Who Did it Better? A Look at How Professional Sports Leagues Stand Up for Social Change

Every year each of the major American sports leagues (MLB, NFL, NHL, and NBA) name champions who emerge from a bracket-style playoff format. Usually, we look within a particular league to assess the competition of teams or players. Very rarely do we look across leagues to see how the Commissioners and higher-ups of each of these leagues are handling things going on within their own walls.

Everyone will agree who is an NFL fan that NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, handled the whole deflate-gate situation terribly. And, that MLB Commissioner, Rob Manfred, did not do a great job with the discipline of the cheating scandal by the Houston Astros which arguably won them the World Series in 2017.

Whether you agree with these decisions or not it is clear to see that although a lot of criticism is given to the individual commissioners. Usually, the acts of each commissioner are not compared against one another. Especially, when it comes to how the leagues are responding to the social climate of our country.

It is clear to see on a Sunday afternoon that the NFL is not shying away from the social climate in our country. On the back of each player’s helmet, there is a social justice phrase or a name of a Black American who has been a victim of police brutality. NFL players are given a platform to show what they believe in a speak out on the injustices that face minority groups in the U.S. The NFL has faced these issues head-on and given the players the platform and the ability to do that as well.

The NBA also gave their players a platform to speak out on issues within our country by allowing players to have social justice slogans or phrases placed on the back of their jerseys where their names usually would be. Players did however have to pick from a list of approved slogans but none the less were given free rein to choose any of the approved choices.

The NBA and NFL have led the way when it comes to giving their players the platform to speak on social issues within our country on the national stage. The NHL and MLB have done almost the exact opposite.

Other then a few statements made by the commissioner’s of both leagues there has been little done on a league wide basis to promote social change like there was in both the NBA and NFL. Out of the major four sports leagues in America though the MLB and NHL have the lowest amount of Black Americans represented in their ranks. None the less their action on a league wide basis has been minimal.

It is clear to see that there has been a clear difference in the way that major sports leagues in America have handled the social issues that underly our nation and it is not hard to see which leagues are embracing this and those that are not.

Homeschooler in the Real World

Emma Folts, a sophomore at Wheaton College, shares her experience about her transition into college and how homeschool has both helped and hindered her.
How has your homeschool experience benefitted you, especially in your transition into college?
I think the one thing that homeschooling did that was really helpful as I entered college was that it taught me time management. As a homeschooler I had the same freedom as a college student has to put things off during the day and go see a friend instead. Since I had that experience, I knew the cost of that.
Also, personal responsibility and accountability with assignments. I feel like a lot of the other students had more expectations for gentler grading and that the professor would give them retakes or extensions, but that wasn’t something that ever happened to me in school. That learning curve wasn’t added because I never had it the other way. I think another thing was that because I was homeschooled, I was familiar with the format of teaching and then studying on my own.
Did you see any issues with your transition socially?
I think that homeschooling had two ramifications for me socially. One was helpful, one was hurtful.
It was really helpful because as a homeschooler, I had spent a lot of time realizing and developing who I was as a person and learning to recognize people who were being themselves, and those were the people I sought out as friends. Friendship as a homeschooler takes a lot more investment. I knew I was choosier with my friends which made me a lot less anxious and a lot more content.
The only real negative impact of the social bit was that I was really used to getting to choose the time I got to spend with people. As a homeschooler I spent a lot of time with people, but that time was controlled by me. As a college student, I found that you can’t really control the time you spend with people and alone time is not really available. Learning to deal with that was a lot harder than anticipated.
Any last comments on homeschool and how it has affected your college experience?
I think homeschooling is really helpful, however it does take a slightly increased amount of advocacy with your peers when you’re entering into college. I think a lot of people come in with certain assumptions about homeschool, especially students. You’re going to get a lot of, ‘oh my gosh, you don’t seem like a homeschooled person!’ [You can’t] take that too personally and explain your experience so that friends can understand it’s an important piece of you, though it might not look like the homeschooling that they’ve seen.
My encouragement to anyone who is a homeschooler transitioning into college is to realize the benefit that you have having been homeschooled, and to realize that the bit of advocacy and explaining that you need to do with your peers is totally normal and that it’s not a big deal. Once they understand your experience, it’s not something I’ve experienced being looked down on for.