James Washington

Belonging in Sport Requires Shared Authority, Not Just Access

At an Aspen Institute roundtable on sport and belonging, sociologist Jay Coakley argued that inclusion requires more than being welcomed: people must be seen, valued and included in decision-making. Participants including Binta Brown, Brandon Bailey, Ezra Frech and Sue Enquist made related cases for sport as a route to agency, representation and social change, while warning that access without shared authority or institutional accountability leaves belonging incomplete.