I come into this week without any real direction. In all honesty, I’ve struggled thinking of what to write. I felt similarly last week as well, but I thought I had a solution. I planned to post a recording of my UCL tear webinar, however, that fell short due to technical difficulties during the downloading process.
I wouldn’t say I am experiencing “writer’s block” by any means. Rather, I feel like my position and my writings pale in comparison to the current social environment our country is facing. As I share my thoughts, my mission is not to turn this into a political discussion, as I feel it is not a coach’s role to influence how players approach politics. However, I do feel strongly that coaches possess the responsibility of demonstrating proper morality, integrity, and character.
With the events of the past few weeks, leading a program with these qualities in mind is more important than ever.
I feel I have understated the issues at hand thus far in my post. My plan is not to offer a history lesson on racial injustices in our country stemming from hundreds of years with merely marginal improvements over time and countless unfulfilled promises, especially as a young, white, upper-middle class, male who has not experienced an uphill climb anywhere remotely close to what hundreds of thousands of minorities have experienced in the USA. Regardless of political leanings, there is no debating, in my opinion, the vastly different experiences of people in the United States purely based on skin color.
Given the recent death of George Floyd, followed by momentous uprising of protests spanning all 50 states and 18 additional countries, change and division is certainly among us. Athletics for so long have acted as common ground. Differences in all regards are put aside and the name on the front of the jersey is all that ever mattered. What I fear is that if not handled properly by colleges and athletic staffs nationwide, what used to be surmountable dissimilarities is at risk of transforming into an unconquerable divide.
As a result, I believe it is of the utmost importance for coaches to address these events and how to navigate them both as a team and individually including George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement, law enforcement, first amendment rights, racial injustices and inequalities, and even social media management. Although this may seem like a potentially uncomfortable situation for you as a coach or members of the team, having the uncomfortable conversations can lead to changes and even solutions. Again, this is bigger than baseball.
Part of the difficulty in having these conversations can stem from team demographics. For example, our team is made up of roughly 25% racial or ethnic minorities. The differences do not stop there. A handful of guys either have family in law enforcement or one day aspire to work in law enforcement. Going unaccounted for are differences in religious beliefs, socioeconomic backgrounds, and sexual orientation.
I recognize that every program is going to have varying levels of diversity. This means the necessary conversations will change from college to college. If we keep in mind the moderator and/or guiding role a coach can serve, when paired with acting in good faith to best serve his players, a coach has the opportunity to both ask and pose questions on how to best assist his student-athletes in how to move forward. Whether it is advice or guiding light on how to conduct oneself on social media, offering connections both on campus or in the community to get involved, or by giving one’s student-athletes a platform to discuss, share, debate, and converse, coaches operating with utmost character can play a major role in positive change and equality in our country.
My two biggest learning points from the past week in my own approach to the current events facing our country come in the form of a quote and an action. The quote, ironically enough, came from a normally comedic sports podcast, Pardon My Take (PMT), during an interview with Arian Foster, retired NFL running back. However, PMT put laughs aside for the moment and took the dive into social justice as well. During the interview when speaking on racial injustices in the USA, Arian recalled a previous conversation he had and stated, “you don’t have a monopoly on what it means to be American.” He made the comment originally in response to backlash for kneeling during the Star Spangled Banner back in 2016, but it still rings true today. In my interpretation of his claim, I believe he states that no one has the right to define what the flag, citizenship, or daily life should feel like for someone else. No two people walk in the same shoes, so there is no way a feeling can be defined on generalities. I immediately shared the quote with my team as a reminder that everyone is going through something different. Assuming that everyone operates with same sentiment towards being a citizen of the United States is grossly unfair.
The action I began taking is the act of questioning. I began to question anything and everything. My goal is not necessarily to tear anything down or hint at someone or something’s ineptitude, but rather to gain a new perspective or explore a different view point. Questioning the good, bad, and ugly can do nothing but further the conversation, hopefully leading closer to a resolution. After sharing the quote mentioned above, I additionally challenged the team to question anything and everything. As Albert Einstein said, “blind belief in authority is the greatest enemy of truth.” Without questioning, there is no understanding of the why or driving force behind an action or statement.
Again, due to the current events in the United States including the death of George Floyd, nationwide protests, and a stronger call than ever to eradicate social injustice in the country, coaches find themselves in an interesting position at the helm of a diverse collection of young adults. Given what we face as a nation, the current situation is too grand to not have team wide discussions. It is the duty of coaches to lead and mediate these discussions through a lens of high character. A coach can ask the tough questions, encouraging his players to expand their horizons, share experiences, and define what it means to be white, black, brown, etc. in the US in 2020. There is no question this goes beyond player development, beyond baseball, and beyond athletics all together. I recognize this stretches well beyond the comfort zone of many and may even be viewed as something outside of a coach’s job description. However, from my perspective, it is my duty as a coach and leader to address my team given the current social environment. I will never tolerate racism, and there is no better time to address the issue at hand than the present.
Thank you, and stay strong.
Adam Moreau
Director of Player Development and Recruiting Coordinator
Eckerd College
419-250-7243
留言