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Post by donut on May 18, 2021 22:35:43 GMT -5
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Post by mnbadger on May 18, 2021 22:35:48 GMT -5
OK, I'm just going to put this out there and see if it lands. Diversity matters. A lot. I work with college students for a living at a predominantly white institution. I also identify as an Asian male. As I've developed relationships with BIPOC students and hopefully gain their trust, without fail, they talk about how weary they are whenever they walk into a room and they are the only black or brown person. It happens in their classrooms. It happens in their dorms. It happens in the unions. The dining halls. Everywhere. When they find faces that look like theirs that they can attach to, I literally see them breathe more easily. They have a connection point even when things get stupid hard. They have someone that they don't have to explain to why they're upset when their professor continues to mispronounce their name despite repeated corrections. They don't have to explain why they're mad that their advisor didn't think they were ready for Calc 2. before ever looking at their student record and seeing their score of 5 on the AP Calc BC exam. And that's the small stuff. I have too many examples of black and brown folks as early as kindergarten being told by their teachers that they cannot grow up to be whatever they want to be. As has been said, collegiate volleyball teams are about more than just the team. Academics play a role. Life outside the classroom and off the court also plays a huge role. If these folks can see someone who looks like them that is THRIVING, it does a huge amount for their ability to trust the program. This crap about "it should just be about volleyball" is overly simple. You don't think that a player that can let their guard down a little bit when it comes to race won't do better on the volleyball court? Volleyball does not exist in a vacuum.
And no, not talking about race will not make racism go away. If it did, maybe I wouldn't be racially slurred while minding my own business on at least an annual basis.
In the meantime, I'm still just waiting to hear if Dana comes back to the Badgers or I'll have to get used to Donna Retkuh. I'm torn because I'd like to see what different players can do, but she's some kind of special athlete. I know there's a senior watch thread or something. It'll be fun when it all shakes out!
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Post by HappyVolley on May 18, 2021 22:36:27 GMT -5
Does it? I don't think that has been a problem for Nebraska or Stanford Volleyball. I don't think it's been a problem for any top NCAA basketball program, which have very little diversity. It was absolutely a problem for Nebraska who Made it a priority to address. So do you not believe it’s not way harder, to near impossible to attract black athletes to a program that doesn’t have black athletes? If you do t believe that, I find it remarkable. How could it possibly have been a problem for Nebraska, who recently won a couple of national championships and came close to winning a couple more? Ask Foluke how many black players were at Stanford when she accepted her scholarship there. I don't recall any black players on the Stanford team at that time. I don't recall a lot of black players at Penn State when Megan Hodge first showed up at Rec Hall. |
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Post by donut on May 18, 2021 22:38:51 GMT -5
It was absolutely a problem for Nebraska who Made it a priority to address. So do you not believe it’s not way harder, to near impossible to attract black athletes to a program that doesn’t have black athletes? If you do t believe that, I find it remarkable. How could it possibly have been a problem for Nebraska, who recently won a couple of national championships and came close to winning a couple more? Ask Foluke how many black players were at Stanford when she accepted her scholarship there. I don't recall any black players on the Stanford team at that time. I don't recall a lot of black players at Penn State when Megan Hodge first showed up at Rec Hall. holy f*ck stop posting |
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Post by PointHawks on May 18, 2021 23:49:07 GMT -5
Assistant Coach Bre Payton is missing from the coaches roster, anyone hear of anything? New roster alert:  Here you go. There's nothing out of order here, with the only change being the removal of Boyer. The freshmen haven't been added. |
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trojansc
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Post by trojansc on May 18, 2021 23:56:52 GMT -5
It was absolutely a problem for Nebraska who Made it a priority to address. So do you not believe it’s not way harder, to near impossible to attract black athletes to a program that doesn’t have black athletes? If you do t believe that, I find it remarkable. Ask Foluke how many black players were at Stanford when she accepted her scholarship there. I don't recall any black players on the Stanford team at that time. Well, you're recalling things wrong. |
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Post by badgerbreath on May 19, 2021 0:47:40 GMT -5
Look. In terms of sports, limiting the range of athletes that you can recruit to play for you is never a good thing. It's just not. Sure, you don't have to have a diverse team to win in a given year (especially if all the prep requires access that isn't as available to BIPOC students), but you are not going to have sustained success unless the door is open to all. Somebody else will figure it out. Sports is unforgiving in that sense, in a good way.
In terms of real life, there are literally decades of research showing the positive effects of diversity (writ large - it's not simply skin color or gender) on problem solving in business settings and in technical/academic settings. More diverse groups may not solve problems more quickly. The process may be fraught, which is usually why people don't like diversity - it requires work. There are certainly network effects that are often affected by preexisting imbalances in power. But more diverse groups make fewer assumptions and so are better at sussing out more options and getting to the right answer. Groups that are just women, just men, just white, or just black, often do worse at solving problems correctly than groups that are a mixture. It's not the only factor, but it matters, and it's often the major problem.
But beyond the utilitarian arguments, there is the moral argument. These educational institutions that support volleyball are supposed to support everyone, to provide a platform for everyone to meet their potential. It's usually in their mission statements. It's mandated by law in many cases. They have to prepare their students for a more diverse world, because that diversity is not going away.
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Post by badgerbreath on May 19, 2021 1:08:34 GMT -5
I'm trying to figure out what the Boyer transfer might mean for the Rettke decision, because I have nothing better to do.
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Post by andrewwmic on May 19, 2021 7:30:40 GMT -5
Why would it be celebrated? Are you suggesting diversity isn’t positive? Yes and thats actually very disturbing |
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Post by AmeriCanVBfan on May 19, 2021 9:55:01 GMT -5
I understand your point but you aren’t winning at the highest levels without diversity. I’d also argue diversity creates a greater and fuller experience for individuals and teams, helps us understand one another, develop empathy, see the world through a different lens..... Ask Nebraska about winning without diversity. I'm not sure if this was addressed but I was baffled by the comment. I think Jazz Sweet, Lexi Sun, Keonilei Akana, Kayla Caffey, and Kenzie Knuckles would be too. |
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2021 10:40:51 GMT -5
LEXI IS COMING BACK
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Post by badgerbreath on May 19, 2021 10:43:05 GMT -5
Interesting.
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2021 10:46:33 GMT -5
Not the one of the big outstanding players who moves the needle the most (Looking at you, Samedy). But, certainly a big addition and makes Nebraska a better team headed into the fall.
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Post by Kingsley on May 19, 2021 11:00:09 GMT -5
OP updated.
I'm sitting here glaring at the Trinity of Anticipation: Rettke-Samedy-Stivrins.
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2021 11:01:55 GMT -5
OP updated. I'm sitting here glaring at the Trinity of Anticipation: Rettke-Samedy-Stivrins. I still think all 3 should go pro. I don't think all 3 will, though. No knowledge, just my gut. Or, maybe that's breakfast not sitting well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ |
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