Diversity and Inclusion in Athletics
Happy Pride Month! While June is Pride Month and that generally refers to the LGBT Community, I wanted to take a minute (or five) and discuss all around diversity and inclusion. Does your local athletic club, cheer gym, health club, etc, represent the neighborhood it is in? Why is it so important to us? Team sports, when correctly implementing diversity and inclusion, can be incredibly beneficial. They boost self esteem and ease anxiety. They provide important social networks, and can present mental, physical, and emotional growth opportunities for everyone involved. Without diversity and inclusion, the mental and physical benefits of team sports start to reverse itself for many of the team’s most vulnerable athletes. Motivation falters, and depression and anxiety among individual athletes grows without a welcoming environment based on equality and inclusion. Performance and morale begin to deteriorate. However, in a positive inclusive environment, interaction between teammates and teammates/coaches can actually strengthen confidence, lessen anxiety, and better both self-image and self-worth. We are truly better together. Let’s define inclusion and diversity first, specifically in terms of athletics.
Inclusion is “proactive behaviors, options and actions to make people from all backgrounds, ages and abilities feel welcome, respected and that they belong at your club. Being inclusive is about following best practice for what athletics should be so that everyone can get the most out of it,” (3)
Diversity “is the mix of peoples’ different attributes and backgrounds (i.e. race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion). A good way to think about diversity is to think about your local community. Does your club reflect the diversity of your local community? Diversity is the mix of people, inclusion is trying to get this mix to all work together in harmony.” (3)
So, we know as business owners and decent human beings that diversity and inclusion are important for the total health and well-being of our members and ourselves. But saying that we want diversity and inclusion is easier than implementing it in a way that makes everyone feel comfortable and valued. Feeling valued and comfortable in your environment is so incredibly important, but it's not a one size fits all solution.
Australia, like the United States, is a very diverse country, with all the beauty- and challenges- that comes with it. Peter Downs of Australia developed the 7 Pillars of Inclusion, which I think we could learn a lot from. Peter is Founding Director of The Inclusion Club and Manager of Play by the Rules – a national (Australian) initiative to promote safe, fair and inclusive sport. (1)
7 Pillars of Inclusion
Access - Access is double layered. There is the physical aspect first. Is there a ramp that allows persons with disabilities in? An elevator inside? It’s also about feeling welcome, and providing the same opportunities and level of coaching and service to all. (2)
Attitude - Is inclusion something you just want to do, or are you taking action to make sure it happens? (I’m going to add diversity to this also; there has to be action, not just positivity to achieve diversity). (2)
Choice - No sport is “one size fits all”. Choice, in inclusivity, about finding ways for everyone to participate in their level of choice and ability. (2)
Partnerships - No human is an island, and no cheer gym is either. For inclusion to work, everyone needs to be on board. Effective partnerships within the community are vital. (2)
Communication - Communication style is critical with both inclusion and diversity. It’s important to stop and think about the other person(s) perception when we speak. To make everyone comfortable, it may be necessary to re-evaluate your communication style. (2)
Policy - Policy often gets a bad name, and an eye roll from everyone (me too sometimes!). But it’s important to have a core policy to protect all members of a diverse and inclusive environment, and to provide conflict resolution when problems do occur. (2)
Opportunities - Opportunity is a mix of hard work, planning, and determination. In a sports environment, there often needs to be practical changes to make sure that everyone gets a fair shake at new opportunities. (2)
Although diversity and inclusion will always be a work in progress, it’s a joyful opportunity for growth. I’m so grateful for those who came before us, fought the tough battles, and allowed us to have this conversation. Without them, so many wonderful athletes would still be waiting to get into the door.
Communication is so vital. Let’s have the conversations, all of them. Let us know how we're doing. What do we get right? How can we do better? Let’s talk!
Works Cited
Downs, Peter. "The 7 Pillars of Inclusion.", 06/2016.
2. Play by the Rules Partners. "Inclusion and Diversity - what can You do?", 2021.
3. Play by the Rules Partners. "Inclusion and Diversity in Sports -what is it?", 2021.
Written by Leigh Miller Agency