Texas Tech Sport Management students are taking on race issues in America. In a recent class, they discussed how race affects sport and how sport can be used to promote social change.
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Introduction
Texas Tech students who are passionate about sports are using their knowledge to take on some of the biggest issues in society today – like racial injustice.
Through the Texas Tech Sport Management program, students are learning about the business of sports and how to use their platform to effect positive change in the world.
“We talk a lot about social responsibility in our program,” said Associate Professor Nicole LaVoi, who also serves as the director of the program. “Our students are very aware of the power that sports has to bring people together and to make change.”
The students
Texas Tech Sport Management students are taking on race issues in a new class called “Sport, Inequality, and Race.” The course is being taught by Dr. Nikkiphase and is open to all majors.
The class will explore the ways in which sport perpetuates inequality and racism, as well as how athletes and sport organizations are fighting back. Students will learn about the history of racism in sport, as well as current issues such as the use of Native American mascots and the lack of diversity in coaching.
Texas Tech Sport Management students are learning about the ways in which sport can be used to promote social change. The class is giving them the opportunity to think critically about race and inequality, and how they can use their own privilege to create positive change in the world of sport.
The curriculum
In the sport management program at Texas Tech, students take a required course on diversity that delves into issues of race. The class is called “Managing Inclusion in Sport Organizations” and is taught by Dr. Charles Clotfelter, Z. Smith Reynolds Professor of Public Policy Studies and Economics, and Director of the Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development at Duke University.
Dr. Clotfelter has been teaching the course at Texas Tech for the past four years. In the class, students learn about race relations in America and explore how those dynamics play out in the world of sports.
“We talk about a lot of different things,” Dr. Clotfelter said. “We talk about why African Americans are underrepresented as sport managers, we talk about the stereotypes that exist in sport, we talk about affirmative action.”
The goal of the course is to help students understand the role that race plays in sport, and to equip them with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in a career in sport management.
“The skills that you need to be a good manager are not different if you’re managing a predominantly white workforce or a predominantly black workforce,” Dr. Clotfelter said. “The principles of management are the same. But if you don’t understand the historical context within which black athletes have operated in American society, it’s going to be harder for you to be an effective manager.”
In addition to learning about race relations in America, students also explore how those dynamics play out in the world of sports. They learn about the history of African Americans in sports, as well as contemporary issues such as diversity in coaching staffs and front offices, and racial disparities in funding for college athletics programs.
Through readings, lectures, discussions, and presentations from guest speakers, students gain a deep understanding of the role that race plays in sport. And they come away from the course with a new perspective on what it means to be an effective manager in today’s world of sports.
The issues
Texas Tech sport management students are taking on race issues in the sports industry. The students, who are members of the school’s Sport Management Association, recently held a forum to discuss the issue of race in sports.
The forum, which was open to the public, featured a panel of speakers who shared their experiences and perspectives on race in sports. The panelists included former NFL player and current ESPN analyst Ryan Clark, former MLB player and current MLB Network analyst Harold Reynolds, and Texas Tech associate professor David Johnson.
The students say they wanted to hold the forum because they feel that race is an important issue that needs to be discussed more openly in the sports world. they hope that by starting these conversations, they can help make progress on this issue.
The solutions
Race has always been a touchy subject, but in recent years, it has become an even hotter button issue. With the rise of social media and the 24-hour news cycle, it seems like there is always some new story about race and racial tensions. This can be particularly difficult for people who are trying to learn more about the topic.
Texas Tech University’s sport management students are taking on the challenge of trying to find solutions to some of the race issues that have been in the news lately. The students are working on a project called “The Solutions” that will be presented at the Texas Association of Sport Management conference in San Antonio later this month.
The project is still a work in progress, but the students have already identified three areas that they would like to focus on: education, environment, and economics. For each area, they have identified a specific issue that they would like to address.
For example, in the area of education, they would like to see more schools offer ethnic studies programs so that students can learn more about other cultures. In the area of environment, they would like to see more green spaces in urban areas so that people of all races can enjoy them. And in the area of economics, they would like to see more businesses owned by minorities so that everyone has an opportunity to succeed.
The students are still working on their project and will continue to refine their ideas as they get closer to their presentation date. But they are hopeful that their work will help start a conversation about how to solve some of the race problems that our country is facing today.
Conclusion
The Texas Tech Sport Management students have shown a great deal of maturity and intelligence in their handling of the race issue in sports. Their open-mindedness and willingness to learn about different cultures is commendable. The class has also been able to provide a forum for discussion and debate on this important issue. We hope that the discussions in this class will lead to a better understanding of the race issue in sports, and ultimately help to resolve it.
