XXI Commonwealth Games Gold Coast lead contractor gives praise
Lead Contractor of XXI Commonwealth Games gives praise The Carrara Precinct was a major event and sporting hub during the XXI Commonwealth Games Gold Coast The Carrara Stadium hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the XXI Commonwealth Games Gold Coast, as well as the track & field events of the Athletics sports program. The objective of the project labeled Carrara Overlay Development was to temporarily transform the existing AFL compliant Carrara Stadium and adjacent Elite Fields into an IAAF compliant athletics track and field competition and warmup facility to host events and associated test events as part of the XXI Commonwealth Games Gold Coast. Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) engaged Cockram Constructions Queensland Pty Ltd (CCQ) to deliver the design and construction of the project including operational services during the event period. Cockram Constructions placed a tender for supply of IAAF compliant athletics track and field sports equipment and Play Hard Sports Equipment (PHS) was successful in supplying the two IAAF accredited Thor 10 hammer discus cages displayed in the main stadium and external warm up track. The Thor design cages are unique in the world for; Australian designed and manufactured IAAF certified Black netting dropped or raised at any time (300kg breaking strain, 5mm thick and UV stable -Cyclone 2 / Hurricane 1 wind rating) Remain erected all season for greater usability for the athlete with 24/7 training Greater visibility of the athlete for viewing public and media Fewer implement strikes with the 4-pole superstructure frame away from netting Easy installation with hand winch (no machinery required) Tangerine colour–Visually aesthetic to match stadium modern characteristics Accommodated Broadcast camera on the inside at back/centre Visually aesthetic for international broadcast 10-year superstructure guarantee “Play Hard Sports Equipment (PHS) installed all Throw cages – as per the CCQ SP2 Program. All staff were present and available for asset management at the 2018 Australian Athletics Championships 15-18 February and XXI Commonwealth Games Gold Coast competition 25 March–14 April. During those two major events Play Hard Sports Equipment (PHS) provided support with multiple installations and removal of the main track cage before and after the 2018 Australian Athletics Championships, the main XXI Commonwealth Games Gold Coast competition days and closing ceremony in accordance with specified transition timeframes. It was an absolute pleasure to work with Trevor Bowman, Steve Dart and the entire Play Hard Sports Equipment team who collaborated effortlessly and displayed superior responsiveness and great teamwork to deliver this project without any delays. We have really enjoyed working with such a dynamic team and look forward to more great partnerships in the coming years. Yours Sincerely Geoff Waters” – Project Manager RECENT POSTS UK Throw Cage Roll-Out Continues Home of Throws in New Zealand (Pulman Park) Thor 9 Throw Cage for the 2023 Island Games (UK) IAAF becomes World Athletics Thor 9 Cage on the big stage in London! Guernsey about to receive the most innovative throw cage in 50 years Thor Throw Cages Danger Zones – Video Thor 10 hosted at the University of Iowa (USA) The Sports And Play Industry Association (SAPIA) awards are open for 2019 2018 Commonwealth Games Post Report Highlighting our Hammer Cage Sizes 7NEWS Gold Coast 'Games Boomers' report PHS Founder Trevor Bowman interviewed for the local nightly Gold Coast 7 NEWS Thor 9 Open Day at Ashton Athletics Field UK London Stadium acquires IAAF certified Thor 9 hammer discus throw cage Ashton Athletics Field ready for IAAF accredited Thor 9 cage 2018 All Schools Championship in QLD UK Athletics launch programme of cage modernisation Track and Field Athlete Nick Miller at Commonwealth Games PHS receive beautiful plaque from USPTO
“Many will want you, but few will invest” Benn Harradine
Ben Harradine on “Many will want to, but few will do” The commercial world of sport is growing exponentially. For the greater good or the greater bad? Of course a debate of opinion. It is, however, a common misconception that athletes are making tens of thousands of dollars, euros or pounds from their craft but in actual fact, the numbers are far far less. There is such a small percentage of athletes who can live off their name. Even then, that is determined greatly by their success. Their looks, or being in the right place at the right time. The Rio Olympic Games in 2016 saw TV companies paying more than $4 billion to screen the 19-day festival of sport, while the eleven global sponsors bankrolling the event have a combined market value of over $1.5 trillion. A recent study showed that just 6 percent of the money generated by the Olympics goes back to athletes as salaries. The rest is spent by the IOC and national bodies as they see fit. In contrast, Premier League players pocket well over half of their club’s revenues. Now with such things as the Rule 40, it is becoming even more difficult to appropriately market oneself during the biggest sporting event in the world. For those are not familiar with this rule it is defined as: Rule 40 is a by-law in the official Olympic Charter, and it states that “No competitor, coach, trainer or official who participates in the Olympic Games may allow his person, name, picture or sports performances to be used for advertising purposes during the Olympic Games” without the express consent of the IOC board So what are we worth? Let’s take a look at a typical scenario for an Australian Athlete competing in Track and Field: Say you are an Olympic athlete. You compete in the games and finish in the top 10. As far as support from the national sporting body, you may get between $8000-$12000 annually. Maybe you have a small time sponsorship with an apparel company, IF you are lucky that might be to the tune of $5000. You now have an Olympic Athlete, training full time, with a total annual income of, in this case, $17,000 Australian Dollars. So if it cost an athlete $30,000-$60,000 per year to train and compete, where do they get the remaining money from? Social Media: The exponentially growing world of social media gives athletes a chance to bring genuine followers into their journeys and behind the scenes of their training. Of course, most companies have a social media presence and some more than others. The question is, are we selling ourselves short? What does it cost us when we simply, “plug a product in a post for some free things” Let’s say an athlete gets a pair of socks to post on Instagram to their 20,000 Followers. Maybe they get 10 pairs “for free” but attached to that is a, “we want at least one post per pair of socks” The socks are produced for, $1 AUD and they have a retail value of $20. Away they go and post pictures, tag, and hashtag the company. 20,000 followers spammed for a total investment of $200 worth of product. Seems fair, doesn’t it? Well, what if I was to tell you that an average “Instagrammer” with a 20,000k following can make more than $50,000 AUD annually for posts in their pyjamas? and this was in 2015! So the process of a “DM” (Direct Message) from a company saying, “we want to send you some product if you post a few pics for us” and you thinking, “oh how cool, I get free stuff!” Should definitely include the question, “what is this worth to me?” {Side Note-Make no mistake, everything has perspective, for example, if a company gives you a car worth $30k, of course, it makes sense to represent them appropriately.} The following is a sample performance bonus from a company who’s annual revenue in 2015 was$5.4 million AUD. Based on the number of people who sign these contracts, it is clear how they are able to do so. As a contrast to this, below is a list of Ryan Lochte’s endorsement packages for 2012 Olympics: Something is not better than nothing: Marketing and sponsorships are based on relationships. They are mutually beneficial. The company gets to share in the growth and success of an athlete, taking care of them financially and supporting them through their highs and lows. Helping them develop their own brand and following. In return, the athlete can then feel like they are valuable. That they can contribute by helping the company to market a great product with their name and likeness, sharing ideas and some of the traits that few people acquire so young from the world of elite sport. I came across an athlete who was continually turned down by a particular company, saying that they were “not valuable enough to support”. The usual rigmarole of, “we have allocated our financial support for this year but are happy to provide you with a product” Then that athlete exploded and with that exposure, the same sponsor came back with an offer of a very lucrative financial contract. To which the athlete kindly declined making example of the fact that they did not want to represent a brand that had no interest in supporting athletes to become better. It pays very well to use your brain. Do some research. Seek representation by people who understand the business of sport. Who have contacts with the “big hitters” and understand the true value of a walking talking advertisement. This will hopefully help to decrease the gap between your support from the national sporting body if any, and what you have to invest out of your own pocket. Maybe you might be able to invest in your life after sport!? The easier it is to live, the easier it is to train smart, the easier it is to be a better version of yourself.
National Level Developments with Cage Specifications
National Developments with Hammer Discus Cage Specifications Australia’s leading sports equipment manufacturer Play Hard Sports Equipment (PHS) is gaining a lot of interest from the UK regarding the IAAF accredited Thor 9 hammer discus cage – as a leading choice of IAAF certified throwing cages. In the US, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has accepted all International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) cage specifications as “meets NCAA Specifications”. Previously only NCAA specified cages were acceptable for installation across 1,281 North American institutions. The IAAF specified cages (there are two sizes approved by IAAF) have a narrower throwing zone than NCAA cages and therefore able to better restrict wayward implements. UK Athletics have a rule regarding throwing cages, saying that all cages should be compliant to IAAF rules. The proposed rule change will be “IAAF certified”. Most cages in the UK (pre-date the 2004 rule change which extended the gate pivot position from the centre of the circle to 7.0m.) will either be modified or replaced over time. Continued lobbying from Denis Wilson of Athletics Australia in 2014, the IAAF approved a reduced size cage with gate pivots that are 4.2m from the circle, 9.0m high and 3.2m wide. The Thor 9 hammer discus cage is IAAF certified as being compliant to the 9m gate cage size and includes this stand out feature: The Hurricane 1 (Cyclone 2 ) C2 wind rating means that nets can remain erected in winds up to 74mph (117kph) and the benefits to councils, schools and clubs are the net does not need to be lowered during storms or normally strong winds. Therefore, the net can remain erected longer for greater usability for the athlete training 24/7, 365. See our animation video… https://youtu.be/LJZ5nVvNO8k RECENT POSTS UK Throw Cage Roll-Out Continues Home of Throws in New Zealand (Pulman Park) Thor 9 Throw Cage for the 2023 Island Games (UK) IAAF becomes World Athletics Thor 9 Cage on the big stage in London! Guernsey about to receive the most innovative throw cage in 50 years Thor Throw Cages Danger Zones – Video Thor 10 hosted at the University of Iowa (USA) The Sports And Play Industry Association (SAPIA) awards are open for 2019 2018 Commonwealth Games Post Report Highlighting our Hammer Cage Sizes 7NEWS Gold Coast 'Games Boomers' report PHS Founder Trevor Bowman interviewed for the local nightly Gold Coast 7 NEWS Thor 9 Open Day at Ashton Athletics Field UK London Stadium acquires IAAF certified Thor 9 hammer discus throw cage Ashton Athletics Field ready for IAAF accredited Thor 9 cage 2018 All Schools Championship in QLD UK Athletics launch programme of cage modernisation Track and Field Athlete Nick Miller at Commonwealth Games PHS receive beautiful plaque from USPTO