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Student athletes urged to expand their horizons while at school

Panel discussion follows screening of film documenting of Gridiron Underground, film about breaking out of comfort zones and developing mentors outside the 'athletic bubble' through diversity and inclusion
20160202 University of Guelph 04 KA
FILE PHOTO: University of Guelph. Kenneth Armstrong/GuelphToday

The student athletes at Canadian universities need to get outside of their comfortable team surroundings to experience more of what their university offers.

That was one of the messages that arose in a panel discussion following a screening of Gridiron Underground Thursday night at the University of Guelph that was hosted by the university's Office of Diversity and Human Rights.

"It's seeking mentors outside of that athletic bubble, whether it's through career development, whether it's through community services, whether it's through leadership development, whether it's through diversity and inclusion," former CFL player John Williams Jr. said. "I think if they do those kind of things, when they graduate and they're getting ready to go out in the world, they won't have any regrets."

John Jr. was the producer and narrator of the documentary based on the experiences of some of the first African-Americans to play in the CFL, including his father John Williams Sr. who was born in Texas and came to Canada in 1967 to play in the CFL. His son was born in Burlington and went to university in the U.S., first at the University of Rhode Island and then at Edinboro University at Erie, Pa.

"One of the things I regret most of all is that when I was in university, I didn't have enough of those relationships outside of the bubble," John Jr. said. "Looking back, I wish I [would have]. If there's anything that I could tell these young student athletes now is seek those kind of relationships. Seek out those mentors because coming to a university, it's more than just your academic development. You're developing as a person socially, spiritually and emotionally. You're not going to get that if all you're doing is going to practice and going to class. I think that's important."

John Jr. and Sr. are the only African-American father-son duo to win the Grey Cup. John Sr. won it with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1972 and John Jr. won it 32 years later with the Toronto Argonauts.

"Living in a bubble in the sport as a whole, it's very easy to do that because training is very intensive, training is very inclusive and it's very hard to get out of that niche," said panel member Gabriel Broderick, a student at the university who is a former track athlete who helps coach the track team. "It's a singular sport so it's very hard to think about working as a team. Our team on a micro-level with the Gryphons, I think we're very good at getting out of that bubble and also bringing people into that bubble. We welcome people in."

In order to get more from the university experience, it's the student athlete's responsibility to seek out the opportunities that are offered at the school.

"At the university here, we have programs for all students — programs that connect the students with events and activities out there," said Jane Ngobia, Assistant Vice-President, Diversity and Human Rights at the university. "It's up to the students to do that, to be entrepreneurial and look for those opportunities because they are there, but it's also up to the coaches to encourage and mentor them into that direction."

The varsity athletes are also in a position where they can help bring attention to any issue they feel strongly about.

"Athletes are in a position of privilege," Ngobia said. "We gather around the stadium to watch them. They have some power and they can use that for modeling inclusiveness, for modeling equity and for treating each other with fairness. They have a privilege and they have opportunities to do that and they do that."


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