Core Elements of Successful Elite Sport Systems - the Example of GDR Elite Sport and Modern National Elite Sport Systems of Today
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Dr. Hartmut Sandner Institute for Applied Training Science Marschnerstr. 29 D-04109 Leipzig [email protected] Core elements of successful elite sport systems - The example of GDR elite sport and modern national elite sport systems of today During a press conference in the middle of the 70s the former head coach of the West German national fencing team, the famous, Emil Beck, was asked about this view on the elite sport system of the GDR. He told the journalists that “the GDR elite sport is managed like one of our successful commercial enterprises.” This statement really summarizes a lot of what characterized the performance based GDR elite sport system, but, on the other hand, it does not explain the different goals, structures and elements of this approach in the former GDR’s elite sport. In addition it does not tell us anything about the social and political system that created this elite sport approach and if this system was unique or not, nor does is tell us why this system was as successful as it was. But before presenting core elements of the GDR elite sport system as well as similar features in successful national elite sport systems of today I would like to make a few introductory remarks. When preparing this paper for the conference today it became clear to me that I can only present to you a selection of major approaches, organisations, structures and mechanisms that characterized this elite sport system and its development during 40 years. It will not be possible to outline a picture that really covers all the features. The system simply was too complex with all its links within the sport system, but also with other fields of GDR society. My paper can give you an impression of that complexity and might also lead you to understand that there are a couple of aspects in this system that were quite unique when the GDR created them, but which today belong to several modern elite sport systems. It might also make you better understand, or to get a confirmation of your existing understanding, that there are some features which are indispensable to create and manage a successful elite sport system. － 87 － And I want to remind all of us of two additional aspects. The first refers to a saying of one of the sport physicians at our Institute in Leipzig: “You cannot fool your body”. But we can understand our body and we have to understand our body as an indispensable prerequisite to train for elite performance. For the second aspect I would like to quote the American 1976 Olympic champion in swimming, John Naber, with his statement: “The people who do the hardest work are be the ones who win medals. Hard work is still the key to success.” This slogan could have come from many of the athletes, coaches, scientists and managers working in GDR elite sport. The training athlete was always in the focus of the scientific and practical approaches in the GDR. Having lived all my life in the GDR from the middle of the 50s until its funeral in 1991 and with my job at the Centre for Scientific Information Physical Culture and Sport in Leipzig I am aware of the fact that doping means were applied in GDR elite sport. The major goals for their application were - a fast recovery of athletes following high training loads and in case of injuries and - an accelerated and stable development of crucial factors of athletic performance (as enhancement of muscular cross sectional area or altitude adaptation). The application of doping substances was (and still is today) prohibited by rules and regulations of the IOC as well as of the international sports federations and was (and still is) unfair, especially because the systematic application was sanctioned by the state and an almost perfect country-wide doping abuse system was developed. It also has always been a very dangerous act with respect to the health of the athletes because of all the possible short-term and long-term consequences of the drugs. We know of the doping practice in the GDR from documents that were preserved by a state organisation that also influenced the elite sport system of the GDR a lot – the Secret Service (Stasi) that was observing almost all activities in this social sub- system of the GDR. And the Stasi even had its independent elite sport organisation “Dynamo” with many Olympic, World and European champions. The understanding of the influence of both doping and Stasi on the development of GDR elite sport is important, but information and knowledge from the past as well as from today prove that the tremendous success of the GDR in international sport cannot be reduced to just these two factors. － 88 － To understand what really happened in the sport halls and on the training tracks between the beautiful city of Dresden in the south and in the swimming pools and the yachting centre in Rostock in the north of the GDR a more detailed analysis and presentation is requested. Olympic Winter Games Olympic Summer Games GDR 17 Mio. inhabitants Gold Silver Bronze Nations’ Gold Silver Bronze Nations’ founded in 1949 Ranking Ranking capitol: Berlin 15 districts 1956 0 0 1 12 1 4 2 18 140 counties 1960 2 1 0 8 3 9 7 10 1964 2 2 0 7 3 11 5 11 1968 1 2 2 10 9 9 7 5 1972 4 3 7 2 20 23 23 3 1976 7 5 7 2 40 25 25 2 3.4 Mio. members in German Gymnastics 1980 9 7 7 2 47 37 42 2 and Sport Federation DTSB 1984 9 9 6 1 - - - - 1988 9 10 6 2 37 35 30 2 Fig. 1: GDR results in Olympic Games 1956-1988 I will try to give you an overview of the core elements and their development in junior and senior elite sport in this small country in the heart of Europe that managed to rank among the top three nations in the late 1970s and during the 1980s with only 17 Million inhabitants. The often limited knowledge about the “closed system of GDR elite sport” lead to explanations as “miracle”, but looking at both the social foundations of GDR sport in general and at the structures that were developed it may turn into a better understanding. The development of elite sport was always considered a major topic of both the government, the reigning political party, the national sport organisation “German Gymnastics and Sport Association” (DTSB) and the National Olympic Committee. Their common understanding was that planning of athletic success was possible, but － 89 － needed a common and aim directed approach of all participating bodies, organisations, coaches, scientists and athletes. One consequence of this planned approach, for example, was that for every medal that the GDR wanted to win three athletes had to be prepared with the athletic potential for international top performances. The elite sport clubs consequently prepared, on a long-term perspective, three athletes for this level of performance in a certain event trying to avoid that an injury, an unexpected minor performance enhancement or failure in the major competition or other influences that would affect the overall result of the GDR team. To speak about the success of GDR’s elite sport systems is only possible with some remarks on the socio-economic situation that this young German state was faced with from its foundation in 1949. With the experience of the abused 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin 1936, but also with the great athletic success of the athletes of the Soviet Union in the 1952 Olympic Games, when they ranked first in the nations’ ranking at their first appearance in the Olympic arenas, the tremendous effects of international athletic success became obvious to all stakeholders. A successful elite sport was considered one way to both convince people in the GDR of the superiority of the communist model of society over the alternative in the West and to show the world the performance capacity of this small European country again in comparison with the Federal Republic of Germany in the West. In addition these “ambassadors in training overalls” – as the elite athletes were called – could become an effective tool to gain international recognition, both in international sport with all its media coverage, but also on a state level. The development in the 50s, 60s and 70s proved that the strategic approach in these three directions turned out to be a quite effective one. Core elements of GDR’s elite sport systems All plans, decisions, structures and support systems for elite sport in the GDR have always been focussing on the development of the junior and senior elite athletes and their athletic performance. All measures in this respect got top priority. When reading about the 2004 USOC slogan of “athletes first” these days I was reminded of just this strategic approach and its practical consequences. GDR’s elite sport strategy was developed over a period of 30 years and finally the following major features belonged to the most important: － 90 － 1. definition of clear and challenging goals for the system as a whole as well as for its different elements based on detailed analyses of the international as well as of the national state-of-the-art 2. clear and strict management structures on national level (NOC, NGOs) as well as on the level of the sport associations for the preparation and implementation of necessary decisions with an unequivocal definition of duties, responsibilities and rights 3. effective structures and organisations of coaches’ academic training and further education 4.