- Jun 16, 2018
- 8,782
- 15,764
- AFL Club
- North Melbourne
Financially the sport will be fine: kids and women love the Big Bash and it will continue to grow.
But in terms of player quality, especially when it comes to first-class cricket, here are some problems I see getting worse:
1) Obesity. This is a fat country and only getting fatter.
Australia is not alone in this regard but we seem to be near the front of the pack.
2) Urbanisation. Our cities are getting larger and denser, while backyard sizes are getting smaller.
Where do kids learn that competitive spirit? Once upon a time it was in backyards. In Australia, the major cities are the population bases, and within those cities, new homes are built without backyards, while existing homes are being destroyed and the land sub-divided to build newer, shittier 'houses', with even smaller backyards.
3) Helicopter parenting. The 'stranger danger' thing is now deeply rooted in the Australian psyche.
When backyards are small, kids can still play on the street. Well, they used to. We don't see kids outside much these days. There are several reasons for this and I contend that one of them is that parents not allowing their kids to go and play with neighbours, whereas not long ago it was common for parents to actively encourage their children to go and find other kids to play with.
4) Mind-warping drugs. Young boys are being prescribed psychiatric drugs like nobodies business.
Statistics on this are surprisingly hard to find, but based on anecdotal observation, it seems to me that Australian boys must be the most doped-up in the world (apart from the Yanks). Anybody who thinks this has no effect on the long-term outcomes for a child are woefully naive.
It seems to me that Australia is one of the world leaders in societal trends which are deleterious to producing talented athletes and especially talented cricketers, particularly in comparison to other cricket-playing nations.
Perhaps I am overreacting and allowing the shiteness of one generation of Aussie cricketers to cloud my view. But take away Steve Smith and before him Michael Clarke and this country's Test batting has been woeful for a decade, with no sign of improvement on the horizon. If the factors I am pointing to are not somehow responsible for it, then what is?
And don't say video games or technology: those are problematic in every country now, even in 'poorer' nations. From what I can tell, Australia is no worse in this regard. Kids around the world are hooked on video games and smartphones. The factors I have pointed to, I am suggesting that Australia is worse. Obesity, urbanisation, helicopter parenting, doping up kids: I am suggesting that these are worse in Australia than other cricket-playing nations.
I would love to be wrong. Please tell me I am.
But in terms of player quality, especially when it comes to first-class cricket, here are some problems I see getting worse:
1) Obesity. This is a fat country and only getting fatter.
Australia is not alone in this regard but we seem to be near the front of the pack.
2) Urbanisation. Our cities are getting larger and denser, while backyard sizes are getting smaller.
Where do kids learn that competitive spirit? Once upon a time it was in backyards. In Australia, the major cities are the population bases, and within those cities, new homes are built without backyards, while existing homes are being destroyed and the land sub-divided to build newer, shittier 'houses', with even smaller backyards.
3) Helicopter parenting. The 'stranger danger' thing is now deeply rooted in the Australian psyche.
When backyards are small, kids can still play on the street. Well, they used to. We don't see kids outside much these days. There are several reasons for this and I contend that one of them is that parents not allowing their kids to go and play with neighbours, whereas not long ago it was common for parents to actively encourage their children to go and find other kids to play with.
4) Mind-warping drugs. Young boys are being prescribed psychiatric drugs like nobodies business.
Statistics on this are surprisingly hard to find, but based on anecdotal observation, it seems to me that Australian boys must be the most doped-up in the world (apart from the Yanks). Anybody who thinks this has no effect on the long-term outcomes for a child are woefully naive.
It seems to me that Australia is one of the world leaders in societal trends which are deleterious to producing talented athletes and especially talented cricketers, particularly in comparison to other cricket-playing nations.
Perhaps I am overreacting and allowing the shiteness of one generation of Aussie cricketers to cloud my view. But take away Steve Smith and before him Michael Clarke and this country's Test batting has been woeful for a decade, with no sign of improvement on the horizon. If the factors I am pointing to are not somehow responsible for it, then what is?
And don't say video games or technology: those are problematic in every country now, even in 'poorer' nations. From what I can tell, Australia is no worse in this regard. Kids around the world are hooked on video games and smartphones. The factors I have pointed to, I am suggesting that Australia is worse. Obesity, urbanisation, helicopter parenting, doping up kids: I am suggesting that these are worse in Australia than other cricket-playing nations.
I would love to be wrong. Please tell me I am.