Interventions in Support of Anti-Racist Praxis in Athletics

Abstract

Since the 1990s, college athletic departments have developed parallel and redundant student services that are specific to athletics, ostensibly to broaden the accessibility of these resources for athletes (Smith, 2011). However, this insularity can create echo chambers and totalize institutional norms (Comeaux, 2018; Hatteberg, 2013). Previous research has documented that many athletics practitioners, even those in student-facing roles, are neither trained as educators nor student affairs professionals (Navarro et al., 2015). Additionally, athletics practitioners are often untrained and unprepared to address racial equity topics and have little prior experience working with racially diverse students and coworkers (Bernhard & Haslerig, 2017). This article discusses two efforts to better prepare anti-racist athletics practitioners: one at the graduate level with students working as athletics graduate assistants (GAs) and pre-professional graduate students and a second with current athletics staff and administrators. Through the lenses of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Critical Whiteness Studies, we discuss the need, development, and theory of change undergirding these two interventions implemented at the University of Oklahoma and offer suggestions of how other universities and athletic departments could approach and/or implement similar programming.