Dennis Mitchell on Diversity in NCAA Track and Field

 

(Dennis Mitchell- Head Coach at Akron)

Here we are at the start of another upcoming season. Here we are collectively scratching our heads at what will happen. The level of uncertainty in several areas has been uncomfortable. This Covid-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of 200,000 people and challenged the lives of many more. College track and field has been challenged as well. We have witnessed the cancellation of many track and field programs, seen scholarships reduced and seen history changed forever.

Perhaps no other program shocked the country more than the University of Minnesota. Cancelling a Big Ten men’s track and field program leaves an entire state without a Division 1 school. Where do the track and field athletes in Minnesota who want to stay home go? What are the results of such a devastating decision? The result is the massive loss of opportunity which effects minority athletes and coaches the most.

Track and Field does diversity as a verb while other sports do diversity as a noun. I was given the amazing opportunity to speak with head coach of Akron University’s cross country and track and field programs about the amazing diversity in the sport and the resulting challenges from it. Below are few responses he provided during our interview.

College athletics has become so professionalized that it has forgotten it’s educational mission.

 

Question 1: Why the cancelling of programs challenges diversity?

Dennis: Men’s and women’s track and field averages 10.5 black athletes per team in the NCAA. In other sports (not including football and basketball) the average is 1.5 in the Mid-American conference the number is 0.79.

Analysis: This statement stuck with me throughout the interview. Every time a men’s program is dropped there are 10.5 opportunities for black athletes removed. This also does not include the loss of opportunity for international competitors as well.

 

Question 2: Why is the sport treated poorly by school administration?

Dennis: For one they don’t see any money in it. They don’t see opportunity from it. Track and field is a spectator sport at our school and we are a school that brings in more money than we spend through tuition, fees and putting on events. That is so small in comparison to the SEC which is worried about losing $2 billion dollars from football during Covid. The system right now is what is paying the bills. The question is now are all the other sports are there because they add value or does it protect football and basketball. It is not financial; they are doing it to look financial.

 

Question 3: Why is diversity important for the sport?

Dennis: Diversity is the sport. Track and field measures a variety of different athletic skills. Each athletic skill presents different people with those set of skills. The sport is about measuring individual differences. There is an event for all body types. One size does not fit all. There is a place in our sport whether you are big, little, tall or petite.

 

Question 4: What can be done to improve the sport?

Dennis: If you put on the meets differently it would be much easier to follow. It is hard to sell a meet that goes on all day, it is a difficult sport to watch. We try to accommodate every even. With indoor track it is easy to put on shorter meets. Outdoors with so many events it takes much longer. For example: I love throws, but it takes a very long time to put on all six long throws on the field.

There is no scoring in our sport for regular meets. We have made it difficult to describe winning and it only matters at the Conference Championship. We have gone away from the dual meets. We have to better market the sport.

 

Question 5: Has the sport respected the legacy of John Carlos and Tommie Smith enough?

Dennis: Yes. The sport itself is really equitable with what it tries to do. I think they tried to do all they can form that standpoint. What we haven’t continued is fighting for their opportunity. We are a massive sport, why aren’t we using our numbers to put pressure on the NCAA about the loss of opportunities. Track did not let John Carlos and Tommie Smith it was San Jose State. The monument build to John Carlos and Tommie Smith was not built by the administration. It was built by the students.  The administration reinstates the track program and then the following season tear up the track.

 

Dennis Mitchell is a champion of diversity and promoting the sport of track and field. He has a great article on track and field news. Please take a moment to read that article as well.

https://trackandfieldnews.com/opinion-track-field-is-diversity-a-value-worth-standing-up-for/

Upcoming: We know that the season is still currently scheduled to start in the winter, but we will wait and see how the increase in Covid-19 cases affect the indoor season. The second wave was predicted to be more devastating. I will still provide you with a indoor preview but it will be tentative. There are several story lines that have gone unnoticed. Including the transfer of major athletes to different schools. I hope there will be a track season, even if there is lowered number of spectators allowed at the meets. Let’s hope for an outstanding 2021 season.