A NOVEL EXPERIMENT IN ADMINISTRATION

Press, 15 September 1976, Page 25

A NOVEL EXPERIMENT IN ADMINISTRATION

By

KEVIN McMENAMIN

When Mr A. W. Barrett, the executive director of The New Zealand Games •Organising Committee, .needs to make contact with basketball and gymnastics, two of the sports on the 1977 games programme, he does not have Jar to go.

He needs only to talk to himself, for Mr Barrett is also the national secretary •for both these sports. And this is not the limit to the jporting hats he can wear. He is still required from time to time to fill the ’role of chief administrative officer for the 1974 Games Organising Committee and, almost as infrequently, he is required .’to act in his capacity as • secretary of Com“monwealth Games Promo--tion (New Zealand), the body which secured the 1974 Games for Christchurch. In addition, Mr Barrett “is the secretary of the Basketball Referees’ Federation of New Zealand and he oversees the work of Federation Marketing, Ltd, a company which is engaged in the buying and selling of basketball equipment on behalf of the New Zealand Basketball Federation.

In taking on all these duties, Mr Barrett is participating in a novel experiment in sports administration and one which could set a standard for the future.

Three months ago the New Zealand Games committee, with the support of the other sports Mr Barrett serves, joined forces with the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association and rented 3000 Sq. ft of office space at 37 Manchester Street. Mr R. N. Forster, the swimming assocation’s secretary, has his office just a few steps from Mr Barrett’s and working with them is a staff of six, two of whom are employed part-time.

With swimming also taking in the allied fields of diving, water polo, synchronised swimming and water safety, the office is, in effect, the headquarters- for 12 activities. So far, the “merger” had worked very well, said Mr Barrett this week. It was too early to be precise about the finanical savings to the sports, but there were the obvious reductions in office rental and electricity and telephone charges.

All the permanent, facilities are shared and with each sport making a contribution there is a wider range of office equipment than any of the sports could easily afford if they were on their own. Mr Barrett believes that the joining together of a number of sports in a common office is a sound move, both in the administrative and financial senses. He has been approached by three other sports wanting him to act for them, but he has decided to take on no more, at least until after the New Zealand Games.

He says that to keep the operation viable, he would need just one other major sport, instead of the games, and he might also consider one or two smaller ones.

He believes there might come a time when sports at provincial and even club level get together and channel their secretarial work through the one office. However, it would be very difficult for one man to act full-time for a number of sports at different levels. The idea of collective sports administration is

not entirely new. It was tried as a strictly commercial venture in Wellington a few years ago, but failed. The reason might have been that the office was established and then clients were sought.

rather than — as occurred in Mr Barrett’s case — the sports simply got together by obtaining the services of one man.

The idea, in principle, has also been considered by the Council for Recreation and Sport and Mr Barrett says that it would

become far more tenable if the council was willing to lend assistance, particularly in helping some of the smaller sports to pay their way in a partnership.

It was some time ago that the council expressed its interest, but it has ob-

viously not shelved the scheme. This week the acting chairman (Mr C. L. S. Cross) and the secretary (Mr P. J. Brooks) came to Christchurch to see first-hand just how the office shared by Messrs Barrett and Foster functions.