McMaster University’s Pride Week comes to a close today - a day when the Marauder Basketball programs open their OUA schedules in the Burridge Gym, and a day before the Marauder Football team defends their Yates Cup on the road to Vanier.
Pride Week, hosted by McMaster’s Queer Students Community Centre (QSCC), a service of the Students Union, is a week-long celebration in support of gender and sexual minorities on campus and beyond. Events have ranged from the educational to the extravagant, including a Pride March on Tuesday, November 6, 2012.
Joining the Pride March for the third year in a row, the Department of Athletics & Recreation aims to open doors, and knows they are turning heads. Driven by their commitment to building an inclusive community, Jeff Giles, Director of Athletics & Recreation, explained their role and participation: "We’re committed to creating an environment conducive to helping everyone achieve their full potential, no matter our differences." Emphasis on everyone. Giles said that the Department has made a lot of progress but still has a long way to go. He also raised the stakes, noting people from around the country are not just watching the Marauders on the playing field. "As one of two Universities in Canada participating in the CIS-CAAWS Pilot Project to Build Inclusive Sport, the general sport community is watching and waiting for us to show the way."
Keep scrolling below the photo to 'Understanding The Issues' faced by LGBTQ members of the sport community, read 'Coach & Staff Perspectives' and learn of the department's commitment 'Moving Forward.'
Understanding The Issues
Sport is often considered one of the last areas where intolerance for diversity in sexual orientation and gender-identity is accepted. There are also a growing number of people and organizations committed to changing that, making progress in fits and starts, leaps and bounds.
Playing a lead role in the CIS-CAAWS project, seeing the importance of inclusion in sport is unavoidable for Andrew Pettit, Sport Leagues & Camps Coordinator at McMaster. “My lens - working with children and recreational sport - has made it easier for me to see," said Pettit. "Programs can’t deliver on the promise of being 'for everyone' unless we understand who isn’t feeling included, why, and work to fix it. Working with kids, we don't know how they will be different as they grow, so we need to build a foundation of compassion and respect and an ability to see greater connections despite our differences.” Pettit delivered a message on inclusion and diversity to McMaster’s first year student-athletes this September in an effort to welcome and guide our newest members.
Given the assigned role of gender in sport, defining who plays who, and more often who plays what and how they should compete, it is not surprising that there have been challenges embracing diversity in gender identity and sexual orientation in sport. See here, here, here and here, to get a sense of the realities, subtleties and impact of the issue. But the sport community is learning, and beginning to more thoughtfully deliver on the promise of bringing people together and changing lives for the better. As John Amaechi, former NBA player and London 2012 Diversity Board Director, points out, the power of sport to deliver on that promise isn’t in the gyms, nets, balls, wins and losses, but in the people. “If we leave sport to its own devices, it’s a bit of an (empty) super-tanker. What we fill it with is what’s it’s for,” said Amaechi. (Hear more from John on the promise and power of sport in his address from the Beyond Sport Awards 2012.)
Coach & Staff Perspectives
Asked why the Marauder Football program was joining the Pride March, Head Coach Stefan Ptasek brought us back to the team’s shared values: "A core value of our program is 'reaching our full potential,' on and off the field,” said Ptaszek. “To do that, you have to have people you can trust, who know the full you - finding those people and being 'you' is what matters. Sexual orientation has no bearing on how we take care of each other.” Ptaszek, Assistant Coach Jon Behie and a group of student-athletes, lead by Offensive Lineman Chris Pickard, marched as a statement of their support.
But joining the March is just a first step, a signal. As in most things, it’s the day-in and day-out follow through that matters, especially given sport's history. Ptaszek plans to recognize the leadership of the players who joined the March amongst the team, reinforcing the message and the team's commitment to building an inclusive community.
"Thinking about our group, or any group, I know we're not always going to be perfect," says Ptaszek. "It's the language, the jokes - these things that we all, not just our football family, need to be aware of and consistent on. And it all comes back to our core values of trust and helping each other reach our potential. Our commitment to supporting the development of each person doesn't stop if a mistake is made... That's an opportunity to learn and grow."
McMaster’s Men’s Basketball team was first to join the March as a team in 2011. They restated their commitment and solidarity again on Tuesday. “One of the mistakes people make is thinking this is about our support of one group,” notes Amos Connolly, Head Coach. “Really, it’s about trying to include and respect everyone.”
Like Ptaszek, it all comes back to developing people for Connolly, not just athletes. “For the student-athletes in my program going out in the community, volunteering and interacting with young people... It’s important as role models that they start to understand these things. It’s a huge part of their development as people.”
Theresa Burns, Head Coach of Women's Basketball, highlighted the importance and power of the public commitment. "I never thought I would see a Pride Flag hanging in the athletic center - not in my career," said Burns. "I'm very proud of our Department and Student Affairs for our collective leadership on the issue of diversity and inclusion." Players and coaches from Burns’ team also joined the March on Tuesday.
Phil Wood, Associate Vice-President (Student Affairs) and Dean of Students at McMaster showed his support and commitment to inclusion marching (and tweeting!) alongside staff and students from across Student Affairs and the University at large.
Tim Louks, Head Coach of Women’s Volleyball broadened the scope when reflecting on our participation in the Pride March. “Making sure everyone is represented and included is crucial,” said Louks. “As a department, creating opportunity and space for everyone through programs, events... It's just crucial."
Debbie Marinoff Shupe, the Department’s Manager of Recreation spoke of a collective passion for making active lifestyles accessible and inclusive. “We want to ensure that we offer a welcoming and safe space for LGBTQ members of our community. Part of how we communicate this is through our participation in the Pride March.” Marinoff Shupe was one of the first to join the March from the department in 2010, and highlighted the growth in participation at the March, doubling each of the last two years.
Athletes and student leaders are matching their coaches and the administration in their commitment to inclusion. Andrew Cole’s Marauder Swim team joined the March this season. Cole spoke of his athletes’ leadership on the topic of diversity, something seen across the board on Marauder teams. "Every year we do a team building exercise to define our priorities for the season,” said Cole. “This season, the team collectively defined 'unity' as their #1 priority.” Cole noted the team sees themselves as a family. “We’re a diverse group, a cosmopolitan group. We believe it's important to stand up for everyone on our team. I'm proud of the role our team members want to play in making the world a better place."
Moving Forward
Athletics & Recreation recognizes their role in the movement. Standing on the shoulders of pioneers on equity, diversity and inclusion and as the benefactors of their years of work, the department aims to leverage interest in sport to actually deliver on its promise - the promise to build an inclusive community and maximize the potential within each of us. Workshops and training for coaches and staff on issues challenging LGBTQ members in sport and student-athlete focus groups have been underway since 2010.
McMaster’s QSCC wraps up Pride Week today with its final day-long event, ‘Free Hugs Friday.’ A fun and fitting conclusion to what has definitely been a very proud week at McMaster.
