matrix (2.58), it was shown that the strategic position of the province is in WO area.
Strategy, development, sport for all, East Azarbaijan province
The ability and movement is one of the most crucial features of human beings in which they Can motivate his/her growth for the survival on the earth. The man needs movement and prevention of the man from any movements not only stops the process of the growth but also it leads to depression, behavioral abnormalities and the lose of happiness in the life [1]. According to many theorists, the lock of movement is one of the most Essential problems among the new era of the humanity at present century. The application of various machineries, progression in the field of home appliances, the ubiquitous of computers and other similar tools caused people to seat inactively achieving their daily chores and routines [2]. In the field of these harmful life styles many statements have been given; From the double outbreak of cardio vascular diseases to the collapse in old ages and early mortalities. However, probably the regular physical activities have its own impact on every one’s life style; in this case, there are many advantages as follows: long life span, increase of hiegyn and mental health, prevention or prognosis of various diseases. From the mega-sociologically point of view towards the above mentioned parameters, it can be easily concluded that when the term of “sport “and “physical activity “is being organized in a community, the results actually would be the decrease of any criminal actions and especially addiction and in turn it would raise the level of sport internationally in a country [1,3]. In most countries (especially developed countries) many different sport programs have recommended from kids to old people. One of the most common sections in the development sport in a society is the public sport .The publication and development of the public sport is one of the most effective options in the field of sport and physical activity development among the different classes of people and society. The completion of the public sport does not require any expensive instruments or special facilities; this kind of sport has been considered as the easiest physical activity in which everyone can do it individually; In addition to the lowest expenses of the public sport, this can be a reasonable path towards encouraging people to participate and upgrade their health and daily issues by this way [4,5].
This kind of public sport has been titled as the reasonable policies due to the availability and its social, mentally and physical impact conducting a country’s developmental planning’s as well. Therefore, considering the public sport socially can be effective in the development of the sport [6]. The public sport can be included in terms of different social, economical, political and even moral achievements; In this regard, the report of Australian sport commission in 1998 showed that if the number of light-sport participants such as public sport gets increased, about 600 Million $ will be saved annually. The only direct expenses of four essential disease, cardio vascular, stroke, diabetic and intestine cancer, has been estimated about $ 306 million (these diseases come from the lock of movement). The research indicate that one dollar investment in the field of sport saves the medical expenses about $ 3.2; Also, in the public sport the efficiency of individuals gets better decreasing the absence of personnales at their job setting [7]. For this reason, today the governmental officials of many countries try to expand the public sport activities in different social levels ; Based on the available reports, In France about 15 million people participate in an organized sport activities in which about 6.5 million of these people ranging from 6-14 years old. The attention of the Germany government and its people towards the public sport has caused the number of people participated in 1952 from 3204005 (67%) to 26815717 ones in 2000 (28.5%) increased [8]. Whit the development of industrial and the changes of life styles, the lack of movement or agility has been important problem of most people in different countries. Obesity is one of the most common results of the low-agility, in which spreading worldwide these days. In Australian and the U.K the number low-agility among people is increasing .In Newzealand, the percentage of obese people from 11% has reached to 17% between 1986-1997. In the U.S also 25% of women and 20% of men were obese; In the most industrial and advanced countries about 50-65% of the community do not have enough physical activity. All these mentioned cases indicate the importance of the public sport and its essential role in the progression of health in a society; thus, for the development of the public sport, an accurate planning necessary; In the other hand, the importance of the public sport in different topics that it must be viewed as one of the most crucial topics among the cultural points of people daily life.
According to the federation of the public sport, about 6.5 million people of the country take part the public sport evolving ten percent of total population of the country. Based on this information, 65% of the population are under coverage of physical training department and they use the sport facilities belonged to this organization; However, in the industrial countries more than 60 percent of the population participate in the public sport activities; therefore, it seems that there is no enough consideration to these activities in our country; one suitable way for developing the sport activities in high-potentially approaches is planning the strategical development decisions for different cities and states. Among this, the province of East-Azarbaijan is of high-potential importance; thus, the present study is to determine the pros and cons points, opportunities and the threat of the public sport in this province and the granted strategies in the field of public sport development can be specified efficiently in the related province.
The present study is a combination of qualitative and quantitative research in which has been carried out as a case study considering the present situation in the field of strategically studied. The questions were related to the strength points of the public sport, the second part, the weakness points, the third part is the opportunities of the public sport and the last one relates to the public sport and its threats. In addition, these four situations in the east-Azarbaijan were being marked in one of these following options: very high – high – middle low – and very low.
The reliability and creditability of the tool: This questionnaire was analyzed by ten experienced proffessore in the field of sport management and then confirmed. To measure the reliability of the questionnaire, the Cronbach alpha method and SPSS software were applied and the reliability coefficient 0.86 was obtained.
In order to gather the Mega-target, the mission and perspective of the East-Azarbaijan was given to the provincial officials in the field of public sport during some sessions.
The purpose of East-Azarbaijan in the field public sport: The development and rehabilitation of the public sport in order to have a healthy and happy society.
The perspective of East-Azarbaijan in the field of public sport: To reach to a happy and healthy society aiming at sport opportunities for all levels of the community equally; people with high-potential awareness of sport advantages get accustomed to exercise routinely considering sport as their important needs in this machinery life.
The mission of East-Azarbaijan in the field of public sport: The encouragement of all people towards exercising and providing all necessary hardware and software facilities such as different locations or sport facilities, hiring sport coaches to persuade people to exercise, holding different sport conferences and events for all levels of people, appreciating those who working in the public sport of the province (East-Azarbaijan) and developing the public sport issues along with considering social and humanistic values.
The analysis of internal and external environment: After analysis of the internal/external environment of the physical training offices and determination of their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the progression of the public sport of the province, the most important strength and weakness points in order to make an assessment matrix in internal factors (table 1) and external matrix for the opportunities and threats (table 2) were extracted and finally the final score of the internal factors (2.33) and external factors (2.58) were obtained.
Table 1. The matrix of internal factors in the East-Azarbaijan public sport
Table 2: The matrix of external factors in the East-Azarbaijan public sport
SWOT matrix
The final scores of internal matrix (2.33) and external matrix (2.58) showed that the strategic establishment of the East-Azarbaijan physical training offices in the field of public sport is placed in OW area (figure 1) in which it can be well-understood by the comparison of SWOT matrix with David model (figure 2); The David model has divided the SWOT matrix into nine precise sub-areas; According to this model, the strategic location of East-Azarbaijan champion ship sport is placed in the fifth area where it is as a middle area of the matrix. David arranges the third, fifth and seventh areas in a group and suggests that these areas should be preserved strategically; In these areas, the organization can eliminate the external threats through the internal strengths.
Figure 1: SWOT matrix
Figure 2: The matrix of internal and external assessment [9]
The collection of strategies
The matrix of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats is a tool that assists policy markers to collect the strategies with the comparison of internal and external factors. In this matrix four important comparisons apply to collect suitable strategies. In Table 3, the matrix of strength, weakness, opportunity and threat in the East-Azarbaijan public sport is shown.
Table 3. The matrix of strength, weakness, opportunity and threat in East-Azarbaijan public sport
SWOT matrix is one of the most important tools that managers can compare information giving the four strategies by this way: (SO, WO, ST, and WT strategies); The process of comparison these four internal/external factors is the most difficult part of providing SWOT matrix and it really needs a reasonable judgment. In the implementation of so strategies, the organization by the use of internal factors tries to extract external opportunities. All managers prefer to position their arrangement in a location where they can profit from these events and external processes through internal strength points. Usually organization applies WO, ST and WT to reach to their ideal opportunities as long as approaching to the strategies of so efficiently. When an organization has weakness points trying to eliminate or changing them into strength points. When an organization confronts the main threats trying to release itself from these challenges and making an ideal situation along with the extraction of opportunities [9]. The main of WO strategies is that the organizations through the present opportunities try to recover their internal weakness point. Sometimes there are good changes or opportunities out of the organization but the related organization cannot profit it due to its internal weakness; One of the most effective implementation methods of WO strategy is the interaction of an organization and its innovative approaches. Another method is hiring qualified people to be trained in the related skills
The organizations in the field of implementing ST strategies try to decrease or eliminate the external threats; It must be noted that, inevitably challenge threats in an external environment [9]. The organizations implementing WT strategies make a defensive position aiming at decreasing the possible threats from external atmosphere. The organizations with internal weakness points challenging with threats from external environment are placed in a worse position; In fact, the main purpose of this kind of organization is to mitigate the internal weakness and external threats efficiently to gradually reach to its own better situation; that is, this situation makes the organization to apply ST, WO and especially so strategies [9]. According to the strategic position of East-Azarbaijan public sport in OW area, the officials of the province especially the department of physical training should be focused on its planning to remove all weaknwss points through external opportunities; It must be noted that, the related office can easily react on its own weakness points; Also the weakness points have been mostly emphasized; in case of threats by which the office does not have enough control on it, other organizations can be helpful in the field of reducing these threats as well . There are many researches have been carried out in the field of public sport in the country; Now, it can be pointed to some of these researches as follows: Ghofrani (2008)[10], Khosravizade (2008)[11], Nasirzadeh (2008) [12] and SeifiPanahi (2009) [13]. The applied method in these researches is similar to the present research. The comparison of the research results with similar researches is illogical due to the nature of the research from the researcher point of view; The homogeneity or the lack of homogeneity of the present research results with similar researches has its special features due to specialty of the research (case-study); Thus, it does not change the nature and quality of the research scientifically.
In all strategic planning of sport development carried out in foreign countries such as the strategies of Bolsover sports [14], Castlereagh [15], White horse [16], Medway [17], Caerphily [18], Caradon [19], Norfolk [20], Guilford [21], Elmbridge [22], the Brent document of sport development [23] and Wales[24], have been at least considered one ideal framework in this regard;
That is, firstly the mission has been edited and then the strategical targets being revised. In the present research, this opproach has been viewed along with official sessions in the East-Azarbaijan physical training office implementing the related target-based missions in the same department efficiently.
In continue, according the research findings, there have been recommended some suggestions in the field of public sport development as following:
1.Asking help from the media especially TV and radio channels in the field of making cultural context and awaring families about the importance of the public sport.
2.Employing sport marketers in the offices in the field of determining the recent opportunities in the public sport and absorbing sponsors to develop the public sport; The financial supporters can invest on the public sport due to the lack of devoted budget reducing the financial problems and progressing the public sport development efficiently.
3.Awaring people about the lowest expenses of the public sport and making them activated to exercise in open spaces like the natural locations around the mountains.
4. Supporting those ones who working in the field of public sport development financially and spiritually; because the process of public sport development can be a great remedial choice for reducing any criminal behaviors in a community.
5.The families should care of their children not to join leisure times spending in active computer games because they may be susceptible to mentally disorders. Parents must courage their children to get used to exercising and sporting habits. A lazy child physically and mentally cannot easily fulfill sporting events at adulthood.
6.The lack of enough attention to the women public sport is one of the most essential weaknesses of the provincial officials to achieve their struggles in the field of women public sport to reduce any deficiencies in this regard.
7.Also, the high attention towards rural public sport and providing suitable facilities and conditions is suggested to the officials of the rural public sport.
The authors would like to thank Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University for the financial support of this research, which is based on a research project contract.
