celebrating black athletes in hockeyOctober is Black History Month and it’s been fantastic to see so many clubs and societies celebrate black individuals and teams.
We want to take this time to celebrate some of hockey’s fantastic black athletes, but also to reflect on the reputation of hockey and its limitations when trying to encourage participation from potential black players. As Rosie Sykes said herself, hockey is often thought of as a posh game, and those who go to schools without hockey facilities are often not encouraged to play, whether at school or club level. Universities can offer the opportunity to try sports that previously weren’t accessible, and we at Mixed Hockey welcome everyone to the pitches But the fact remains that pre-existing privileges and racial/class disparities often mean black players don’t see sufficient representation to feel encouraged to join. Mixed Hockey wholly supports GB Hockey’s ‘Stick It To Racism’ campaign condemning discrimination of any kind in the sport and beyond. We hope that identifying and resolving issues of discrimination also within the foundations of the sport will encourage hockey to review its often classist development programmes and, consequently, pickings for international and performance teams, to encourage true diversity and representation within the sport. Everyone is welcome at Mixed Hockey, and we will never tolerate discrimination. Thank you to black athletes for elevating the sport. Players such as Rosie Sykes, Ore Ogunlana, Darcy Bourne, Kwandwane Browne, and Darren Cheesman provide hope for a more diverse and equal future of hockey. Black history is our history Sources: http://bit.ly/Rosie_Sykes_her_story | https://www.instagram.com/p/CG8msRIges1/ | https://www.ivyuntold.com/.../that-black-girl-on-the... | https://thebigkickoff.com/.../gb-u21-hockey-player-darcy.../ Stick It To Racism: http://bit.ly/StickItToRacism Comments are closed.
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