It’s time for intergenerational action – and for sport to lead the way

Opening Remarks from Beyond Sport United
Nick Keller, Founder and President of Beyond Sport

Welcome to Beyond Sport United 2018.

I feel like we are ready for action – though we know it’s not business as usual. We have mourned the loss of belief in the structures that have held firm for well over half a century. That time is gone and I hope you are here with a sense of desire, a sense of purpose and sense of responsibility.

Whatever your beliefs, the polarisation of our society is acting as a stumbling block to progress, growth and development. However, empathy, understanding, action and collaboration all accelerate positive change.

You can no longer delegate your morality.

We as a group of influencers in an industry that holds a precious commodity – sport – can lead the way.

We have challenged our youth enough and they are ready to take action - from climate change and knife and gun violence, to ethical business and the creation of a fairer and more just society.

We need to ask ourselves: How can sport act as a platform to help develop a vocal and action focused generation?

If I compare my childhood experience to that of young people today, so much has changed. But at the same time, so much has not changed.

What has not changed is the development of the young brain.

Pre-teens function more from the emotional part of the brain. Actually, this is the case until you hit 25, when your adult brain becomes fully developed.

This transitional process happens over the period of young adulthood.

Growing up is a function of the people who surround us and how we interact with them. For me, it was a pretty tight crew – family, friends, school, sports club – they all helped me convert information to knowledge and then take that further to the more important next step, decision-making. This process was gradual and it was manageable.

Yet today, with remarkable technology that enables access to endless information and the potential to reach a much wider community than we could have ever imagined, there is no gradual process for our youth. It happens with a flick of a switch.

That is change. But what we have not done is change how we respond, educate and speak to young people, despite this dramatic shift in how they learn and develop. We have not helped them adapt to the avalanche of information that comes with little context and, in many cases, from a polarised view. It isn’t conducive to an inclusive and warm society.

Sport being used as platform to help reconnect with community has never been more important. Finding ways to share experiences and have the humanistic benefits that exist around sport are all unique elements that sport can bring. Sport is now vital.

Today is about the solutions we as an industry can offer.

The Gen Z crew are looking for the products they buy and the places they work to be more ethical and sustainable. This is shifting organisations to think differently – to align their business objectives alongside society’s needs.

However, business is not just changing because the market is saying so. It is also under pressure from regulators, media and shareholders. More importantly, visionary leaders are itching for change themselves.

These leaders, from an older generation, are becoming increasingly self-aware that we need to lead change in our own communities. We must recognise the positive influence we can have.

So the challenge is how do we bring the highly powerful and influential Gen X and Gen Y together with an idealistic, ethically driven, vocal Gen Z. This is a crucial intergenerational conversation that, if facilitated correctly, can have far-reaching impact.

I think this should be the backdrop to today’s conversation.

The British Psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott said: “Let the young alter society and teach grown- ups how to see the world afresh; but where there is a challenge of the growing boy or girl then let the adult meet the challenge.”

How can we use sport and play to help develop decision-making in young people in this new world, how can we connect them together in a more positive fashion?

And finally: how do those in a position of influence reach out and form a bond with young people and show them that if they want “responsibility”, we can provide the opportunity, platform and response for them to believe that their actions will have positive consequence.

Thank you.