Edition number 7; 31 March 2010
Who’s whom
As daffodils, lambs and local club cricketers stumble blinking into the spring sunshine these people will be taking guard at a new wicket:
New Zealand Recreation Association (NZRA) has a new chief executive Steve Gibling who recalls how he got started in the business, “Like all people in the industry I started out with about four part-time jobs and over the course of a couple of years managed to cobble them into one full-time position”; FA chief operating officer Alex Horne has stepped in as acting CEO while his political bosses seek to replace Ian Watmore, who resigned in “a mix of anger and frustration at what he saw as attempts by some members of the board, allegedly the Premier League representatives, to undermine his power”; the Jockey Club has appointed Scott Bowers as its new director of communications; and former ITV broadcasting chief executive Mick Desmond has been appointed to the new role of commercial director at the All England Club, home of the Wimbledon tennis championships.
Who’s looking for whom
Meanwhile these organisations are looking to strengthen their batting order:
Sports Partnership Herefordshire and Worcestershire are looking for a coaching development manager and a sport development officer – clubs, coaches and volunteers; “experienced” executive officers with strong IT skills might consider working for Scottish Swimming if £20,000 pa plus a pension attracts; Arts Council England have a total of 14 posts available for people with skills in collaboration, influencing and advocacy who want to become relationship managers on £35,000 pa; any “highly skilled football coaches who have a passion for children and young people” and are prepared to work in Ardwick in Manchester should contact Football Focused who are a “football and life coaching organisation; the chair of music is vacant at Durham University, although you need to be “conducting world leading work in terms of originality, significance and impact”; West Midlands sports development consultancy Sports Structures are recruiting a senior sports consultant and are prepared to pay up to £45,000 pa; the Henry Moore Institute is in need of a £55,000 pa head of sculpture studies; British Universities & Colleges Sport want two deputy chefs de mission, one for the 2011 World University Summer Games in China and one for the winter ones in Turkey; there is up to £38,000 pa and a car available from England Athletics if you can fill their vacancy for a national disability club and coach officer; and Edge Hill University are in the market for a senior lecturer in dramatic script writing.
Please send details of your new appointments and situations vacant to the news desk. We would be delighted to let people know what's what and, of course, who's whom.
the people page
comings, goings and a personal spotlight
Spotlight: Jim Teatum
Current position
President of Global Business Systems, a leisure and fitness consultancy company based in San Diego, California. The company acts as the lead leisure and fitness consultants for Gerson Lehrman Group of New York City, provides programming and training for solutions that impact child obesity and senior fitness, and has taken over the international development of the iconic World Gym brand.
Biggest challenge in the next 12 months?
To drive greater synergy between the health club segment and the medical community. This should be a mutually beneficial partnership but it isn’t. Many medical professionals view the health club sector as a group whose main focus is to sell memberships, as opposed to providing well-balanced programming that can generate quantifiable health improvement outcomes. On the other hand our healthcare system is really a disease-care system in which funding and emphasis is placed firmly on curative measures with little attention or resources devoted to preventative strategies. Here in the U.S. 80% of people who end up in hospital put themselves there through poor lifestyle choices and I am sure the same applies in the UK. The medical profession need a channel through which they can refer patients to provide real wellness solutions. The health club segment should be that channel. It will only be so by providing well-researched preventative programmes implemented by well-trained staff and promoted by thoughtful and needs-based marketing. Our aim over the next 12 months is to strive to improve the credibility of the health club segment with medical professionals and funding bodies.
Which job in sport and leisure would you most like to do?
Hey, with 330 days of sunshine and surf a year here in San Diego , I am doing it!
Who or what inspired your career?
Without a doubt Dr Kenneth Cooper, the renowned author and researcher who was largely responsible for the jogging or running boom in the 1970s and for very clearly explaining the huge benefits of regular exercise, good nutrition and a balanced lifestyle.
What advice would you offer a young person entering the industry?
Above all be passionate about what you are doing – it will shine through if you are! Never stop learning and keep your mind open to new ideas, research and solutions that can be implemented to benefit those who perhaps need your help, guidance and inspiration.
What could the sector do without?
That's an easy one. The so-called ‘silver bullet’ claims that do nothing to enhance the seriousness of our industry. In short, unscrupulous opportunists who in essence prey on the insecurities and low self-esteem of people looking for real solutions to their health needs.
Where would I like to be and what would I like to be doing in 10 years time?
It may sound cheesy, but as long as I am healthy and happy I don't really mind.
