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Social Justice in Sport and Society
Despite numerous policies and initiatives aimed to support UK sport organisations and National Governing Bodies (NGBs) in diversifying their participant base and sport workforce, existing statistics and research suggests that diversity within sport and sports leadership remains low. One area that particularly lacks diversity concerns the number of individuals from Black and Minoritised Ethnic (BME) groups.
Members of these groups are underrepresented in all positions, not just sports coaching, but also in the governance of UK sport organisations and national governing bodies. Never before has the issue of racial and ethnic diversity within the UK’s body of sporting participants, coaching workforce and sports leadership been so documented or debated in the public domain. Recent stories that have dominated the media include the demoralisation of Black coaches, the lack of Asian footballers, the racist abuse towards Black athletes, and the lack of opportunities for Black coaches. Within the UK, statistics relating to sports participation and coaching highlights the under-representation of BME groups.
Race, ethnicity and gender were at the foreground of all of the experiences of the coaches interviewed and were pertinent aspects in their everyday professional and personal lives. However, to the NGBs, race, ethnicity and gender were considered in statistical terms and thus, understood as percentages. However, for the coaches, their racial, ethnic and gendered identity influenced and in some cases, even constructed their coaching journeys. To these individuals, race, ethnicity and gender were played out in their relations with others; in the assumptions made about their coaching, intellectual and leadership abilities; prevented them from progressing as professionals; constructed them as the ‘other’; and for some, left them feeling isolated and unsupported by their NGB. How the coaching system was considered also varied markedly by the NGBs and the coaches.
The approach
The objectives for the study were to:
To the organisations, the coaching pathway was conceived as one that is open to all, meritocratic, fair, and available. To the coaches however, the pathways were seen as closed, informal, frustrating, ‘loose’, unclear, and at certain levels, racialised and gendered. This suggests a change of perspective is required by sporting organisations towards how they conceive equity, equality, diversity, race, ethnicity, gender and the transparency of their coaching pathways. After all, (in)equality and (in)equity cannot be challenged and changed if it is not recognised
The impact
Along with our existing work on racial equality in sport within the Centre, this project has influenced the strategic work of national and regional governing organisations in the UK in relation to race and social justice. The social impact of our research better articulates the challenges and solutions for improving diversity, equity and inclusion for specific ethnic groups. The research remains significant in sport as an under-researched area within the sector. Our work has encouraged sport national governing bodies to think more critically about racial diversity, inclusion, (in)equalities and social justice.
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