UAA affinity groups gathered at three UAA championships in early 2022, gathering at the indoor and outdoor track & field championships, and the tennis championships.
Indoor Track & Field
The first affinity group came together at the 2022 UAA Indoor Track & Field Championships at Case Western Reserve University as student-athlete leaders brought together Black student-athletes, coaches, and athletic trainers after the first day of the two-day competition.
Pre-championship planning was led by five student-athletes and one assistant athletic trainer via email and then a Zoom conversation. Senior track student-athlete Sonali Anderson of Brandeis University suggested and organized the Zoom call. She was joined on the planning call by fellow track student-athletes sophomore Elise Moore of CWRU, sophomore Gabriela Meschino of University of Chicago, and graduate student Andrew Whitaker of Washington University. Also on the call was sophomore volleyball student-athlete and co-president of the CWRU Black Latinx Athlete Coalition (BLAC) Jennifer Ngo, and CWRU Assistant Athletic Trainer Tianna Cobb, who took the administrative lead.
"Being able to help facilitate the Black track and field student-athletes to meet at CWRU during the UAA indoor championships was so inspiring. The CWRU BLAC organization had icebreakers and games organized to start conversation, but once the student-athletes came together, they proved there was no need for that," remarked Cobb. "Watching them interact and form relationships, and fellowship with other students who are part of this organization, touched my heart and got me excited because the sky's the limit for where the organizations go on their various campuses. I am overjoyed at the leadership the CWRU BLAC organization showed and the hospitality they gave to their fellow BLAC organization members at the other UAA universities."
Carnegie Mellon University sophomore basketball player RJ Holmes played the last game of his season at CWRU the same day as the event. Though his team had to leave before the get-together, he took the opportunity to meet with some of the Black track and field student-athletes during the championship. "I was able to meet with Black athletes from Brandeis, Case Western Reserve, and WashU. It was awesome to build that connection with other Black athletes," Holmes commented. "We are not only minorities on our teams, but also on our campuses. It was good to have that connection not only as Black athletes, but also as Black athletes in our conference."
"Having a baseline of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the conference led by the student-athletes is paramount. Having that connection with those from other schools is something that I value," continued Holmes. "This process can be meticulous, but we have so many student leaders that it is only right we utilize those resources."
Despite a long day, where many people arrived at the track as early as 9 a.m., the group of more than 30 people engaged together for more than an hour until 8 p.m. with a day full of event finals ahead the following day. The event began with words from Cobb and CWRU James C. Wyant Director of Athletics and Chair of Physical Education TJ Shelton. The conversation was run entirely by those in the group rather than by an outside facilitator or UAA representative present.
"It was a great opportunity for UAA student-athletes at the championship meet to interact, fellowship, and connect on a deep and personal level. The commitment to provide a safe place to share experiences and ideas without question had a positive impact on their overall championship experience," explained Shelton.
Tennis
Asian-American Desi Pacific Islander (AADPI) Committee Chairperson/Carnegie Mellon University Coordinator of Student-Athlete Wellness/Athletic Trainer Rosie Cheng, NYU Assistant Athletic Trainer Roy Flores, and NYU head tennis coach Horace Choy planned for AADPI student-athletes to meet prior to the annual banquet at the 2022 UAA Tennis Championships in Altamonte Springs, Florida.
"The idea of an AADPI group within the UAA started when violence against Asian Americans increased during the pandemic. We began with a meeting inviting individuals identified as AADPI to gauge interest. We received tremendous response to our follow-up survey, which helped us set the goal of an AADPI community of student-athletes, coaches, and staff where we can feel safe to discuss and address challenges, provide support, and network within our campuses and the UAA."
Flores facilitated the conversation with more than 20 student-athletes prior to the tournament banquet on the first night of competition. "It was great to be in a room with the student-athletes. We started the meeting talking about our favorite home-cooked meals, which allowed for the conversation to flow," he commented. "I was encouraged by the attendance and the continued conversations throughout the weekend. It will be exciting to see this community develop."
Emory University senior tennis student-athlete Lauren Yoon, who is a member of the UAA AADPI Committee, was pleased with the initial event. "Being new, it was a little intimidating, but at the same time, I was thinking it would be an amazing support system for Asian student-athletes in Division III," she stated. "I spoke with Roy afterwards about how important a student group could be, especially with COVID-19 and the increased Asian hate crimes. On our campuses, we had the double duty of having scary emotions, while also trying to educate others. This can be a safe place to talk about how we are feeling without having to explain what is going on."
"I think it is a great idea, a new thing that is very progressive and will help a lot in the long run. The Black student-athletes at WashU have become a very tight-knit group through WU BLAC. They have hosted seminars, brought in guest speakers, and spoken about their experiences and challenges," said WashU senior tennis student-athlete Daniel Li. "As members of the AADPI community, we have a very different set of experiences, and it is important to raise awareness of the challenges we have faced that others have not."
Cheng and Flores have also been reaching out to other AADPI student-athletes who were unable to attend the event based on timing/COVID-19 concerns. "The next step will be to gauge interest on the eight campuses to see if the student-athletes want to start AADPI chapters on their respective campuses."
"I have guys on my team who look like me and share a lot of the same experiences as me from playing junior tennis. I also have teammates who don't look like me who are really interested in the culture I come from," Li described. "Our team goes out to get Chinese food in St Louis. We usually get 10-12 guys on one night and go out to eat family style with one of us Chinese guys doing the ordering. It is really refreshing being on the team with guys who haven’t had the experience of eating certain foods, but who are super eager to try new things and enjoy a lot of foods that I did as a little kid."
Yoon enjoyed the opportunity to connect with student-athletes from other institutions. "That was something I had never done before. It was unique and exciting to be in that room with other people who wanted to be there. Usually at tournaments, we don't talk to our opponents. It was powerful to have that connection with others who have been through many of the same things we have. It was great to have the chance to talk about current events or to just hang out without worrying about facing any judgment. Throughout the weekend, we would say hello to one another and share friendly smiles," she described.
Outdoor Track & Field
WashU continued the tradition started by CWRU at the indoor track & field championships when it hosted the outdoor championship. This time the event coincided with the coaches' meeting on Friday, the night before the events began.
WashU sophomore track student-athlete Charis Riebe took the student leadership role for the event, leading the pre-championship planning Zoom call that included indoor championship contributors Anderson, Moore, and Whitaker, as well as WashU junior field student-athlete Abayomi Awoyomi and Senior Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator Summer Hutcheson.
Approximately 40 Black student-athletes, coaches, and athletic trainers from six of the seven participating schools (one school did not participate due to a recent uptick of COVID-19 cases on its campus) attended the event. After a welcome from Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and The John M. Schael Director of Athletics Anthony J. Azama, the group conversed about topics relevant to being a Black student-athlete at UAA institutions. Riebe and WashU Student-Athlete Development and Experience Coordinator Michelle Detwiler took the lead roles the week of the event, which included catering dinner from a local Black-owned restaurant, Gourmet Soul.
"Witnessing our Black track & field student-athletes from across the UAA come together as a community was amazing. The energy in the room was positive and inclusive," Detwiler said. "This moment for them was about building bridges across the UAA and taking advantage of coming together. We are so proud of WU BLAC for their organization, leadership, and intentionality on this initiative."
"Tremendous energy and smiles filled the space during the event. The transformation of individuals from different UAA institutions gradually becoming a special community with a shared experience and purpose was amazing," Azama observed. "Their bonds then carried over into the championship meet where sportsmanship and genuine care between the schools was on full display throughout the weekend and on the awards podium. It is my hope these new friendships will last a lifetime.”
Building the Future
"Leaving Case Western Reserve after the indoor conference, I went away with new friends and an anticipation for a similar event at the outdoor conference. I was super excited to be able to plan the event with the athletic staff at WashU, and it was a great time to build a community with six other schools," Riebe stated. "When we saw each other at meets, everyone was saying 'hey' and congratulating each other. Even though we were competing for different teams, it was nice we could still support each other. Although I would consider the events at indoor and outdoor conference a success, I'm excited to see how we can build off this momentum and have all schools in the UAA attend and continue to learn how to support each other."
The early success of the affinity groups meeting up was a welcome sight for veterans and encouragement for younger student-athletes.
"As a fifth-year student and co-founder of the WashU BLAC, we planted the seeds of this organization to grow a community that could prosper through unity and shared cultural experiences," Whitaker stated. "It's rare that you get to see the fruits of your labor this quickly. I’m happy to see the young Black scholar-champions take charge and set a precedent for the future across universities. It’ll set the tone for building bridges and breaking down barriers. Some may argue why do it during such a highly competitive weekend, but it’s bigger than track and field."
“I have so enjoyed both UAA Black student-athlete events put on during this past indoor and outdoor track and field seasons. Track and field is so unique in that the entire conference meets twice a year and I think it’s great that we Black student-athletes get to take advantage of that and build community," Moore communicated.
"As AADPI student-athletes, we face unique pressures. There is a special relationship between our identity and the sport of tennis," Li pointed out. "The success of the Black student-athlete groups give me a lot of confidence that things like this can be very successful ad bring people together. That precedent eases my mind. I believe this philosophy and perspective of bringing people together can spread to other UAA teams and sports."
Having a UAA summit with student-athletes, coaches, and administrators of color is something Holmes would like to see happen in the near future. "During our last BLAC (Black and Latinx Athlete Coalition) meeting at Carnegie Mellon, we talked about how important fellowship is in these beginning stages. At a summit, administrators would be able to witness how powerful that camaraderie between athletes of color is."