12 Ambitions and challenges The Dutch NOC and the Dutch sports federations have set themselves the aim to achieve more medals in more branches of sport in the future, and to secure a place among the top ten sporting nations. Whether people are at a stadium or sitting at home watching TV, they should be able to enjoy inspiring sport at the highest level. Another aim is to get as much people as possible involved in sport and physical activities by creating a wider range of sport activities that meet people’s demands. But major challenges lie ahead, especially in terms of finances. For instance, top-level sport relies heavily on the income derived from the Dutch lottery. Lottery income has fallen considerably in recent years, while the number of potential medallists is actually growing. The challenge here is to ensure that elite sport becomes self-supporting, and cooperation is key to this. Over the past few years, the Dutch sports federations and the Dutch NOC have had to dig deep into their reserves. Therefore, one of the ambitions is to return to the level of financial security as known before 2013. Another aim is to create the best possible sports conditions for all Dutch people, from world-class athletes to recreational joggers. As the Dutch NOC and the sports federations believe that whenever people experience a real sense of satisfaction in their sporting activities they are willing to pay for it. The rapid changes in society pose challenges to sport on numerous fronts. Sports organisations and institutions can no longer lay down the rules. Instead, the preferences and needs of individual clients and consumers are crucial and decisive. That means that organisations must learn how to operate more flexibly and creatively. Those in positions of leadership in sports clubs and federations need to display courage and an entrepreneurial spirit in order to respond to these social changes, while at the same time maintaining the traditional club structures.
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