Another exciting ending to a Super Bowl!

I wasn’t rooting for either team in particular which gave me the chance to watch Mike Tomlin, coach of Pittsburgh Steelers pacing the sidelines. He happens to be the second black man to coach a team to a Super Bowl victory. Last year, I got to watch Mike Carey, the first African-American to referee a Super Bowl. Actually, he was the Lead Official. Two years ago, it was Tony Dungee and Lovie Smith, two black men, coach their respective teams, the Colts and the Bears, in the biggest game of the year.

So many barriers in sport have been broken, though many more still remain.

Don’t get me wrong – there are many great black men that have inspired us by breaking racial barriers as athletes.

But that’s where the problem lies…

For too many black youth, athletes are the only role models. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with being a professional athlete, or aspiring to be one. However, we need to do more to show black boys the range of opportunities in sports beyond being a player. If we don’t, we’re perpetuating a limited (and limiting) attitude towards the actual opportunities available for black men in sports.  

It’s easy to forget that the ‘Sports Profession’ is not only about athletics.

Making the Connection.

So what does this mean for black boys looking for role models in the field of professional sports? Am I suggesting that we dissuade them from admiring successful black athletes, or from hoping to become one themselves?

Of course not.

Participating in sports is a wonderful way to tap into the energy and passion of youth. Kids love to play sports and it’s a great ‘hook’ to get their attention.  The question is, once you have their attention, what are you going to do with it?

The fact is, it’s extremely rare for a person to turn their love of a sport into a career as a professional athlete. But that doesn’t have to mean the end of a dream. There is potential to leverage our youth’s interest in sport and modify the ‘dream’ by simply expanding the scope of their perception of success in sports.

By encouraging young black men to pursue a career in sports by becoming a sportswriter (journalism), trainer (kinesiology), marketer (Business Administration), sports agent (lawyer), etc, we allow them to see a potential role in sport in a capacity that they might not have even considered.

It’s easy to admire the qualities that make professional athletes successful. But let’s not forget to encourage our youth to look beyond the playing field by celebrating the successes and acknowledging the opportunities available both on and beyond the bench.