Pricey fees for traveling teams and limited access to fields to practice on in Black and Brown neighborhoods has resulted in a low number of Black American baseball players at the college and professional level. Here in Oakland, where Positive Coaching Alliance convenes one of our local Sports Equity Coalitions, the Oakland Babe Ruth League has seen a significant decrease in participation over the past few decades. According to a KTVU news report, in the late 80’s through the mid 1990’s, the league had 1,200 players and 92 percent of them were Black.

PARTICIPATION

The disparity between youth from lower-income families and middle- and higher-income families has been found to be somewhere between a 16 and 25 percent participation gap(2). They also abandon these activities due to financial constraints at a staggering six times the rate(3). There’s also a racial divide with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) youth playing sports at a significantly lower rate than wealthier, white youth(4).

Participation is key. An opportunity for better health is important for everyone.

Unfortunately, bias and discrimination can still be prevalent in sports communities, making it difficult for people from certain backgrounds to feel welcome and included. The Pride in Sport Index (PSI) is the first and only benchmarking instrument specifically designed to assess the inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) people within Australian sport and sporting organisations. Participating in the index allows Australian sporting organisation to not only assess their own work, but determinate what constitutes good practice, along with the ability to benchmark initiatives against an external measure, and other sporting organisations. The ASC is committed to be intentional in fostering a culture of equity, as it is imperative that our sport sector becomes truly representative of a modern, progressive, and diverse Australia. Sport needs to be more open and inclusive, and as the lead sporting organisation we need to set the example and champion this. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Framework demonstrates our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

We aim to see increased youth participation rates in low-income communities of color, amplified BIPOC coach representation, and greater involvement of girls and women of color as players and coaches. We seek improved access to quality coach education, fostering a positive culture in youth sports through collaboration with local stakeholders. We often speak of sports as a unifying force that transcends differences and brings people together. Participating in sports can help young people develop healthy habits that last a lifetime(1). However, beneath the surface of fun and games lies a serious issue that deserves greater attention.

• The ASC extends this acknowledgment to all the Traditional Custodians of the lands and First Nations peoples throughout Australia and would like to pay respects to all Elders past and present.
• In both coverage of major events and year-round news reporting the proportion of men speaking about sport (male or female) is also greater than the proportion of female spokespeople, and changes in this space are very slow.
• Athletes and their supporters called for women in sports to receive pay and benefits more in line with those granted to their male counterparts, citing a long history of inequitable treatment despite women’s teams’ consistent success in international competition.
• There is a need for multi-layered approaches to anti-racism which are responsive to intersectionality and recognise the ongoing racism experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples involved in sport.
• During the mid-twentieth century, women’s intercollegiate sports programs developed under bodies such as the Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (later the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women).

For example, an individual wanting to book tickets for a football game, would likely need to make a purchase online or find out more read information from the company website. Sports organisations such as the American Baseball Coaches Association have implemented the Recite Me toolbar to help address some of these issues and enhance the inclusivity of their website. Policies and codes ensure that everyone in sport is aware of their legal and ethical rights and responsibilities, and provide the procedures to eliminate discrimination, harassment, child protection issues and other forms of inappropriate behaviour. If you would like more information around legal and ethical rights and responsibilities you can download a copy of our Quick Reference Guide that will point you in the right direction. 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.

Sporting organisations must take decisive and coordinated action to combat racism. Anti-racism practices need to be embedded into every level of sport — from grassroots clubs to national governing bodies. There is a need for multi-layered approaches to anti-racism which are responsive to intersectionality and recognise the ongoing racism experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples involved in sport.