You can read this post in Spanish here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/por-qué-somos-amigos-catalina-villegas-mba-ms/?published=t
Why are the authors of this post friends? The answer is “sports.”
Rush’s version: “It’s because I let Catalina defeat me at tennis.”
Catalina’s version: “Rush appreciates that I let him drag his old slow butt around the same court with me.”
OK, neither of those are really true, although we have played tennis together (and yes, Catalina is the better player). We did meet through sports, though. Rush formerly worked for the Texas Rangers and when he wanted to work on a documentary film about Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez, his contacts there introduced him to Catalina, who works with Pudge.
We’ve been diligently working on that project, and as we’ve done so, other opportunities for collaboration have surfaced. And as we’ve worked on those projects, we’ve learned more about each other – learned, for one, that we have very different backgrounds.
Rush: blonde, of English and Nordic descent, lifelong Texan, early 50s, straight, single
Catalina: dark-haired, originally from Colombia, early 30s, gay, married
But despite those differences, we get along. In fact, more than just getting along, we’ve become good friends. We think sports is a big reason why.
First, it’s something to talk about. We can discuss professional tennis, soccer, or any number of other sports that interest both of us. Second, and more importantly, we draw on the lessons sport teaches.
We like the way You Can Play (an organization on whose board Catalina serves) puts it: if you can play, you can play. When you want to win in a team sport, you find that prioritizing a teammate’s ability over pedigree maximizes your chances of realizing that goal. We have seen how each other’s talents can make a difference on projects, and the result has been mutual respect.
Our sports backgrounds have no doubt contributed to the development of some of the qualities we find compelling. We both value effort, teamwork, and tolerance.
This isn’t unusual. Sports readily provides the common ground that is a necessary precursor to growing a friendship. Its qualities often help that relationship blossom.
And along the way, you often discover you have more in common than just sports. It turns out we both also like dogs, Pink Floyd, and whiskey cleverly poured (ask us about that story sometime). We look forward to finding more shared interests as we go along – it’s part our natures, thanks to sports.
This is the first in a series of blog posts by Rush Olson and Catalina Villegas on the intersection of sports and diversity.
