THE RESILIENCY OF SPORT When the 2020-21 academic year began, the conversation around the world and especially in sport focused on what was possible. Could sport successfully and safely execute games and competitions? Could leagues and governing bodies rebound financially? What would be different forever? As the year continued and sport pushed closer and closer to normalcy, the 2021 Super Bowl set off what would become a relatively recognizable sports calendar, with packed arenas, cheering fans, and full seasons. But the return brought baggage. Like all of us, athletes who were now able to train and compete again struggled to move on from the upheaval of 2020 as well as the disturbance in their routine that was brought about by the pandemic and the summer’s social uprisings. When it came time to hear from these elite competitors once again, their voices were often speaking out for others. Naomi Osaka displayed the names of Ahmaud Arbery, Tamir Rice and others on her face masks during the U.S. Open. The WNBA dedicated its 2020 season to Breonna Taylor and the Say Her Name movement. NFL players stood together behind the Black Lives Matter movement. Overseas, players and coaches in the Premier League, like the NFL and NBA, knelt before matches. Across all of it, the story expanded past activism or protest and into mental health. 22
A N N UA L R E P O R T 2020–21
