Touch Football Australia (TFA) Chairman Michael Sparks has announced his decision to stand down from his position at the conclusion of the TFA Board of Management meeting in April 2007.
Michael Sparks, the General Manager of SportINFO, and the President of the Confederation of Australian Sport, has served as the TFA Board of Management Chairman since November 2002.
Mr. Sparks is also a board member of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame and the Sports Management Association of Australia and New Zealand, and has represented Australia previously as a player and a coach in Touch Football.
He has been involved in the sport since 1980 and will continue to participate as a player and coach, and a keen supporter of the code.
Mr. Sparks felt the timing was right to relinquish his position as TFA Board of Management Chairman to enable the sport to continue down the pathway towards a brighter ‘united’ future.
Mr. Sparks has been at the helm of the TFA Board during a challenging period that has seen the sport undertake a review (the Shillbury Report July 2004) of its strategic and operational endeavours and subsequently alter the governance style, direction, and structure of the sport.
The shift towards the unitary model in the name of the future prosperity of the game in Australia has at times been problematic.
Touch Football is one of the first sports to embark on the journey towards a truly ‘unified’ structure and is blazing a trail that many other sports are now pursuing.
TFA Acting Chief Executive Officer Colm Maguire, and Mr. Sparks addressed a capacity audience at last weeks “Our Sporting Future Conference” in Brisbane in a lecture on structure and governance, presenting an honest and open account of a time in the sport’s history that has encompassed the full spectrum of challenges and emotions that impact and accompany such significant change for all members of a National body.
Non-Olympic sporting organisations in this country will face the prospect of less government funding in the future, and as such there will be the need to substantially increase participation levels and generate varied revenue streams to help the sport thrive in a competitive environment.
Mr. Sparks and the TFA Board have been diligent in addressing these challenges and hope that further integration of the unitary model, in an acceptable version for all members, will open up efficiencies and opportunities for all.
“While some observers may see the last few years as difficult and in some cases damaging, they have, in my view, been part of the journey touch needed to take to ensure we were better positioned for the new age of sport in Australia. The change has caused us all to review what it is that we want our sport to be, where we want it to go and how to get there. It is in many ways the same journey we all take with our own careers and lives. The experience has made us stronger and has clarified the commitment people have to the sport.” Mr. Sparks said.
Mr. Sparks remains a passionate supporter of the game and its members and believes the sport will make valuable advancements in the future with a refreshed commitment to working together to achieve goals at all levels of endeavour.
“I’m confident in the staff and the management team we have and I encourage everyone to continue to be active members of the ‘engine room’ for the sport. Be progressive, agitate for change you see we need to make, keep challenging and improving. But of everything, can I ask you to remain ‘in the game’, be part of action, decisions and activities. Life is easy from the sidelines but harder on the field. The simple fact is you can’t win the game if you’re on the sideline.” Mr. Sparks said.
Touch Football Australia extend their gratitude and appreciation to Michael Sparks for his leadership, insight, vision, and contribution to the game and wish him the very best for his future professional, sporting, and personal endeavours.
