By admin

August 2022
Courtesy of The New York Times, an article on Althea Gibson, the first Black player to win Wimbledon, and her pioneering leadership in racial equity during an era in which such was mostly seen as unwelcome: On a sweltering day [...]
Via the Wall Street Journal, commentary on how one of baseball’s favorite stories about overcoming prejudice didn’t happen the way many fans would like to think: There may be no crying in baseball, as the manager played by [...]

By admin

August 2022
This advertisement which won the Emmy for Outstanding Commercial in 2021 captures a true display of diversity in sport. As the narrator states: "We're never alone, and that is our strength. Because when we're doubted, we'll [...]
Via ESPN, an article on how Harvard is helping teach Justin Morrow how to take Black Players For Change worldwide: When a professional athlete retires, it's not unusual to see them gravitate toward a few select careers. Some [...]

ABOUT

MORE THAN A GAME

Refusing to “just shut up and play,” more and more athletes are stepping off the court, the field, the pitch, or the ice to leverage their voices and platforms to push for social change. This blog - More Than A Game - is a forum dedicated to the inspirational convergence of athletics, politics, leadership, and social change.

Muhammad Ali. Billie Jean King. John Carlos and Tommie Smith. Maya Moore. Colin Kaepernick. Megan Rapinoe and the United States National Women’s Soccer Team. Francois Pienaar. LeBron James. These are but a few of the accomplished athletes who have also demonstrated leadership in sports and social change, contributing to movements such as Black Lives Matter, the Civil Rights movement, anti-war protests, gender equality, LGBTQ rights and other critical issues.

But the role of athletes in leadership and social change is not limited to the pages of history books, nor is the connection between sports and social change only driven by individual athletes and teams. Inspirational organizations like Athlete Ally, Peace Players, Grassroots Soccer, and others are using sports as a way to pull people together behind a common cause, to bridge divides or to promote public health today.

Whether you are an athlete yourself or have never picked up a ball, More Than A Game will provide a forum to learn about brave athletes, teams, and sports-related organizations which exercised their leadership to foster a better understanding of social causes, advocacy, and changemaking for important causes throughout history.