Stagnation in Diversification: The 2020 Olympics
Jennifer Hoffman, associate professor of educational foundations, leadership and policy and faculty member in the Center for Leadership in Athletics, was quoted in a Diverse Issues in Higher Education article about the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo ― delayed last year due to COVID-19 ― and its connection to the stagnation of diversity in college sports. In addition to representing their country, many Olympic athletes also represent their chosen higher education institution and diversity within collegiate sports has plateaued. Hoffman shares that to create significant change, institutions and athletic boards need to make a conscious effort to hire a "critical mass" of diverse persons in leadership roles like coaching and expand their reach into youth programs to eliminate barriers tied to cost and location prohibitions. For low-income students to make to the collegiate level and beyond, they need access to role models they can relate to as well as good nutrition and training. "The system as it is doesn't support [underserved student-athletes] with the athletic training they need to perform at a high level," Hoffman shares.