For some Olympic athletes, funding is not a problem. An example of that is the U.S. Men’s basketball team. Each member of that team is a franchise player and their combined salaries would rival the economy of some small nations.
Other Olympic athletes are not so fortunate. There are not the spectacular salaries from sports nor the endorsement dollars from advertising campaigns. Athletic existence depends upon government programs, corporate donations and often family financial support. For some families of Olympic athletes, it means sacrifice to follow an athletic dream.
In Canada, funding for athletes is dwindling:
“… Funding cuts at Win-Sport Canada have already touched everything from speedskating to snowboard to women’s hockey to skeleton. And this comes in an Olympic year, with corporate and government support for athletes at an all-time high.
In response, Canadian Olympians–including Clara Hughes, Jeremy Wotherspoon (sp) and Melissa Hollingsworth–are speaking out about their fear for the next generation of Canadian athletes.”
The Olympic athletes have developed their skills through developmental programs and community sports opportunities. With the decrease in available funds, those grassroots programs will suffer. The children who might be future Olympians simply will not have the chance to develop their talents if the funding continues to disappear.
Catherine Forsythe
