Months ago I posted how color should no longer blind an athlete or coach to an individuals talents. Sadly, many coaches in America still battle this social construct. Many kids are told directly or indirectly you can’t do that because you are (Fill in Race here). As you know from my previous writings or conversations prejudice makes my blood boil. Once in middle school I was told I would never be a sprinter by a opposing coach because my Achilles tendons were not long enough. I then went on to beat his athlete by 10 meters in the 100 dash and even got a chance to give that coach a look as a crossed the line. What a great feeling! Recently, the NBA is going crazy (Linsanity) over a fresh face named Jeremy Lin an American born Chinese/Taiwanese guard who is on fire! Out of high school Lin received no scholarships but did end up playing at Harvard. While in college Lin was as strong player and a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award. Then after college Jeremy was rewarded for his good play by going undrafted by the NBA. Finally, after a number of unlikely situations Jeremy was allowed to start for the New York Knicks. I believe many of the obstacles Jeremy has faced are due to preconceived notions of his athleticism based on race. Once again if you are a stud it does not matter if you are black, white, brown, yellow, or purple. Let’s fairly evaluate the athlete for their talents, ability, and work ethic not their color. Talent identification and record keeping can help bring clarity to what athlete’s real limits may be. When taking courses for my masters degree my athletic abilities (or lack there of) were tested in variety of ways. I was relieved to discover while out of shape and old I still tested well in all the speed and power events. Moral of the story is test, keep records, and NEVER judge a book by its cover.
