Off-Colour Landscape: Framing Race Equality in Sport Coaching

Abstract

The article examines how UK sport organisations have framed race equality and diversity, in sport coaching. Semi-structured interviews were used to gain insight into organisational perspectives towards 'race', ethnicity, racial equality, and whiteness. Using Critical Race Theory and Black feminism, colour-blind practices were found to reinforce a denial that 'race' is a salient factor underpinning inequalities in coaching. The dominant practices employed by key stakeholders are discussed under three themes: equating diversity as inclusion; fore fronting meritocracy and individual agency; and framing whiteness. We argue that these practices sustain the institutional racialised processes and formations that serve to normalise and privilege whiteness. We conclude that for Black and minoritised ethnic coaches to become key actors in sport coaching in the UK 'race' and racial equality need to be centred in research, policy and practice.

A Kaupapa Māori, culturally progressive, narrative review of literature on sport, ethnicity and inclusion

“…Another UK study by Rankin-Wright et al (2016) that involved interviews with 'key' (all white) stakeholders (N = 15) from nine UK sport National Governing Bodies (NGBs) reinforced a similar theme. Drawing on Black feminist and critical race theory (CRT), Rankin-Wright, et al identified 'whiteness' as one of three key themes.…”

Negotiating the coaching landscape: Experiences of Black men and women coaches in the United Kingdom

“…The silences and denials around these systems of dominance and unearned privileges within coaching circles and NGB organisations keeps the thinking about equality incomplete and maintains the myth of a 'level playing field' within sport coaching (McIntosh, 1997). These institutional inequities can also be highly ambiguous and seemingly invisible to those most implicated, and as a result can often be denied or difficult to identify (Rankin-Wright et al, 2016). instrumental to understanding the connection between everyday experiences, routine practices and the structural forces within the equalities landscape of the these two NGBs.…”

“…Four coaches (two women and two men) were interviewed from each of two anonymised NGBs (eight coaches in total). These two NGBs, NGB1: 'Team Sport' (TS), and NGB2: 'Grouped Individual Events' (GIE), had been purposively selected based on a larger study that included six NGBs and the coaches were only selected from these two NGBs (Rankin-Wright et al, 2016). The two NGBs were selected because they represented contrasting approaches to racial and gender equality, and were willing to participate in the research.…”

“…The coaches' reflections are discussed under three themes: negotiating identities, privilege and blind spots, and systemic discrimination. The narratives from the coaches' experiences emphasise the need for key stakeholders in sport to recognise the intersectional, structural and relational experiences that facilitate, as well as 2 constrain, the progression of Black coaches in order to challenge racialised and gendered inequalities.Contrary to the popular belief that sport represents a meritocratic and egalitarian space, we have previously noted that sport coaching remains an arena in which interconnecting disparities of 'race', ethnicity, gender (as well as other social categories) create structured power relations that serve to reinforce patterns of inclusion/exclusion (Rankin-Wright et al, 2016). In particular, Black 1 coaches are underrepresented in sport leadership and sport coaching in the United Kingdom (UK), and we know little about their lived experiences (Bradbury et al, 2014(Bradbury et al, , 2016North, 2009;Norman et al, 2014;Sporting Equals, 2011).…”

“…Contrary to the popular belief that sport represents a meritocratic and egalitarian space, we have previously noted that sport coaching remains an arena in which interconnecting disparities of 'race', ethnicity, gender (as well as other social categories) create structured power relations that serve to reinforce patterns of inclusion/exclusion (Rankin-Wright et al, 2016). In particular, Black 1 coaches are underrepresented in sport leadership and sport coaching in the United Kingdom (UK), and we know little about their lived experiences (Bradbury et al, 2014(Bradbury et al, , 2016North, 2009;Norman et al, 2014;Sporting Equals, 2011).…”