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University of Malta Futsal Student House, University of Malta, TalQroqq Msida - MSD2080 - MALTA
Table of Contents
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Opening Message
4
Foreword
6
Introduction
7
Chapter 1 – The Importance of Teamwork in Sports Activities
9
THE SOCIAL GAME WORKSHOP – TEAMWORK
11
Chapter 2 – Inequality in Sports
13
GENDER INEQUALITY
13
WAGE GAP IN SPORTS
14
ATHLETE DISABILITIES
15
SOCIAL INEQUALITY
16
THE SOCIAL GAME WORKSHOP – ATHLETE PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENTS
17
Chapter 3 – The Use of Doping by Athletes in Sports
19
THE SOCIAL GAME WORKSHOP – DOPING
20
Proposals
23
PROPOSAL 1 – INTERNAL TEAM BUILDING SESSIONS TO IMPROVE TEAMWORK
23
PROPOSAL 2 – GENDER EQUALITY IN EXECUTIVE ROLES
24
PROPOSAL 3 – FEMALE FUTSAL LEAGUE
24
PROPOSAL 4 – NORMALIZATION OF WAGES
25
PROPOSAL 5 – RAISING AWARENESS TOWARDS ATHELETES WITH A PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT
25
PROPOSAL 6 – SPORTS OPPORTUNITIES FOR PHYSICALLY IMPAIRED ATHLETES
26
PROPOSAL 7 – AVAILABLE FACILITIES FOR PHYSICALLY IMPAIRED ATHLETES
26
PROPOSAL 8 – SOCIAL INEQUALITY IN SPORTS ORGANISATIONS
27
PROPOSAL 9 – EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGNS ON DOPING
27
PROPOSAL 10 – DOPING CHECKS
28
Bibliography
29
University of Malta Futsal Student House, University of Malta, TalQroqq Msida - MSD2080 - MALTA
tel: (+356) 79544434 email: info@uomfutsal.org
University of Malta Futsal Student House, University of Malta, TalQroqq Msida - MSD2080 - MALTA
tel: (+356) 79544434
Opening Message
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Throughout the years, the University of Malta Futsal Team has implemented several innovative and dynamic initiatives to ascertain that the organisation achieves a continuous growth as a student organisation whilst also being competitive in the futsal leagues organised by the Malta Football Association. As a student organisation, it was always difficult to attract students to follow us, especially since the organisation is not faculty-based. However, the enthusiasm of the executive committee always enabled the organisation to aim higher and to represent students as much as possible. Being the only sports organisation on campus competing in official league matches, the organisation felt that it would be seriously lacking if it did not take it upon itself to instill a social policy office and start participating more into issues which affect both sports athletes and students alike. It is for this reason that this year the Policy office was introduced within the UM Futsal Executive Committee. The objective of this introduction was to enable students to be represented from a sports perspective and given a platform to have their voices heard. Formulating a plan for a new office without any previous experience within the field was never going to be an easy task. The office led by the Social Policy Officer managed to conduct various events to date relating with social issues that can affect both students and their relatives. Additionally, the office has worked hard hand-in-hand with the other Executive Committee members, and also through the participation of the players, to write its first-ever policy paper to be published. With the consistent help and work of all members and various opinions from athletes within the futsal field, the organisation is proud to present a Policy Paper discussing Teamwork, Inequality, and Doping within the sports industry. This was also achieved through a fun environment through social games specially catered for futsal players representing the University of Malta Students Futsal Team. With the publication of such a paper, the organisation is setting a stepping stone for future
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(+356) 79544434 work within the policy office. In doing so, the organisation is tel: keeping true to its email: info@uomfutsal.org
commitment to be pro-active at the University of Malta and also within the sports sector. The organisation is always looking forward to expand its horizons and conducting informed and educated discussions between students and athletes at the University of Malta. The paper makes sure to give a perspective of these social issues faced by athletes by presenting first-hand experiences of these athletes and also results achieved from discussions held after the social-game workshops. It is the organisations’ vision to present this paper to both Governmental Sports Entities and also the the Malta Football Association in order to create healthy discussions on the proposals being presented. Upon the presentation of this paper, UM Futsal will be providing the opportunity to discuss these topics on a national level and showcasing the students desire to be heard and be accounted for by sports institutions. This step should encourage more persons to voice their opinions in sports on a national level to implement changes leading to the growth of the sports industry. I would like to close off my opening remarks by congratulaing UM Futsal Social Policy Officer, Ms Joy Attard, for her sterling work throughout the year through events conducted leading to the issue of this policy paper. I would also like to encourage prospective readers of this paper to engage with us in discussions and voice your remarks within the discussed criteria and also the proposals being brought forward. This also extends to relevant stakeholders and associations, whereby together we can work towards a brighter future for local athletes and the sports industry itself. Thank you for your time. KURT RIZZO UM FUTSAL PRESIDENT
University of Malta Futsal Student House, University of Malta, TalQroqq Msida - MSD2080 - MALTA
Foreword
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When I was first approached to join the University of Malta Student’s Futsal Team’s executive as their first ever social policy officer, I was intrigued as much as I was intimidated. To accept building an office from scratch was no easy task. Having no footsteps to follow and finding myself in uncharted territory was a big decision but I was ready to face it head on. In the beginning of my term, there were no plans for a social policy paper, as we thought this was too out of reach for a newly found office, but when opportunity struck, we took it and turned it into something our organisation would be proud of. As one of the few sports organisations present and active on campus, we believe that it is of utmost importance to discuss and materialize our ideologies and share them with the student body. I am very proud to present our first social policy paper on the three most prominent factors in sport – teamwork, inequality and doping. This idea came to mind when Mr. Kurt Rizzo, current President and Mr. Calvin Scicluna, current Secretary General attended a sports exchange in Tallinn, Estonia with TDM2000 back in 2019; taking part in workshops relating to these three aspects alongside students coming from different backgrounds. We conducted our research with the aim of looking at the situation from a player’s point of view, studying it, then proposing what needs to change in order to educate further the UM Futsal Team players on such sensible topics. I would like to thank many people for their contribution on this study. First and foremost, Mr. Kurt Rizzo, for his constant help throughout this term, my fellow executive members, who were always available to lend a helping hand and our boys from the team, because thanks to them we managed to collect quite a substantial amount of information which helped us in shaping this paper. We hope you enjoy reading this paper as much as we enjoyed bringing it to life. JOY ATTARD UM FUTSAL SOCIAL POLICY OFFICER
University of Malta Futsal Student House, University of Malta, TalQroqq Msida - MSD2080 - MALTA
Introduction
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The topics being defined and explored within this paper involve the themes of teamwork, inequality, and doping issues within the sports sector. These themes where explored during a social workshop organised for UM Futsal players whereby three different games where conducted with each game encapsulating a particular topic. The idea was to let the players play the game and then telling them the theme and the salient points bieng extracted from the exercise. A commonly held belief in sports is the need for team members to be able to work well together in order for that team to be successful. Despite this assumption, research in the field of sport psychology has yet to formally or sufficiently conceptualize what is meant by teamwork (Mcewan and Beauchamp, 2014). The formation of teamwork involves, in its more rudimentary arrangement, transforming an aggregate of skillful individuals into a coordinated and cooperative social group (Halldorsson, Thorlindsson and Katovich, 2017). Basic skills and communication capabilities form part of the personal characteristics that are required for a team to function well. This paper delves into the core functions of research done denoting the element of teamwork whilst also discussing the results obtained from the social game workshop conducted. Inequality in sports can take as various types and forms. There are numerical studies that cover a vast array of inequalities such as wage gaps, disability, ethnicity, and also social exclusion. Women's quest for equality in society has had its effects noticed in the sports world. Although equality is still a distant goal in terms of funding, programs, facilities, and media coverage of women's sports, substantial gains have been made by female athletes in the past years, indicated by increasing numerical participation as well as by expanding peer and self-acceptance of female athleticism (Messner, 1988). Men’s bodies are presumed to be stronger, faster, and more powerful, whereas women display “natural� grace (Wachs, 2005). The third element being examined in this social policy paper is the opportunities presented in sports to people with various disabilities. Regular participation in physical
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tel: (+356) 79544434 activity enhances body composition, skeletal health, and contributes to the prevention email: info@uomfutsal.org
or delay of chronic disease. It also improves several aspects of psychological health including self-esteem and promotes social contacts and friendships. Participation in physical activity is particularly important for children with disability as it can have a positive impact on their development, quality of life and future health and life outcomes (Shields, Synnot and Barr, 2012).
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Chapter 1 – The Importance of Teamwork in Sports Activities tel: (+356) 79544434
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"A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed in a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable."
In this definition, Katzenbach and Smith, (1993) embodied the essential elements of a team. Although in this paper we will be highlighting the importance of teamwork in sport, teamwork is also existent in our day to day lives, whether it is at work or at home. One of the most crucial elements of teamwork is communication. There are different methods of conveying information other than that linguistic. During a game, one must take into consideration that there might be ample noise being created from the other team and from the cheers of their supporters. Thus, the body language of their fellow teammates is important for effective communication. Outside of the playing grounds, good communication is essential as well with the governing body of the same team. It is integral that the governing body can communicate clearly with the players in order to deliver feedback and also constructive criticism. The team must be in sync – and to do so, they must listen to each other and chip in their own ideas and criticism. Considering that not every person has the same character, persons can deal with criticism and ideas in a different way than their teammates – hence, one must exercise understanding and patience besides good communication skills. This is where conflict management comes in. It is of essential that open communication is available where any conflicts which may arise are addressed immediately. When the individuals in the team are comfortable with each other, they will undoubtedly offer support, whether emotional support or physical support, to one another, which will increase their sense of belonging. Empowered teams will increase their chances of obtaining their goals whilst developing new skills. These new skills can arise from each other; composing of individuals that are able to offer different skills to the team, which are complementary to each other.
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tel: (+356) of 79544434 Another purpose which binds these individuals together is the idea a common email: info@uomfutsal.org
purpose; the performance goal which the team will work together to obtain. Each member must know and understand the team’s ultimate goal – what they should be doing and why should they be doing it. This will enhance the potential of the team significantly. This performance goal must be an obtainable goal. The captain of the team, the coach and the other bodies which are entrusted with the safeguarding of the goals, are there to push the players out of their comfort zone. Challenging the capacity of the players is key for improvement – but one must be aware that not every player has the same skills, and therefore the challenge must be relative to each individual. One must strike a balance between aiming high to reach a new level of play and aiming too high which will eventually result in the demotivation of the players, leading to disappointment and consequently, the non-attainment of the goal. In the game, the captain is distinguished by wearing a captain’s armband. The captain should be the ultimate driving force of the team – the leader. Under the umbrella term of ‘captain’, this player has deeper roles. Firstly, he must be able to lead and reinforce the tactic which the coach has given them in previous training sessions by speaking to them throughout the game. It is also crucial that the captain honours the purpose and goals of the club as he represents the team on and off the pitch. The team captain must also be a motivating point of reference for the players – even if the team is losing, he must lift the player’s morale wherever they may be, whether it is during a game or even in their changing rooms. Good leadership skills from the captain are essential to attain an effective communication stream between the team and the organisation as a whole. Year after year, many sports clubs go to various measures to make sure that they have the best players in the game; the same players which will lead the club to various glories. Nonetheless, one must remember that a team consists of various individuals, and an individual by himself does not make a team. Phil Jackson, an American former professional basketball player stated that “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” A team achieves its best results when the whole group acts and plays as one on the instruction of the coach. When a player dismisses his team for his egoistic play, nobody benefits. The downfall of many
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tel: (+356) 79544434important teams is not individuality but condescension – the belief that one player is more email: info@uomfutsal.org
than another in a team. When this idea of superiority is sprouted in a team, the elements of teamwork will diminish to a great extent, leading to the team not performing to its greatest potential.
The Social Game Workshop – Teamwork
The first exercise tested the idea of teamwork within the players of the University of Malta Futsal Team. The exercise included Ultimate Frisbee as a workshop whereby the two teams needed to pass the frisbee to their teammates to get it to the other side. If the frisbee falls, possession of the frisbee would pass to the other team. The players were not allowed to run with the frisbee, and therefore needed the help of their fellow teammates to score. Nonetheless, there was a deeper significance. The players were separated from their respective captain and were told not to pass the frisbee to him, whilst the captains were given a motivating speech on the dynamics of teamwork and that they needed to be involved always during the team’s build-up play. During the actual exercise, it was noted that not all of the players obeyed the instructions given. The players of one team afterwards argued that there was no point of having a captain if they were not allowed to pass the frisbee to him or move on his instructions. They said that it was not in their nature to leave out a player as they were a team, and a team is one. On the other hand, the other team obeyed the instructions given to them. In this case, the captain of the team was getting very frustrated at his team members for ignoring his guidance. What came out from this exercise was that whilst some players respected the idea of a team, the other players respected what we asked from them. It must be noted that the team which included the captain in their game scored the most and eventually won the game whilst the team who did not include their captain lost possession frequently and consequently lost the game.
University of Malta Futsal Student House, University of Malta, TalQroqq Msida - MSD2080 - MALTA
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University of Malta Futsal Student House, University of Malta, TalQroqq Msida - MSD2080 - MALTA
Chapter 2 – Inequality in Sports
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The concept of inequality in sports has a common understanding of the main differences between male and female atheletes. Although this holds true, there is a much deeper analysis that needs to be made when talking about ineqaulity between athletes. This can stem from gender inequality, wage gaps, disabilities, and also social exclusion crieteria. Throughout this section, a further understanding on these criteria will be presented and discussed for the reader to achieve a better understanding on inequalities being faced by atheletes in various sports.
Gender Inequality There is a pervasive belief that meaningful gender differences structure the abilities and desires of bodies. These gender differences are presented as categorical imperatives, despite the prevalence of a range of abilities and desires across genders (Wachs, 2005). The fiction of definable, consistent, and meaningful gender/sex differences is maintained through the practices of individuals, the rules and hierarchies of institutions, and dominant symbols and belief systems (Messner, 1988). Because sport operates to normalize and display gender difference and specifically male superiority, it is a site at which such ideologies are made material and can therefore be challenged concretely. Just as sport has operated as a conservative force in some instances, in others, sport can allow changes in the terms of existence, practices, and interpretations of practice cru- cial to altering the gender order (Heywood and Dworkin, 2003). Female athletes are involved in an eternal fight for their rights; a fight that makes several of them go as far as to give up on their dreams. The problems are countless. Women are objectified by fans, commentators, and even coaches because people look at women’s sports as a showcase for their pleasure. Female athletes have to deal with sexist
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tel: (+356) athletes 79544434 comments coming especially from individuals who think these female aren’t
strong or talented enough to perform well.
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Wage Gap in Sports Another core element affecting inequality in sports is the issue of wage gap differences. His can be two-fold: either a wage gap between different genders or between different ethnicites and cultures. Cases of female athletes that have come to the media to fight for their rights have become more popular throughout the last decade. One recent case involving the USA women’s and men’s soccer teams brought up this endless discussion about equal payment in sports between genders. After the men’s World Cup in 2014 and women’s World Cup in 2015, five players from the women’s team filed complaints targeting the U.S. Federation for wage discrimination. The women’s team beat Japan in the championship game to become the best team in the world for the third time, while the men’s team suffered one more early elimination in their history. Although the results put the women’s team on the top, the amount awarded by the players wasn’t nearly equal. But even with women’s teams gaining popularity around the world, it seems that equality between genders is inevitably going to be an issue in the sports industry for many more years. This is because people continue to deny that female athletes are capable enough to perform at a high level and to make a spectacle for their audience. There’s no exact metric for the gender pay gap in sports overall, as it differs greatly depending on the sport, and the level at which athletes are competing within each sport. Every year, Forbes publishes a list of the top 100 paid athletes in the world. For the first time in eight years, a female athlete did not make the list, which gives a pretty good snapshot of how male athletes dominate the biggest salaries. Research shows that the pay gap is nowhere more apparent than in the world of sport. One direct consequence of this is that, asfemale athletes earn less and need a second job to make a living, they
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tel: (+356) 79544434 can devote less time to improving their skills; they therefore face a non-level playing field
in terms of career chances (Sporting Intelligence, 2017).
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Football is among the sports displaying the greatest disparities. Indeed, a 2017 global sports salaries survey revealed that the combined salaries paid to women's leagues in seven top-division football competitions in France, Germany, England, the US, Sweden, Australia and Mexico, comprising 81 teams and 1,693 players, stood at ÂŁ32.8 million a year, a little less than the ÂŁ32.9 million earned by Brazilian forward Neymar for his playing contract for Paris Saint-Germain in 2017-2018. Similarly, while prize money for the men's Football World Cup in 2018 amounted to US$400 million, women got just US$30 million in pay-outs in the 2019 Women's World Cup (Parliament, 2019).
Athlete Disabilities Participation in physical activity is particularly important for children with disability as it can have a positive impact on their development, quality of life and future health, and life outcomes. Children with disability often undertake low levels of physical activity. Youth with physical disability are reported to have less variety in their recreation and leisure participation, spending more time in sedentary recreational activities than their typically developing peers and in slower tempo skills-based activities and sports (Shields, Synnot and Barr, 2012). The reasons for the low levels of participation in physical activity among children with disabilities are complex. They are thought to include social, cultural and environmental factors that can act as barriers to a child’s participation (Shields, Synnot and Barr, 2012). A full understanding of potential factors that hinder and assist participation is essential for parents, teachers, health professionals and those working in the health, recreation and leisure industries who are involved in the design, organisation and delivery of effective exercise opportunities. These measures also hold for athletes who in some way or another have grown up with disabilities or have experienced accidents in their career which led their career to a halt
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(+356)been 79544434 awarded or even finished. From a local perspective, athlete Jake Vella, whotel:has email: info@uomfutsal.org
Sport Malta’s People Choice Award, has raised an abundance of awareness of people who have encountered health issues or disabilities in their life. Fighting a rare disease in the form of ROHHAD, Jake managed to raise many questions of how locally we are prepared to help people who suffer from these conditions in terms of infrastructure, accessibility, financially, and also future opportunities.
Social Inequality While for some factions within the world’s societies, the meanings of representative political participation, equal employment opportunities, and even basic human rights are often the subject of heated debate, there seems to be almost unanimous consent to the beauty of sporting victory, the value of a gold medal, or the fascination of a new record (Manzenreiter, 2007). However, the celebration of sport as universal cultural property disguises the political economy of sport in contemporary society and the more down-to-earth corporate interests behind the spread of Western sport. First of all, both the wealth of nations and their inhabitants have great impact upon the diversity of sport opportunities, the quality of sport facilities and the issue of access rights. This is the case because a viable sport infrastructure requires a stable allocation of resources, either by public or by private bodies, and the arrangement of these players ultimately decides whether sport is rather regarded as public policy or private business. The lack of resources within the local context gives another overview of disadvantages within the sports sytem. These include the lack of infrastructural complexes to cater for various different types of sports, lack of funding in organisations and clubs to operate efficiently, high costs burden in nurseries, and also limited opportunities for atheltes to grow up professionally and flourish their abilities.
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The Social Game Workshop – Athlete Physical Impairments
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The second exercise being organised to the players involved in an extension of Ultimate Frisbee, which was conducted for the first exercise. However, this time we opted to add a challenge to the players. This means that the two teams needed to pass the frisbee to their teammates to get it to the other side. If the frisbee falls, possession of the frisbee would pass to the other team. The players were not allowed to run with the frisbee, and therefore needed the help of their fellow teammates to score. However, the players were added with an extra obstacle for this game. They had to make a pair of glasses made out of plastic cups. In making these, players had to tie these two plastic cups together and wear them as if they were a pair of glasses, impeding them to see clearly from the sides. The aim was still to get the frisbee to the other end, but this obstacle was meant to give them a sense of what other athletes felt with having a particular disadvantage from other players. The players carved their own glasses and started playing the game. It was immediately noted that obviously this will be a much tougher task for them than the previous exercise. Especially since they had their vision limited and couldn’t see the frisbee coming or either where their teammates where. Once the exercise finished, with one of the teams managing to score twice, a discussion ensued by asking players how they felt during the exercise. Most of the players pointed out that it was really difficult for them to either see the trajectory of the frisbee or even where their teammates where to pass them the frisbee. At first, the players just discussed how difficult it was for them, in that particular time to do exercise, especially since they usually do not have this obstacle. However, once the exercise was explained to them, the players started to react differently. The discussion started off by explaining why we gave them the obstacle, and what was the main objective. Once the topic was discussed more in detail of how athletes with disabilities feel about their disadvantage and how this effects their love for the sport, the players started to discuss this too of how they encountered players with disabilities or even players who had a disability after an accident.
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University of Malta Futsal Student House, University of Malta, TalQroqq Msida - MSD2080 - MALTA
Chapter 3 – The Use of Doping by Athletes in Sports
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Doping can be described as the administration of illegal drugs to inhibit or enhance performance in sport. This dishonest practice is controlled and regulated by the National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO), locally, and by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), internationally. The consumption of the prohibited substances is listed on the WADA website and being described as “creating an unbalanced playing field between the athletes”. Doping is a persistent issue in sports which reflects a bad image on both the athlete and also the teams in the particular sport. Substance abuse has been present since the Ancient Greeks, from the Original Olympic Games. In fact, the origin of the word “doping” comes from the Dutch word “doop”, which is a viscous opium juice. Dr Larry D Bowers described this term as, “the drug of choice of the ancient Greeks” (Bowers, 1998). Even then, various athletes consumed carefully mixed potions alongside specific diets to strengthen their core in order to have better performance than their fellow competitors. By time, different methods of substances were being administered, such as caffeine and alcohol in the 19th Century as they helped the athletes perform at a much higher level (Commission, 2014). With these unfair practices, it became important to introduce limitations on drug use in sport. In 1928, the International Association of Athletics Federation became the first international federation to ban doping. 1966 was a year of progress in regard to the regulations of doping. In the same year, prevalent organisations such as Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) both commenced the conduct of doping tests in their World Championship competitions, and by the 1970s, almost all of the international federations had followed suit. Nonetheless, every great practice has to have a setback – in this case it was steroids. Steroids were gaining popularity within the sports scene and were still untraceable in every test. Testosterone was the first recorded anabolic steroid misused by Russian weightlifters during the 1954 Olympics (Wade, 1972). It was typically given medically to patients suffering with depression (Altschule and Tillotson, 1948). This steroid made its way to the general population where men were using it to enhance their athletic
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(+356) 79544434 A solution performance and also for their personal appearance (Freeman et tel: al., 2001). email: info@uomfutsal.org
was later on found and anabolic steroids were listed on the WADA list of illegal substances. As times changed and medical research developed, a new method of doping was introduced, the method of blood boosting. This is a way of increasing an athlete’s hemoglobin levels, consequently increasing the rate of oxygenation in the cells and therefore increasing the level of stamina and performance. Blood boosting can be done by erythropoietin (EPO), synthetic oxygen carriers and blood transfusions and each of these methods and substances are listed in the WADA’s List of Prohibited Substances and Methods. The procedure of doping control was set in place to eliminate substance abuse. Firstly, the athletes are chosen randomly or on the tips of third parties. The authorities let the athletes know that they are subject to a doping test on the day of a sporting event, and hence, if somebody leaves the event before taking the test, the result will be an automatic positive and the athlete will be given a ban from all the sporting related events for the specified period of time. If the test is taken, and a urine sample has to be provided, the athlete has to provide it in front of a person which is sent from the NADO.
The Social Game Workshop – Doping
During the third exercise, the teams were further divided to form pairs. The teams had to race in a Formula 1 inspired exercise. They had 78 laps in total in which they had to fastwalk. After each lap, they were able to collect a black card and after collecting 3 black cards, they were able to collect a white card. A black card on its own was worthless but a white card gave them a special advantage, that of the reduction of 10 laps from their total. Nonetheless, with every advantage comes a drawback, and the players were not aware of this.
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tel: they (+356) 79544434 Their starting position in the race was decided according to how well adapted and email: info@uomfutsal.org
conveyed the scenario given to them. This was done as a form of comic relief with the teams presenting a funny business case on why they should start the race first. Before the race even started, we were stopped multiple times to re-explain what the rules were. The teams couldn’t understand why they could be given an advantage. Some players thought nothing of the consequences whilst some others were very cautious with their black cards, not knowing what this will lead them to. It was also noted that some players were calculating how many black cards they need to take in the race so that they could exchange all of the black cards at once, trying to outsmart the system. The race started and it was immediately noted that winning was the only thing on their mind. When the first person collected 3 black cards and exchanged them for a white card, he was given the drawback of walking on his knees for the rest of the race. When the fellow athletes saw this, some did not even take the black cards yet some persisted and still exchanged them, in hopes of getting a different drawback. The game stopped when the first team finished all of their laps. When asked to comment on their experience throughout the game, the players presented their different points of view. One player stated that they did not try to cheat as they were in a team, and the consequence would not only bring him down, but the other person in the team as well. The other teams stated that the desire to cheat came from the other people who wanted to cheat, and reasoned that if the others were cheating, they were going to cheat as well so that there wouldn’t have been any prejudice between them. Some were so intent on winning the game, they did not even think about any kind of consequence that would be given to them One player added that it is unfair on them that they are pushing themselves and giving their all for the team whilst his team members are not working as hard and when confronted, they were still not willing to make an effort. Another stated that it is not enough that only one player does not cheat, but it must be also in the will of the other team members.
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(+356)caught 79544434 Since our players played team sports, they knew that if someone tel: was doping email: info@uomfutsal.org
during one of their games, the whole team was going to be disqualified. Nonetheless, that was not the only consequence, after an athlete is tested positive for illegal substances, his reputation will go down as well as the club’s. One must keep in mind that when one is playing for a team, he is a part of the team, his reputation, morals and standards are mirrored onto the team.
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Proposals
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As discussed in the previous sections, the functions of teamwork, inequality, and doping all have an adverse effect on sports if not managed well. The elements of teamwork presented a scenario whereby individuals cannot compete and get results in a teamoriented sports, no matter how good they are over their peers. The subject of inequality presented a thorough overview of core elements such as gender inequality, the problem of wage gaps between genders, athlete disabilities, and also social exclusion. The third pillar discussed in this paper was the problem of doping within athletes and the origins of how this was seen as a shortcut for success. All these elements were extracted through social game workshops organised to the University of Malta Futsal Team players. This enabled us to evaluate and analyse how athletes react when given certain criteria and scnearios to work in. We have seen various efforts locally to inform and educate both children and athletes on these topics, however, there might need to be further brainstorming between all relevant stakeholders in order to crucially pinpoint these shortcomings. In this context, a set of proposals are being put forward by UM Futsal in order to be considered for implementation.
Proposal 1 – Internal Team Building Sessions to Improve Teamwork Embarking on a very ambitious project, this year presented various challenges. One of these was to be able to combine a group of players to gel in with each other having been part of other futsal teams. This was never an easy task, and doing so required a lot of training sessions and also team bonding events. In this regard, it is being proposed, that internally the club should organise at least one team bonding event per month in order for the players to work as a team more efficiently. These events should not take only form of general outings but also educational events such as informative sessions and firstaid certification in order for the players to get to know each other better and work more efficiently as a team.
University of Malta Futsal Student House, University of Malta, TalQroqq Msida - MSD2080 - MALTA
Proposal 2 – Gender Equality in Executive Roles
tel: (+356) 79544434 email: info@uomfutsal.org
The football and futsal sports offer limited opportunities for women to have an active role within this sport. The UM Futsal Team has always been an advocate of this equilbrium, with gender balance within the executive department. In fact, this year, the organisation boasts of five women out of an exectuve of eleven persons, the highest ever registered for this organisation. Apart from this, the organisation has also appointed a women as a Technical Director of the team, taking care of the logistics and other aspects related to players. This means, that UM Futsal has been the first ever futsal team to appoint a women in this role. In this regard, we are proposing that this equilibrium remains constant within the organisation and to also advocate for other sports clubs to follow this initiative and empower women with executive roles within the club. This will lead to further stregthen the cause that there is no difference between genders and that women have the same capabilities of men within sports. This proposal can be further stregthened by inserting a minimum quota of the number of women that need to form part of the executive.
Proposal 3 – Female Futsal League Not enough has been made to put forward an agenda to open up a futsal league for women. This creates an imbalance when considering that other sports all have their own women team. Additionally, during these past few years, we have seen many female athletes in the football sport managing to go and play with top foreign teams and also establishing themselves in the beginning line-up. This has led also to the Women’s National Team to achieve staggering results in their competitive matches. Thus, it is being proposed to the Malta Football Association (MFA) to seriously consider and put up efforts to introduce a Womens’ Futsal League in order to provide a platform for women to be introduced to this sport.
University of Malta Futsal Student House, University of Malta, TalQroqq Msida - MSD2080 - MALTA
Proposal 4 – Normalization of Wages
tel: (+356) 79544434 email: info@uomfutsal.org
Currently, there is a big discrepancy between the remuneration packages being offered to men and women. There have been many persons advocating the fact that these should be normalised, especially in national teams whereby national duties are paid different between males and females. It is also common that for a particular sport, male athletes are offered a remuneration package and women are not offered any package. This creates a distinction between genders rather than capabilities. This can also be evidenced within the local sports context within football teams. One cannot compare within the futsal league, since no womens league exists, so this recommendation will be targeted towards the football sport. It is being recommended to the Malta Football Association to standardise the discrepancies in wages between men and female wage packages. This can be achieved through workshops with relevant clubs to identify a solution to this discrepancy whilst also implementing a minimum package that needs to be offered to female athletes competing in football competitions. This model can also be adopted by other local sports associations to further diminish the gap between genders when comparing wage packages.
Proposal 5 – Raising Awareness Towards Atheletes with a Physical Impairment The main concern that society faces in today’s era is that of how to tackle social problems. Not enough is currently being made in order to raise awareness of how to educate persons on what people with a particular disability need. In the sports context, it is important that both athletes and coaches are given ample information and learning of how to help these people and make them integrate more with the team. This proposal involves the setting up of workshops targeted towards athletes to inform them about the ‘do’s’ and ‘dont’s’ in the context of athletes with a physical impairment.
University of Malta Futsal Student House, University of Malta, TalQroqq Msida - MSD2080 - MALTA
tel: (+356) 79544434 Proposal 6 – Sports Opportunities for Physically Impaired Athletes email: info@uomfutsal.org
The Malta Paralympic Committee (MPC) was set up to promote and educate sports to athletes with physical impairments. The MPC serves as the national focal point for Para Sport and the liaising body between the IPC and the National Sports Associations. The MPC can assist through the provision of coaching and athlete development programmes, educational seminars, outreach campaigns, technical and administrative support, and participation in IPC competitions and events. The MPC is keen on working closely with National Sports Associations to develop further Para Sport disciplines in Malta & Gozo. However,the organisation feels that there is not enough awareness of the needs of such physically impaired athletes by other athletes and also youths. Thus, it is being proposed to the Ministry for Sports and also the MFA to conduct more programmes and educational campaigns on this topic. These can also be in the form of events whereby athletes and youths get to experience the same thing that physically impaired athletes experience. This is also being suggested internally, whereby the organisation will be conducting more educational programmes to its own players and also raise awareness and education on how to help physically impaired athletes.
Proposal 7 – Available Facilities for Physically Impaired Athletes It is being recognised that although there has been a lot of improvement in investment in facilities, there is still a lot to do. It is being proposed that through Sport Malta, more investment is done on facilities in order to create more opportunities for teams to have suitable facilities to train but to also design these facilities in a manner that physically impaired athletes can also use these facilities to practice their favourite sport.
University of Malta Futsal Student House, University of Malta, TalQroqq Msida - MSD2080 - MALTA
Proposal 8 – Social Inequality in Sports Organisations
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As discussed in proposal 7, there are limited facilities in the country that limit sports organisations on their growth. This impedement creates tough competition for sports organisations to obatin slots to train and also allows unfair competition, whereby clubs and associations are given years-long contracts to train in a particular facility and the other sports organisations are left wondering where to train. Additionally, this also stems the opportunity for other venues to increase their prices due to the high demand to use the venues. In this regard, it is being proposed that the Government and even Sport Malta make sure that everyone is being given the chance to use available facilities to ensure fair competition. Furthermore, new facilities will be certainly needed for the ever-growing lists of different sports and also organisations. It is also being suggested to the MFA that the much needed futsal complex project is undertaken to ensure that futsal athletes are given the right scenario to flourish their abilities in a professional manner.
Proposal 9 – Educational Campaigns on Doping The topic of doping is always a sensitive one for athletes. As discussed in our workshop and research conducted, being found positive for doping has some serious consequences. In this regard, it is being recommended that:
1. Internally, UM Futsal will conduct informative sessions to its players by inviting a field expert to conduct the talk and discuss the topic of doping; 2. The Miinsitry for Sport and th Ministry for Education, in collaboration with the MFA, conduct a serious of talks to schools and educational institutions in order to educate children on the topic of doping and what these leave as an effect on the athlete and the club.
University of Malta Futsal Student House, University of Malta, TalQroqq Msida - MSD2080 - MALTA
Proposal 10 – Doping Checks
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It is being proposed to the MFA that more doping checks are conducted throughout the year in order to ensure that players are competing in a fair manner and eliminate any abuse of performance enhancers by athletes.
University of Malta Futsal Student House, University of Malta, TalQroqq Msida - MSD2080 - MALTA
tel: (+356) 79544434
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email: info@uomfutsal.org
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University of Malta Futsal Student House, University of Malta, TalQroqq Msida - MSD2080 - MALTA
(+356) 79544434 We would like to thank everyone who participated to make this tel: social policy paper email: info@uomfutsal.org
possible, including exec members, technical staff, and also the players. Your contribution is highly appreciated. Additionally, we would also like to thank our sponsors for their continuous help throughout the year and for believeing in our vision.