Types of Identity (0:30)

There is a relationship between racial identity and athletic identity.

• Racial identity: the significance and meaning of race in one’s life (physical features - skin colour )
• Ethnic identity looks to your nationality - cultural values
• Athletic identity: the degree to which individuals identify as athletes

Research Findings (2:10)

• Research in the early 2000s - Jackson and colleagues and Brown and colleagues
  • Higher athletic identity in black student-athletes resulted in dissociation of these individuals and their racial-ethnic group memberships
  • Problem: the higher the athletic identity of these black students, the less they perceived racial discrimination to be a problem in the U.S
• Why am I talking about this? Athletic identity enhances one’s sense of self, self-confidence, & self-worth
  • Feel accepted because of their athletic talents

My Athletic Identity (6:20)

When I was seen as value-added to my hockey team - my racial identity never came to mind.

• I got to forget that there were challenges being black (sheltered lifestyle)
• I was reminded when I had to think twice before retaliating to avoid harsher consequences - it looks worse if a black kid does it. I didn’t want to change how others perceived me

Relevance of Identity in Sports (11:00)

Sports should not be an escape from who we are, it should bring us together because of who we are.

• Unique traits allow for stronger connections to ourselves and others
• Improves performance - teammates with a stronger bond gel together
• Olympic Games effect - nations come together and unify us all

CTA: Check out Blog Post (15:00)

Check out my first blog post on interruptingsports.com to learn more about why it is time for the Interrupting Sports podcast. Drop a comment and share your thoughts. I would love to hear them.

Being Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable (15:25)

To bring about positive change we must become comfortable with being uncomfortable. Our inability to step out of our comfort zone limits our experiences

Personal Anecdote (17:36)

Growing up sheltered, I became comfortable being the only black kid in a room and uncomfortable being among black kids. I formed a community to overcome my uncomfortable state.

Significance in Sports (21:19)

We need to have the difficult conversations to move beyond our ways.

• Get out of your comfort zone - be honest with yourself
• Unlearn our poor behaviours - making assumptions/biases
• Acknowledge and embrace the good, the bad, and the ugly of our reality
• That is how we grow and progress the culture of sport - expand our minds and change our perspective

Summary of Points (23:40)

• Recognize the components of our identity: racial, ethnic, and athletic identity - embrace who we are as individuals to unify us
• Acknowledge our realities and hold ourselves accountable to overcome biases and progress the culture of sports