The term “grassroots” means to gather everyone up at a local level and create change at a national level. Yet, sport is run at a national level, top-down, in an attempt to create change at a local level. The opposite of grassroots.
Maybe you think the term “grassroots” can also mean “foundational” or “developmental” and that a misunderstanding about terms doesn’t matter. So let me give you an example.
If I am going to develop a plot of land I want to know what I can build and at what cost. If am going to put down a foundation on a plot of land, I want to know what I can build on that foundation, the dimensions, specifications, and cost.
Whenever we put down a foundation or we develop something we want to know what we are getting and at what cost. Grassroots movements care about creating change. The cost matters less than the change.
The terms we use. The questions we use. The conversations we have about what we do. It all matters.
At a grassroots level, If we care about increasing participation then let’s talk about how we increase the number of people participating
If we care about development let’s talk about the development plans we have, what we get, and at what cost.
And if winning is all we are really worried about then let’s only talk to each other when we want to organise fixtures.