Blog post 3


I was lucky enough to attend a lecture and seminar about racism in sport. It was intriguing to learn about race in sport and how many people have a pre-determined opinion over a player or team based on their race. For example, according to research and the speaker, black athletes are considered to be more athletically gifted than any other race, in terms of power, speed, and agility. However, it comes with a backlash because, on the flip side of that, many people believe black athletes to be less intelligent or unable to fulfill leadership sports roles such as a captain of a team or quarterback. For example, black athletes make up around 50% of the NFL, but only 15% of NFL quarterbacks are black. This is a hugely disproportionate amount considering the number of black football players that play in the league and in college football. The research paper goes on to say how it isn't uncommon for black athletes to be dismissed from these roles due to racist stereotypes before they ever have a chance to prove themselves. Similarly, white athletes are stereotypically considered to be more intelligent and less athletically gifted. There is an un-proportionally high amount of white athletes in positions of authority such as a captain, or positions that require less athletic talent, such as a kicker or a long snapper in football. In addition, stereotyping around asian athletes in American sports, particularly basketball is rampant. The speaker mentioned a player that was of Asian-American decent that graduated from Harvard with a degree in economics, he was an incredibly talented basketball player but often went unnoticed or was dismissed simply because of his race. Asian athletes are considered to be the least athletically gifted of all minority groups, but the most intelligent and academic. Whether it is a positive or negative attribute associated with a race, it is racism to single someone out and presume what kind of athlete they will be based on the color of their skin. Reflecting on my own experiences as a college swimmer, the percentage of black swimmers in the college system is incredibly low. There an estimated 87 male and 76 female black swimmers in Division I athletics which is an incredibly low proportion. Whether this is because of discrimination with recruiting or simply because there aren’t as many black swimmers in high school remains uncertain, however, the stereotype around black athletes not being able to swim fast is a very common belief. This is why the success of African-American swimmers at events like the Olympics is so important for the sport. For example, African-American swimmer Simone Manuel recently won gold in the 100m freestyle in Rio at the last Olympic games, which shocked the world. More events like Simone, black quarterbacks, Asian NBA players will continue to defy the racist stereotypes that have become the norm across the world, hopefully, one day we live in a world where everyone is given the same chance as the person next to them, regardless of their skin. 

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