| Does Our Sport Reflect Our Nation? (July 2004) |
By Joe Cummings
Ten years removed from the first World Cup held in the United States, how has showcasing the soccer nations of the world to our soccer community changed the faces of our youth players? How has each World Cup contributed to our children appreciating that our sport is the one and only true sport of all nations? Is it a sport for all of our country? And as our society changes, so that each country is made up of every part of the world, how has the NSCAA contributed to the “internationalization” of our sport?
A initial step was taken the first weekend in June when our Board of Directors, national office and Academy staff engaged in a day-long workshop by Dr. Richard Lapchick and The National Consortium for Academics and Sports; they presented their Teamwork Leadership Institute (TLI) as part of our Diversity Training Initiatives.
The goals and objectives of the TLI Workshop were to:
- Create an environment where topics of diversity can be discussed openly with a high comfort level;
- Help create an environment where negative incidents are less likely to occur, thereby building a foundation for improved cooperation, respect and understanding of co-workers;
- Provide a safe, participatory and confidential environment to address and understand a variety of complex diversity issues;
- Explore personal and institutional perspectives concerning diversity issues; and
- Establish a foundation that assists in the development of both personal and institutional action plans to be used by this organization and others.
The goals and objectives for the NSCAA were to:
- Help prepare the NSCAA so it may develop an “NSCAA Diversity Statement;”
- Broaden the understanding of diversity beyond race, gender, age and religion;
- Develop an action plan that is specific, measurable and actionable.
Our presenters, Dr. Richard Lapchick, Robert Weathers, Keith Lee and Jessica Bartter, directed us through a number of activities – each of which was thought-provoking, requiring self-examination and questioning. The activities followed one opening exercise in which we worked to reach consensus on the terms “diversity,” “prejudice,” “discrimination,” “scapegoat,” “anti-Semitism,” “sexism,” “bigot,” “racism,” “culture,” “homophobia” and “stereotype.” For any coach, administrator and/or referee to profess a willingness to open our sport to diverse people and ideas, a solid understanding of each of these terms is a prerequisite. Our presenters steered us toward this end.
We ended our day more appreciative of the differences we each bring to our sport. Our Academy Staff engaged in this training also, with the hope that the coaches they reach in our educational programs will, in turn, be more sensitive to issues of diversity. Credit goes to NSCAA Board member Mike Curry and NSCAA Associate Dexecutive Director Steve Veal for organizing this workshop and helping shape the agenda.
The workshop was just the beginning. As we finished up the afternoon, the presenters offered the Keys to Successfully Managing Diversity Initiatives:
- Achieve longtime commitment for lifetime results;
- Gain a commitment and develop champions among senior level executives;
- Conduct an organizational culture audit;
- Communicate vision, as well as the benefits, to managing diversity consistently throughout the organization;
- Initiate steps to influence desired culture that unleashes the entire organizational structure’s potential through inclusive policies;
- Appoint a diversity task force;
- Quantify an organization’s results of managing diversity and reward accomplishments;
- Hire people who will enhance and/or aid in the development of new culture;
- Learn from other organizations; and
- Share information and become a mentor to others.
Throughout the day, there were many opportunities to pause, nod, smile and realize that in an instant we were changing for the better. As Dr. Lapchick stated, “When you arm yourself with information, you can affect change.” That information will come from listening, striving to understand and thinking. No single statement made me realize that more than Robert Weathers’ proud declaration: “My skin color is my wrapping paper.”
If we look inside each individual to find the gift that lies beneath the wrapping paper, our sport will welcome a more diverse group, on our playing fields, in our locker rooms and in our boardrooms. |
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