On Diversity and Winning

The authors of this post on diversity both played a lot of tennis growing up. A typical tournament might have five events per age classification: women’s (or girls’) singles and doubles, men’s (or boys’) singles and doubles, and the one we thought about for this post: mixed doubles. “Mixed,” as it’s often shortened to, has gender diversity baked into the rules – teams consist of one man and one woman. So you literally can’t win that event without gender equity – it’s just the way it works.

 It turns out, however, that diversity contributes to winning in a lot more than a certain racquet sport. Diversity of skills is crucial to success in team sports. In association football, aka soccer, you need a player who’s adept at handling the ball with hands paired with a bunch of other teammates for whom that skill is irrelevant. In the American code of football, it’s vital to have some speedy ballcarriers matched with strong guards and tackles to clear the way.

 The quest to identify competent players of all types has historically led to greater diversity of other kinds as well. The reason relates to an aspect of sport that’s not diverse at all: the desire to win. Nobody plays hoping to lose or tie.

 This natural competitiveness historically led sportsmen (and, yes, they were mostly men) to rethink biases. When Bill Yeoman coached the University of Houston’s football team in the 1960s, he created the Veer offense and won a lot of games with it. But Yeoman’s innovation didn’t stop at formations. He recruited the school’s first African American players, reportedly explaining his motivation to Black leaders. "I told them that I'm prejudiced. I'm prejudiced against bad football players.” Yeoman won a lot of games, spurring his competitors to make their own rosters more diverse as they attempted to beat him. The universal desire to win contributed to increased diversity among Texas collegiate athletic programs.

 Diversity in pursuit of winning remains in the realm of innovation in some areas. We’re starting to see those who hire coaches realize that a career spent in the women’s version of a sport can yield knowledge conducive to winning in the men’s version. A Becky Hammon could help the Spurs win games. An Amelie Mauresmo could help Andy Murray win tournaments. A career spent in baseball front offices could produce a Kim Ng, who’s qualified to put together a viable roster for the Miami Marlins as their general manager. Competing as a top-level softball player could give a Jessica Mendoza the wherewithal to excel as a network baseball commentator.

What’s the next diversity “Moneyball,” aka the innovation you tried before anyone else did that got you incremental wins? It might be finding a way to make LGBTQ+ athletes feel comfortable being out in your locker room so they can perform at their peaks without distractions. Maybe it’s finding ways for female athletes to develop their skills within the world’s more restrictive cultures to win contests for club or country. Maybe it’s finding ways to bring sports where different genders naturally compete with each other, like dressage, to a broader participatory base.

 When diversity in sport leads to winning, it also leads to tolerance or, even better, embrace. As Jackie Robinson prepared to integrate baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, catcher Bobby Bragan counted himself among those opposed to becoming the trailblazing African American’s teammate. The Alabama-born Bragan even requested a trade, which he did not receive. Instead, he came to admire Robinson, not only for helping his team reach the World Series that year, but for courage and character. The two became lifelong friends.

 Finding ways to become more diverse often equates to finding more ways to win, on and off the playing surface. It’s something innovators have taken advantage of throughout the history of sport.

 And here’s one more bit of information to help you win. If you ever play us in mixed doubles, hit it at Rush. If you want to win, that is.

 

This is the third in a series of blog posts by Rush Olson and Catalina Villegas on the intersection of sports and diversity. Read Post 1 in English or Español. Find Post 2 in English or Español as well.