Racial Comments Fuel Interview and Call to Action
Aidan Bangsund
Above, the Foundation Academy Boys Varsity Soccer Team pray together to close out the night, capping off a 3-0 victory and player baptism ceremony
WhenyouseeCoachMcDowall,you’dprobablyseethecolorofhisskin,thewayhe yellsathisplayers,orhowanimatedheisduringhiswaterbreakpeptalks.Whathisplayerssee istheirCoachwhoispassionateabouthisteam,andsomeonewhodrivesforsuccess.That seemstobetheissue:mostpeopledonottakethetimetosee,mostpeoplearecontentwith assuming.
InarecentJanuaryawaygame,theFoundationAcademyLionsBoyssoccerteamwere amidstaparallelsecondhalf,whenshoutsofracistandderogatorycommentswereheardfrom theotherteam’sstand.
Thesecomments,gearedtowardsthemajorlywhitepartoftheLions,continued throughoutthegameuntiltheFoundationplayerswereintheircars.Aparentofaplayerfor Foundationsaid,“It’sgotabsolutelynothingtodowithracism,there’splentyofeverythingon bothsides.It’ssimplythemtryingtotearusdown,justthemgettinginour heads.”Although racialcommentscanbeinfluencedbecauseofthefield,manypeopleexperienceracismintheir everydaylives.AssistantCoachMcDowallencouragedhisplayersaftertheirwin,tellingthem likehealwaysdoes,“YouareonlydefinedbyGod.”IsatdownwithcoachMcDowall,who manypeopledonottakethetimetogettoknow,andgottotalkwithhimforabit.
FirstheaskedmehowIwasdoing,somethingI’venoticedhedoeswitheveryonehe talkswith.ThenIaskedhimquestionstogettoknowwherehewasfromandhowhegrewup.
“IwasborninSt.Louistomissionaryparents,whichhasitshighsandlows.Myfamily livedinUkraineandKazakhstan.DidIenjoymychildhood?Well,itwasahardupbringing,but Ilikedmychildhood.Myfamilywasalwayslivinginhidingandsecretlysharingthegospel there(inUkraine).SenioryearIreturnedtotheUnitedStates…asaTCKorathirdculturekid. Myparentsreturnedoverseastocontinuebeingmissionaries…whichtheystillaretoday.”
ThegoalofCoachMcDowallisthateveryplayerhecoacheswillnotonlyfosterand becomebetteratthegameofsoccer,butgrowasmenandintheirrelationshipwithChrist.The boysteamoftentalkbeforeandafterpractice,oftenaboutbibleversesorreallifeissuesthey'll faceinlife.
Whileconductingtheinterview,itbecameapparentthattoCoachMcDowall,faithwas crucialinhislife.“Faithtome,”Hesaid,“hasalwaysbeensomethingIhavebeenveryserious about.Growingupsomewherethatfaithwasnotallowed,ithasbecomeahugefactorinmylife. WhenIwasinthemilitary,faithbecamecrucialtomebecauseIalwaystriedtodoanythingIdid honestly.”
TheboyssoccerteamthinksveryhighlyoftheircoachwhenIasked,whichmakesme wonder:whywouldsomepeoplenottakethetimetogettoknowhim?FromwhatIhad interviewedandlearnedabouthim,heseemedlikeamaneveryonewouldwanttogettoknow.
“Ithink(whenpeopledonottakethetimetogettoknowme)racismistheonlythingI couldshare.JustbecauseIamsomeoneofcolordoesnotmeanIthinkthingsshouldbehanded tome.Butwhenyouaresomeoneofcolor…youarealmostneedingtoactadifferentwayorto adifferentstandardinpublic.WhenIgointoastoreIneverputmyhandsintomypocketssoI amnotfollowedbythetheftpreventionpeople.WhenIwasateenIwasaccusedofstealing. PeopleassumeIamabadpersonbecauseIamofadifferentskincolor.Iwaspickedlastin school-kidsviewedmeaslessintelligent…Racismhasinfluencedmyfamily’slives.It’s difficultbecauseitmakesmebittertowardspeoplebutasafollowerandchildofGod…Iam calledtorespondtopeoplewithlove.InjusticethatIfacehasactuallyallowedmetotalkto peopleIwouldneverhaveinthefirstplace,becauseIrespondedwithkindness.Ithurtsmy feelingsbutIknowwhoIaminChrist.”
“ThisiswhyIspeaktotheboysallthetime,it'snotjustaboutsoccer.It'sabouthowyou treatpeoplewithintegrity,andrespectthem.It'supholdingyourcharacter.”
Theinterviewbringsmebacktotheawaygame,wheretherewerewordsbeingspoken liketheywereeverydaythings.Therearenoinsultsthatshouldbeeverydaythings.Kidswere
tearingotherkidsdownsimplybecauseofthecoloroftheirskin.Inhopesthattheywould mentallybetorndownandunabletofocusonthegame.Racismwasusedasaweapon,togain anadvantage.True,whenplayersareinthemomentthingscanbesaid,butfanscommentingon otherplayerssimplyneedtostop.Especiallywhenit'ssomethingtheplayerscannotchange aboutthemselves.Peoplewillexperienceracialmomentsintheirlives,butlikeCoach McDowall,theyshouldusetheirexperiencestobetterotherpeopleandmakesureitstops happening.Abettersocietyisonewhereracialcommentsarenotthrownoutaseasilyasthey are,letalonenotatall.Sportsaremeanttounifypeopleandbringthemtogether.Fansaremeant tocheerplayersonandencouragethem.Peoplearemeanttobuildeachotherup.
CoachMcDowallendedtheinterviewbysaying,“Jesuswouldhavebeenclosertomy skincolor.Hevaluesallcolorsasequal.IliketobelabeledwithChrist.”