Respond to the passage below with a response, analysis, assessment, or observation with regards to the colleagues’ chosen conflict and strategy:
2020 seems like the year of conflict. People are having to make decisions about what they value, and how much those values weigh against their concerns about the current pandemic. One conflict that is affecting sport organizations and athletes alike is that parents are having to decide if it is safe for their children to play sports. Many parents wonder if their kids should be playing a sport if they can’t even go to school in a normal manner. While the level of concern about the pandemic varies by family, the decision, for many, is hard. And not just because of the safety. Many parents are afraid to pay for their child to play sports as they are unemployed due to the COVID-19 health crisis and are concerned about affording sports gear, registration, etc (Cohen, B. (2020, September 07). This, in turn, affects the sport organization from a financial standpoint as less money is coming in due to the decrease in participation. It also affects the families because kids that do not play sports will likely be lacking in exercise, social connection, and the life skills that sports uniquely offer. Yet, the kids that are allowed to play sports could be put at risk of contracting or spreading the virus. These are things that the professional soccer club I work for has faced during this pandemic with our youth program families. Because we as an organization understand and value the participation of each family, and the opportunities we offer, we came up with a resolution that we feel has help families feel more comfortable about their child participating in sports this year. We put in a COVID-19 protocol for all games and practices that youth participate in which includes (but is not limited to) all fans wearing a face covering, practices are socially distanced, and all coaches, refs, staff must also wear a face covering. We also lowered the participation price to $10 per child. When putting this resolution together, we started first with what we value and that is, first and foremost, creating a safe environment for all athletes and their families.
Our approach to resolve this conflict pairs quite well with the approach UM Athletic Director Blake James takes when handling conflicts in his position at the University. In the learning materials, he speaks about the importance of considering the values of the entire organization, and realizing that there may be a need to make a sacrifice or put a plan in place to resolve the conflict (James, B. (2020).
Implementing and enforcing value-based plan provided a win-win situation for all parties. Our COVID-19 protocol ensures parents that we care about, and are committed to the safety of their children, but also their continued need for physical activity, social connection, and development of their soccer skills. That is a win for the families! For us, as an organization, we saw a win as well. Our participation numbers actually grew from last year. One parent told me recently that she was excited we had done this because her son, who is not in school due to the virus, was able to see his friends, run off some energy and get better at soccer all while knowing he was safe. That is amazing to me! We made this experience possible for this child, and created a win-win situation by minimizing close-contact risks which lowers the chance of COVID infection (Jones, G., & George, J. (2011).
I would encourage any sport organization to do the same when considering a conflict and the potential resolutions for it. Consider who you are as an organization, what you stand for and value, and what you can do to solve the ever-evolving issues in the world of sports.