{"id":3896,"date":"2024-02-15T11:01:55","date_gmt":"2024-02-15T11:01:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/leaders-club\/?post_type=article&p=3896"},"modified":"2024-02-15T11:02:10","modified_gmt":"2024-02-15T11:02:10","slug":"what-sports-often-dont-get-about-inclusion-here-are-four-thoughts","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/leaders-club\/articles\/what-sports-often-dont-get-about-inclusion-here-are-four-thoughts\/","title":{"rendered":"What Sports Often Don\u2019t Get About Inclusion \u2013 Here Are Four Thoughts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\n 15 Feb 2024 <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>Articles<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

What Sports Often Don\u2019t Get About Inclusion \u2013 Here Are Four Thoughts<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n \n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Category<\/div>\n Leadership & Culture<\/a> <\/div>\n
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https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/leaders-club\/articles\/what-sports-often-dont-get-about-inclusion-here-are-four-thoughts\/<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
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Bobby Scales lays out areas where sports routinely fall down when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion.<\/p>\n \n \n \n

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By Bobby L Scales II<\/h6>\n
The following scenario has historically played out with regularity across baseball in the United States.<\/h6>\n
A club signs a 16 or 17-year-old player from the Dominican Republic and they matriculate their way through the minor leagues of Florida or Arizona.<\/h6>\n

Inevitably, the player makes a poor play in a game or practice and their coach, typically an American, will need to correct the mistake.<\/p>\n

The coach finds that the player will not look them in the eye and feels disrespected because, in American culture, you are taught from a young age to look a senior person in the eye and you say \u2018yes sir\u2019, \u2018yes ma\u2019am\u2019, \u2018no sir\u2019, \u2018no ma\u2019am\u2019.<\/p>\n

By contrast, in Latin culture, you do not look your elders in the eye when they are correcting you.<\/p>\n

There is a mutual misunderstanding that does little for team unity and does nothing to further the cause of diversity, equity and inclusion.<\/p>\n

Teams are increasingly aware of this. When I worked at the Los Angeles Angels, we considered it important to take American coaches to the Dominican Republic, to let them immerse themselves in the culture at the academy and work with the players. We wanted them to understand what life looks like in the Dominican; to better understand how these young men grow up.<\/p>\n

Equally, Latin American players need to be afforded the grace to learn the social norms of the United States.<\/p>\n

This mutual understanding is the key to weaving the fabric of team unity and success.<\/p>\n

So how can we better embrace diversity, equity and inclusion? Here are four thoughts.<\/p>\n

1. Don\u2019t be afraid of the conversation<\/strong><\/p>\n

No team is perfect and we could all be doing more to further the cause. But are you ready to have the conversation? It may sound obvious but people are often too afraid of the conversation for fear of saying something wrong or fear of being canceled. The benefits of diverse teams are clear in the world of business and sports has started to take note. But would you be comfortable or promoting, say, a female coach in a male-dominated environment? Is it within your gift to go against the grain and make what may be a counterintuitive appointment? To reach that point, a leader must construct an environment where people understand that players, coaches and practitioners are here because they are the best possible person to be in their position. I would rather lose with players that have a growth mindset \u2013 and I don\u2019t think you\u2019re going to win with players that have a fixed mindset anyway. There\u2019s not a player on earth worth their salt who does not want to get better. They will listen to an individual if they have cultivated a relationship. For a complete culture, you need to have coaches and staff members that are aware of this, who feel supported.<\/p>\n

2. Don\u2019t get bogged down in the obvious differences<\/strong><\/p>\n

I am a 46-year-old black man and I could be sitting in a front office next another 46-year-old black man, but we could have grown up in different circumstances and, as such, we will bring different experiences to the table. As important as ethnic, religious and gender diversity are, they may not necessarily lead to diversity of thought \u2013 cognitive diversity. Someone in your team may have grown up on a council estate in a tough part of London and another may have grown up in Beverley Hills, California, and had people who worked in their house and they\u2019ve never made their bed. Perfect: LEAN INTO IT! People from different walks of life, socio-economic backgrounds, and different cultures will come to a problem on the table in a different way. Perspectives \u2013 different perspectives \u2013 are exactly what I, as a leader, want. This allows for constructive dissent, which is where the best outcomes lie. When you have people who are willing to disagree with each other you will have a richer conversation. It\u2019s then up to the leader to pull those opinions together, form a consensus, and move forward with an outcome or a solution that is beneficial to the team.<\/p>\n

3. Identify the individuals in your team who are underserved<\/strong><\/p>\n

You have to cultivate relationships \u2013 they are way more important than the X\u2019s and O\u2019s, tactics or data. As well-known American football coach Herman Edwards once said: YYP \u2013 Know Your Personnel. A leader must know how to access them even if it isn\u2019t the leader directly. Maybe it\u2019s an assistant coach or a practitioner on your staff who has built a trusting relationship with the player. Again, lean into that. There is a certain truth to the idea that the physio knows everything that\u2019s going on. I\u2019m a big believer in authenticity and people will reveal themselves to you if your environment is one of support, warmth and truth.<\/p>\n

4. Find opportunities to learn\u2026 then teach people!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Do you celebrate cultural milestones and holidays? You should, because they represent an opportunity to teach people from other cultures about that culture. For example, if there is a Muslim player in your mostly non-Muslim team, and you\u2019re playing during Ramadan, there is an opportunity to educate your other players and coaching staff on what that means for that player and their faith. A crucial point to make: before even reaching that point of cultural exchange you yourself as a coach or executive are going to need to get stuck in and commit to proper research for yourself \u2013 you cannot teach that which you yourself do not know. Manage this process well \u2013 within an environment of support, warmth and truth \u2013 and you\u2019ve brought your team closer together.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n

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