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A Development Plan for Baseball in Great Britain

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A Development Plan for Baseball in Great Britain A DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR BASEBALL IN GREAT BRITAIN A CREATIVE PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE MASTER OF SCIENCE SPORT ADMINISTRATION BY THOMAS GILLESPIE ADVISOR – DR. MARILYN BUCK BALL STATE UNIVERSITY MUNCIE, INDIANA DECEMBER, 2008 Table of Contents Table of Contents………………………………………………………………. ii List of Tables………………………………………………………………….... iii List of Appendices……………………………………………………………… iv Chapter One – Introduction…………………………………………………. 1 Statement of the Problem……………………………………………. 2 Statement of Purpose…………………………………………………. 3 Research Questions…………………………………………………… 3 Definition of Terms……………………………………………………..3 Assumptions……………………………………………………………. 4 Delimitations……………………………………………………………. 4 Significance of the Project……………………………………………. 4 Chapter Two – Review of Literature……………………………………….. 6 British Baseball History……………………………………………….6 MLBI: Recent European Development…………………………….. 8 Sports Development in Britain……………………………………… 10 Local Development…………………………………………………….. 13 Chapter Three – Methods & Procedures………………………………….. 16 Chapter Four – Results………………………………………………………..24 Chapter Five – Discussion of Findings………………………………….… 28 Conclusion………………………………………………………………. 29 A Model for Sport Development…………………………………….. 29 References……………………………………………………………………….. 31 ii List of Tables Table Page Table 1 - Youth club participants in 2002 and 2005………………….. 24 Table 2 - British academy growth 2002-2005…………………………… 25 Table 3 - National League Club Expansion…………………………….... 26 iii List of Appendices Appendix Page Appendix A - Academy development plan……………………………….. 35 iv CHAPTER ONE Introduction At the beginning of the 21st century, baseball was played by less than 3,000 people in the country of Great Britain. This was from a population of over 50 million people. Baseball was often seen by children as complicated, by teachers as glorified rounders (a simple children’s game in Great Britain), and by parents as too long and requiring too much commitment. Major League Baseball had tried a number of initiatives to spread the game commercially and to increase participation. However, these efforts were often spread too thin or were too short in duration with most lasting only a few days (Pearce, 1999). Development initiatives were expected to be quantified to the owners of MLB teams, thus creating a numbers-first environment that drove away numerous potential volunteers. This quest for numbers often brought baseball initiatives into the school setting. A number of government reports (Learning through PE and sport, 2004; Department for Education and Skills, 2002; Department of Culture, Media, and Sport, 2001) highlighted the need for school and club links for the growth of sport amongst youth. Redwood (2003) saw sports clubs popularity rise when their sport was introduced in primary 2 and secondary schools, while Green (2002) questioned whether schools’ physical education was developing lifelong skills. The need for funding of qualified coaches in schools was highlighted by Andrews (2002). The lack of cooperation between club and school sport complicated the issue. Meanwhile, elite play in Great Britain was floundering. Only one club competed in European competition between 1994 and 2003, when three teams were eligible each year. The youth national teams rarely won games in the qualifying tournaments. The men’s national team qualified for the European Championship in 1996, and then fought to remain out of last place in each subsequent tournament (Confederation of European Baseball, 2005). Sports development in Britain was in constant tumult, revolving between conflicting government initiatives and inconsistent funding. British baseball served as a strong case study of this turmoil, aiming to fill voids in the sporting pantheon but unable to achieve significant gains in participation. Statement of the Problem No literature or plan has been found specifically targeting growth of a sport with little financial backing or an established knowledge base. Major League Baseball wanted to develop baseball in Great Britain because of its large and relatively wealthy population and its close ties, socially and politically, to the United States. Major League Baseball 3 fluctuated between two approaches: a generic push for numbers of participants and a quest to establish elite programs. These two approaches were not complementary to each other, nor were the expectations of MLB owners practical. Statement of Purpose The purpose of this creative project was to design and evaluate a comprehensive plan to develop the game of baseball in Great Britain in an environment where the sport was relatively unknown to potential participants or spectators and financial resources were minimal. Research Questions Two research questions will be examined in this study. 1. How can participation in baseball be increased in Great Britain? 2. How can the standard of play and instruction be improved? Definition of Terms Club sport – Structured amateur sports groups with no direct links to school programs. Once established, club activities strive to satisfy as many levels of participation as possible for their members. Development - The systematic spreading of knowledge and structures to participants in order to raise the numbers and skill of those involved. 4 Assumptions Assumptions necessary for this study are: 1. Implementation of a plan will overcome the natural aversion to all things new. 2. Increasing the knowledge and awareness of baseball will increase the participation levels of baseball over a period of time. Delimitations The delimitations of this study are: 1. The geographic area of Great Britain, and; 2. The sport of baseball. Significance of the Project The game of baseball in Great Britain has gone through recurring peaks and valleys since its introduction over two centuries ago (British Broadcasting Corporation, 2008), while progressing little since World War II. In order to catch up to their European counterparts in the sport, a comprehensive plan to expand participation numbers and foster elite development was needed. With this direction, the program gained more acceptance in the culture, increased their funding from government bodies, and gained prominence in school sport. The development of a comprehensive plan for all sectors of the baseball community guided volunteers with their clubs. Implementation benefited the community 5 while providing opportunities and inclusion for children. This paper was intended to comprehensively describe the fundamental processes in developing baseball. CHAPTER TWO Review of Literature The review of literature will discuss the recent history of British baseball, examine Major League Baseball’s European development plans, consider the sports structures specific to Britain, and assess the means of developing a sport locally within a national context. British Baseball History British baseball sounds like a contradiction in terms to most people (Belton & Chetwynd, 2006). But along with most of Western Europe, baseball has existed in Britain with ebbs and flows throughout the twentieth century. In fact, Great Britain won the first baseball World Cup in 1938 (Chetwynd, 2007). Additionally, Italy has had a professional league since 1948, and the Dutch have had a “honkbal” federation since 1910 (Gmelch, 2006). Despite this history, the total number of baseball players on the continent still hovers below 100,000 (Confederation of European Baseball, 2006), less than the estimated number of players in the 1930s (Bedingfield, 1999). As far back as 1889, a professional baseball game was played at the Kensington Oval in London, and witnessed by the crown prince – later to become King Edward VII. As the game ended, he was asked for 7 his impressions of the game. He stated, “The Prince of Wales has witnessed the game of Base Ball with great interest and though he considers it an excellent game, he considers cricket as superior” (Gmelch, 2006, p. 273). For more than a century since, the British royal has seemed to speak for an entire nation. In the 1980s and 1990s, elite matches or leagues were marketed on at least three separate occasions. In 1987, a league was sponsored that “gives the sport credibility by staging games to the best possible standard” (Belton & Chetwynd, 2006, p. 76). It was terminated by 1990. In 1993, minor league players from the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox drew over 5000 fans to the Oval (Chetwynd, 2008), although no evidence was apparent of that event being used as a platform to promote local play. The American ambassador to Great Britain opined that baseball ought to suit the British temperament, as it was not a violent game and is not played against the clock (Belton & Chetwynd, 2006). In 1998, the National League was formed in another attempt to artificially raise the standard of play (Chetwynd, 2008). This was done with much fanfare in the British baseball community, but many of the requirements for inclusion quickly disappeared and the more ambitious ideas were quashed. In each situation, the focus was purely on the elite level of play in the short term. Klein (2006) noted that British baseball had a diminished ability to generate new players capable of moving up the 8 ladder to the ranks of the clubs and elite play. The numbers of players continued to diminish through the end of the 1990s (Belton & Chetwynd, 2006). MLBI: Recent European Development Only in the context of baseball could Europe be considered underdeveloped, but by the standards of Major League
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