From NYU Athletics
New York University is proud to announce a new partnership with The Inclusion Playbook, a sports impact consultancy that empowers leaders to transform communities in and through sports.
Coaches, staff, and student-athletes will work with The Inclusion Playbook to advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEl) within their teams and communities. Through this collaboration, they will develop evidence-based skills to create and champion inclusive policies and practices across NYU Athletics.
"We know that sports have the power to transform communities and provide tools for athletes to grow as leaders on and off the field," said Stuart Robinson, the Director of Athletics and Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at NYU. "Entering this partnership is a significant step for NYU to foster more inclusivity and equity among athletes and staff."
The semester-long partnership will include a training series for staff about challenging unconscious bias, responding productively to bias and stereotyping, and advocating for nondiscrimination policies. They will be guided through an Inclusive Conversations series to lay the groundwork for productive talks that lead to lasting change, moving beyond superficial DEI work. Student-athletes will also participate in a Social Justice Bootcamp.
"We know firsthand how transformative sports can be, particularly when there is a dedicated effort to build an equitable and inclusive culture for everyone involved," said Inclusion Playbook Founder Ashland Johnson. "The purpose of our work is to give partners the knowledge and tools to do so."
A civil rights attorney, equity and inclusion strategist, and former Division I athlete, Johnson launched The Inclusion Playbook in 2018. She has advised major sports leagues and governing bodies, including the NBA, NCAA, NFL, and U.S. Olympic Committee, working with them to strengthen their DEl policies and social responsibility programming.
The Inclusion Playbook works with a collaborative network of athletes, schools, sports equity experts, government agencies, and social justice advocates. Their services equip leaders to leverage their social responsibility resources and initiatives for greater returns in their sports organizations and target communities.
"DEI needs to be something that everyone within NYU Athletics has a stake in, and The Inclusion Playbook will act as a catalyst for a more diverse and inclusive workspace as a whole," said Thomas Pritchard, a senior on NYU's men's swimming team. "The department has taken the right steps towards the commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace that also fosters competitive mindsets and the desire to succeed."