TELL YOUR STORY: TACKLING RACISM IN SPORT
Published on 1 January, 2021.
This report provides a glimpse into the lived experiences of over 300 ethnically diverse participants engaging in sports and physical activities across the UK. The stories are broad-ranging and illustrate the everyday realities of grassroots participants and supporters, the Sport Workforce, elite performers and leaders. Over eight weeks, AKD researchers encouraged participants, from a range of ages and socioeconomic backgrounds, located in cities, towns and villages to share their stories. Individuals representing 38 sports and physical activities, formed a collective voice in demanding change. It is our view that the research outcomes scratch the surface ofa pattern of attitudes and behaviours that alienate communities, stifle opportunities and repress the potential of ethnically diverse participants. The lived experiences capture consistent accounts of verbal abuse, discrimination, othering and objectification. The report gives an insight into the psychological and social impact of these experiences from childhood into mature adulthood. A lack of trust is the consistent theme. Participants expressed fatigue and exasperation that their stories are told in vain. Their experiences offer some explanation for the low levels of engagement in sport, and we call this lost talent. Their response is a call to action for the UK Sports Councils and Governing Bodies to do something now. We conclude in this research that to ignore and condone widespread negative practices will undermine any strategies that the Councils develop to encourage better inclusion and real change. Racism represses Britain's true sporting potential, and it must stop. The solution lies in establishing trust, it will be a difficult journey and requires strong and decisive leadership