Go the Distance

In the movie Field of Dreams, novice farmer Ray Kinsella builds a baseball diamond in his corn field upon hearing the cryptic message "If you build it he will come". Later on, Ray hears another cryptic message urging him "To go the distance". Those messages urge Ray to take action whereupon at the movie's end we discover that those messages have helped Ray reconcile with his dead father.

In the book "Heatstroke - Why Canada's Summer Olympic Program is Failing and How we Can Fix It" the writer recommends the creation of a high ranking sport body that is void of government interference and comprised of high ranking sport officials with no financial interest and no vested interest to manage sport in this country.

On Tuesday May 18, 2010 almost as though he adopted the very idea from the book Heatstroke - Sport Minister Gary Lunn announced the creation of an Own the Podium board comprised of high ranking officials with no financial interest and no vested interest to manage sport. The board headed by VANOC CEO John Furlong and comprised of Cathy Priestner Allinger - Own the Podium founder, Lane MacAdam - a director within Sport Canada, sport broadcaster Keith Pelley, sport medicine specialist Dr. Mike Williamson and others will have the ear of the federal government who from all appearances has the ability to accept and act on the boards decision.http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Vancouver+Games+chair+Podium+board/3042847/story.html

However, not unlike the movie Field of Dreams itself - this blogger urges Canada's Sport Minister - Gary Lunn - to "Go the Distance".

Today, I ask Minister Gary Lunn to separate sport from government all together with the dismantling of Sport Canada. "There is no reason to have Sport Canada.....it is a bureaucracy that presents another set of hurdles that one has to navigate" notes FIBT President Bob Storey.

With the creation of this board - Sport Canada is now just a duplicate agency whose resources could be desperately used by Canada's Amateur Athletes. Yes, Mr. Lunn- Great Work - But please "Go the Distance"