Via Global Sport Matters, a look at how the NBA has been opening doors for diverse coaches without its own ‘Rooney Rule’:
When Wes Unseld Jr. was hired as the head coach of the Washington Wizards in September 2021, a [...]
Via CBC, a look at how Nazem Kadri is changing the game for young Muslim hockey players:
Stanley Cup champion Nazem Kadri is a role model for thousands of hockey-playing Muslim children in Canada, but things were different in [...]
August
25,
2022
Great to see a woman on the cover of the EA Sports NHL video game for the first time ever:
The EA Sports NHL video game will have a split cover, with Trevor Zegras and Sarah Nurse donning the front of NHL 23.
The [...]
August
25,
2022
Courtesy of The New York Times, an article on Althea Gibson, the first Black player to win Wimbledon, and her pioneering leadership in racial equity during an era in which such was mostly seen as unwelcome:
On a sweltering day [...]
Via Andscape, an article on integration at the Little League World Series:
The Little League World Series, which runs from Aug. 17-Aug. 28 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, celebrates its 75th anniversary this year as the [...]
August
22,
2022
Via Luton Town Football Club, a report on the English Football League's new Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion strategy:
The English Football League (EFL) has launched its new Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) strategy [...]
ABOUT
MORE THAN A GAME
Refusing to “just shut up and play,” more and more athletes are stepping off the court, the field, the pitch, or the ice to leverage their voices and platforms to push for social change. This blog - More Than A Game - is a forum dedicated to the inspirational convergence of athletics, politics, leadership, and social change.
Muhammad Ali. Billie Jean King. John Carlos and Tommie Smith. Maya Moore. Colin Kaepernick. Megan Rapinoe and the United States National Women’s Soccer Team. Francois Pienaar. LeBron James. These are but a few of the accomplished athletes who have also demonstrated leadership in sports and social change, contributing to movements such as Black Lives Matter, the Civil Rights movement, anti-war protests, gender equality, LGBTQ rights and other critical issues.
But the role of athletes in leadership and social change is not limited to the pages of history books, nor is the connection between sports and social change only driven by individual athletes and teams. Inspirational organizations like Athlete Ally, Peace Players, Grassroots Soccer, and others are using sports as a way to pull people together behind a common cause, to bridge divides or to promote public health today.
Whether you are an athlete yourself or have never picked up a ball, More Than A Game will provide a forum to learn about brave athletes, teams, and sports-related organizations which exercised their leadership to foster a better understanding of social causes, advocacy, and changemaking for important causes throughout history.