BRAD: In this Panther
Sports Talk we look at how
the UNI athletic
department is responding
to the racial injustice
happening around the
country and how it's
affecting UNI athletes.
We look at a challenge set
up by a UNI administrator
to further the
conversation on race.
We find out how hard the
financial hit is from
COVID 19 and we show you
the best academic semester
in UNI athletics history.
We also spotlight two
student athletes that put
everything into their time
at UNI.
BRAD: When you hear the
names Michael Brown,
George Floyd, and now
Jacob Blake what thoughts
come to mind.
Do you think of a loved
one the same age?
Do you think of someone
you know from the same
state, maybe the same
neighborhood?
As social injustice and
police brutality continue
to happen in America, we
take a look at how it
impacts the University of
Northern Iowa athletic
department, from athletes
to coaches and
administrators.
We also look at what
actions are taking place
to move forward together
to stand up against racism
and social injustice.
ERIC: In May, racial
injustice struck the
Minneapolis area with the
murder of George Floyd by
a police officer.
It was another incident
that happened in a
community several UNI
student-athletes call
home.
DAVID: You recognize the
buildings and the streets
in the background is being
areas that you are you
know you grew up on are
you familiar with or
you've driven down or you
would be there just couple
weeks ago just get you
differently we have to be
in a position to be able
to support those students
and understand that for
them the reality of this
is going to sink in in a
way that's different than
the rest of us
ERIC: These national
events affect everyone
differently.
At UNI, the entire
department offered to
listen years ago, when it
formed a Minority Student
Athlete Leadership Team.
It began as social events,
but has always followed
action items that come
from the students on the
team.
DAVID: this was really
boring you know four or
five years ago when we
just started doing
listening sessions I think
that's really where it
started even before the
leadership team was formed
we began doing listening
sessions with
student-athletes of color
either once or twice a
year I think the biggest
thing for us is trying to
do things before they
become necessary not
because we know that
they're going to become
necessary but because we
genuinely care about the
students their perspective
and I'm trying to listen
to them even before the
world turned upside down
ERIC: Many of UNI's teams
are looking at ways they
can foster change.
They are having
discussions together.
Some are putting together
a plan so their actions
can continue beyond the
here and now.
The department as a whole
is offering a 21 day
challenge to carry the
conversation across team
lines.
DAVID: many of them are
trying to understand and
educate themselves more so
they can be allies for
other students so I
respect and greatly admire
the way that they continue
to hold together and try
to be even better versions
of themselves as young
people and we we honestly
need that
ERIC: Just as the students
aspire to be better
versions of themselves, so
do UNI's coaches, staff,
and administrators.
Racial injustice is a
difficult topic that can
only get better through
understanding, listening,
and love for our
neighbors.
DAVID: The issue of racism
has been the most divisive
issue I think that our
country has ever faced and
we still continue to face
it and so we need more
people who have done the
work that really
understand what it's all
about and then are willing
to to put things into
place to make us a better
Society but I admire those
who are willing to stand
up speak out and continue
to push our country
forward out of the love of
wanting to see how country
be everything that we say
we aspire to be
BRAD: There is a long way
to go as a society as a
whole, but we all need to
take our own steps forward
to educate and improve
ourselves to create a
better world for all.
When we come back, we look
at a brand new challenge
the UNI athletic
department has put out to
it's entire staff and
student athletes to
enhance the conversations
being held.
We also look at the best
academic semester EVERY
for UNI athletes.
We hear from David Harris
on how COVID-19 has
affected UNI's athletic
department budget, and we
look at two
student-athletes
recognized for excelling
in competition and giving
back.
BRAD: This summer UNI
athletics initiated a 21
day challenge to learn
more about systemic and
racial injustice.
It's an effort by UNI that
was offered to any UNI
staff member and student
athletes.
Here's how it was received
and how it helps the
entire athletic department
move forward together.
BRAD: When UNI's Andrea
Greve Coello saw the 21
Day Racial Equity Habit
Building Challenge,
diversity and equity
inclusion professionals
were sharing, she knew she
wanted to bring it to UNI
athletics.
ANDREA: the idea is that
we would spend time on
topics everyday for 21
days on topics of of race
and Injustice and current
events in an effort to
raise awareness gain a
common understanding have
conversations dive into
the material and be able
to at the end of the
everything be able to you
know kind of look around
and know that everybody
has this baseline and
foundation to start from.
BRAD: Each day,
participants receive an
email with options to
listen, watch, or read
content suggestions.
The topics had an athletic
twist and each day had
additional resources for a
deeper dive into a topic
that caught interest.
In August, 100 people
participated in UNI's
first 21 day challenge.
ANDREA: They would spend
time every day with
material thinking about
perspectives that that
aren't theirs challenging
their their you know
they're their underlying
biases or their
preconceived notions or
just just challenging
those perspectives to make
sure we're pushing the
envelope a little bit
closer to equality.
BOBBI: There was no doubt
that our team was wanting
and willing and yearning
for something like this
because our conversations
you know a lot how to do
with just feeling very
uneducated, you know what
do we do next you know
those kinds of things what
how do we have the
uncomfortable
conversations that we're
unsure about you know
saying the right thing
versus you know saying the
wrong thing and being okay
with that because you're
willing to the reach out
BRAD: Weekly check in
meetings allowed for a
chance to hear others
reactions to the same
content and understand
that all us receive
information differently
based on our backgrounds.
BOBBI: I think we have a
lot of student athletes
that haven't experienced a
lot of the things that are
happening at all at any
level, so it was really
eye-opening for them and
then those that had
experiences being able to
share those and talk
through those I think was
really important and
that's why we're looking
forward to you don't even
branching out and working
together with more teams
because obviously the more
people to get involved,
the more experiences that
they've had
BRAD: UNI began their
second 21 day challenge
this week.
It includes 4 teams going
through it together.
It's a valuable action
item to continue their
conversations with one
another.
ANDREA: and I really like
that idea to go through as
a team because there's an
underlying level of trust
and and culture that that
a team has it really lends
itself to have really
valuable conversations
around topics of race and
racism social injustice
and in current events
BEN: What does it mean to
be part of change, what
does that look like for me
what are the things is a
head coach that I need to
be thinking about and that
I need to be doing and
it'll be i think a little
bit different for each
coach a little bit
different for each player
but the 21 days is going
to provide us an
opportunity to grow, an
opportunity to understand
what we need to do to do a
better job of being
visible of being out there
are pushing positive
change
BOBBI: It was a great, in
my mind, start to what can
be something really
special not just within
our team, but within the
entire athletic department
I think I'm very proud of
our team for their
willingness to understand
you know where we're at in
our inadequacies and a lot
of parts of this and and
be willing to do better
and be better.
BRAD: There's a lot more
coming your way here on
Panther Sports Talk.
We look at how hard
covid-19 hit the UNI
Athletics budget and the
plans for moving forward.
We look at two
student-athletes
recognized for their work
on and off the field and
look at the best academic
semester in UNI athletics
history and the challenges
they faced.
