{"id":32269,"date":"2022-11-29T15:00:42","date_gmt":"2022-11-29T15:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/?post_type=blog_post&#038;p=32269"},"modified":"2022-12-12T10:31:07","modified_gmt":"2022-12-12T10:31:07","slug":"how-to-tackle-racism-in-sport","status":"publish","type":"blog_post","link":"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/welsh\/blog-post\/how-to-tackle-racism-in-sport\/","title":{"rendered":"How to challenge racism in your local sports club"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"32269\" class=\"elementor elementor-32269\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-6c41a01a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"6c41a01a\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6555ce05\" data-id=\"6555ce05\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-618e5944 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"618e5944\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.6.8 - 27-07-2022 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#818a91;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#818a91;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<h2><strong><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-32271 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-5.png\" alt=\"Tennis player tackling racism in sport\" width=\"1200\" height=\"630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-5.png 1200w, https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-5-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-5-1024x538.png 1024w, https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-5-768x403.png 768w, https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-5-624x328.png 624w, https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-5-600x315.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/strong><\/h2><h2>\u00a0<\/h2><h2 class=\"post-title entry-title\">Awareness is the First Step in Tackling Racism<\/h2><div class=\"entry-content\"><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">At every level of the game, from five-a-side to Premier League to World Cup, it\u2019s down to every player, coach,\u00a0ref\u00a0and fan to know what racism looks like and how to tackle\u00a0it.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">There are times when it feels like racism in sport dominates the news as much as the results do and it has a knock-on effect on the entire sport and future generations of hopefuls. Some progress has been seen recently, with associations and governing bodies around the world stepping up to start putting their money where their mouths are and stamp out racism with a firm\u00a0boot.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">But it\u2019s the awareness that can sometimes elude us, and we can only be aware if we educate ourselves. It\u2019s only by listening to people with lived experiences \u2013 as well as our intrinsic sense of moral decency \u2013 that we can do better. The five sports councils of the UK published in two reports in June 2021 under the Tackling Racism and Racial Inequality in Sport review. It uncovered that racism and racial inequalities are still prevalent in sport and that ethnically diverse communities are being consistently disadvantaged. The review heavily supports \u201congoing training and education to understand racism and the impact it has on individuals and our sector.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Accelerate Sport\u2019s new online course,\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/welsh\/anti-racism-awareness-in-sport-course-info\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Tackling Racism in Sport<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, can help you in very short space of time learn what racism really is, and\u00a0recognise\u00a0and challenge micro-aggressions and negative stereotyping both on and off the pitch. It\u2019ll also explain the laws, such as the Equality Act 2010, that exist to prevent discrimination of ethnic minority communities and individuals, showing how you can proactively ensure it stays out of your club.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-32272 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-6.png\" alt=\"Basketball player tackling racism in sport\" width=\"1200\" height=\"630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-6.png 1200w, https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-6-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-6-1024x538.png 1024w, https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-6-768x403.png 768w, https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-6-624x328.png 624w, https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-6-600x315.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">How does racism affect coaches and players?<\/span><\/b><\/h2><p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Former footballer, coach, referee, and high school teacher, Nana Baah, believes strongly that more\u00a0needs\u00a0to be done to educate people\u00a0(both young and old)\u00a0about sensitivity towards racial differences. He has found through his entire career that he\u2019s had to face unequal opportunities to his peers, having to try harder and go the long way around to achieve the same as others. One of our case studies on the eLearning course, Nana tells us of the times he\u2019s experienced racial slurs, been treated differently in the changing room, right down to having a banana thrown at him on the pitch. \u201cIt\u2019s something that hurts,\u201d he says,\u00a0\u201cbecause all you\u2019re trying to do is play football and the one thing you don\u2019t want is the\u00a0colour\u00a0of your skin being brought into the sport that you love.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">He explains that he lost the love of football for a while after being racially abused, especially because he felt unsupported by his peers and the system, and soon became untrusting of white coaches and referees for not being looked after properly following attacks. That\u2019s why he wants clubs, sports orgs and governing bodies to feel better equipped to respond proactively to racist incidents in a safe way, by taking courses like\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/welsh\/anti-racism-awareness-in-sport-course-info\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Tackling Racism in Sport<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. On the course, Nana reminds us with the utmost seriousness that it racial abuse is against the law, and that clubs can not only take it to the ref on the pitch and as high up at the club as they can,\u00a0they\u00a0can also log it with their nation\u2019s football association and even go to police. It\u2019s time to take a proper stand against these incidents.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><div class=\"post-video\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-32273 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-7.png\" alt=\"Rugby player tackling racism in sport\" width=\"1200\" height=\"630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-7.png 1200w, https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-7-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-7-1024x538.png 1024w, https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-7-768x403.png 768w, https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-7-624x328.png 624w, https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-7-600x315.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/div><h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/h2><h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">How much needs to be done in preventing racist incidents?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2><p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In 1982, when Cyrille Regis was selected to play for England, he was sent a bullet in the post by a racist fan. Fast forward to 2008, following his successful appointment as manager of Chelsea, Avram Grant\u00a0was sent dozens of antisemitic emails and letters. Despite many of England\u2019s young black players becoming the stars at Euro 2020, the racist social media onslaught directed at Marcus Rashford,\u00a0Bukayo\u00a0Saka and Jadon Sancho following the team\u2019s loss suggests we have quite some\u00a0way\u00a0to go in tackling racism at a fan level. Even as recently as September, FIFA and UEFA have found themselves under scrutiny after Hungarian supporters hurled monkey chants at Raheem Sterling and Jude Bellingham during the England Budapest game in September.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">But it goes far beyond the crowds, as recently black and Asian referees have also revealed the extent of abuse and prejudice that holds them back from being the best that they can be. And it\u2019s not confined to the football pitch either \u2013 the recent outing of Yorkshire Cricket Club by Azeem Rafiq has caused a stir in all parts of the sporting world. Cover ups and carpet sweepings are no longer acceptable.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Practices like taking the knee before football matches, which became commonplace in 2020,\u00a0following George Floyd\u2019s murder,\u00a0goes some way to remind everyone of the need for solidarity and respect. At a media level, more and more people are coming forward to share their stories in exposes by the likes of BBC, covering the experiences of football players and managers like Anita Asante, Chris Hughton and Emile Heskey, as well as other key figures in the football world, such as referee Shaakir Uddin and broadcaster\u00a0Reshmin\u00a0Chowdhury. Improved representation of ethnic minority players will also go a long way to\u00a0make sport\u00a0feel more inclusive.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So\u00a0what is being done at an institutional level to support the tackling and correct reporting of racist bullying, both on and off the pitch? Disciplinary proceedings, hefty fines, game suspensions, player expulsions, playing behind closed doors and criminal prosecutions are just some of the actions being brought against racism in football now. It\u2019s the structural racism, says Chris Grant, one of the most senior black administrators in British sport, that needs some desperate attention, to move away from the elephant in the room and deal with it properly.<\/span><\/p><p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-32274 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-8.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-8.png 1200w, https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-8-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-8-1024x538.png 1024w, https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-8-768x403.png 768w, https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-8-624x328.png 624w, https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-images-8-600x315.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/span><\/p><h2><b>The steps you can take in tackling racism in your sport<\/b><\/h2><p><a href=\"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/welsh\/anti-racism-awareness-in-sport-course-info\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Tackling Racism in Sport<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0is written in partnership with Show Racism the Red Card, an\u00a0organisation\u00a0committed to challenging misconceptions, stereotypes and negative attitudes in sport and society by delivering educational sessions to over 50,000 people a year.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This online course launched in January 2022, is full of stories, data, videos and interactive learning opportunities. Upon successful completion and assessment, you\u2019ll be awarded a certificate and CPD points. If you\u2019re ready to raise awareness and take action in your club, this is the course for you.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\"><b>Take a peak at our &#8216;Tackling Racism in Sport&#8217; eLearning Course below.<\/b><\/span><\/p><p><div style=\"width: 640px;\" class=\"wp-video\"><video class=\"wp-video-shortcode\" id=\"video-32269-1\" width=\"640\" height=\"448\" preload=\"metadata\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Racism.mp4?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Racism.mp4\">https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Racism.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div><\/p><p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\"><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p><p>Written by Alice Gunn<\/p><p>Accelerate Sport is created by <a href=\"http:\/\/e-coach.co.uk\">eCoach<\/a>, eLearning providers in the UK<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At every level of the game, from five-a-side to Premier League to World Cup, it\u2019s down to every player, coach,\u00a0ref\u00a0and fan to know what racism looks like and how to tackle\u00a0it.\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":32272,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","tags":[],"blog-category":[99,103],"class_list":["post-32269","blog_post","type-blog_post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","blog-category-blog","blog-category-racism"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/welsh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog_post\/32269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/welsh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog_post"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/welsh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog_post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/welsh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/welsh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32269"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/welsh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog_post\/32269\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/welsh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/welsh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/welsh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32269"},{"taxonomy":"blog-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/accelerate.sport\/welsh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog-category?post=32269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}