UNDERSTANDING MICROAGGRESSIONS -
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“Regardless of the intention behind a microaggression, the impact is often long-lasting for those on the receiving end. Being aware of and challenging microaggressions helps everyone to feel welcome and focus on getting the most out of sport, whether that’s enjoyment, social interaction, health and wellbeing or performance.” - Shanara Hibbert
Key Benefits of Understanding Microaggressions
Understanding and addressing microaggressions increases your racial literacy, and allows you to create an environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Proactive engagement leads to:
A Healthy Environment Creates a culturally competent space where everyone can perform to their best.
Trust and Relatability Spotting and dealing with microaggressions builds confidence and trust when communicating with ethnically diverse communities.
Increased Participation Removing these subtle barriers helps grow your audiences and participants.
Cultural Sensitivity Respecting traditions and identities ensures a positive experience for all.
What are Microaggressions
Microaggressions are often brief, everyday exchanges that communicate negative messages based on a person’s identity. They are one of the most common forms of racism and can be verbal, nonverbal, physical, or environmental. Because they are often subtle and fleeting, they can be difficult to spot. However, whether they are intentional or unintentional, they have a significant impact on the mental and emotional well-being of those on the receiving end.
The Four Categories of Microaggressions
To effectively “spot it” and “call it out” we must understand the different ways microaggressions manifest in sport:
MICROASSAULT A direct act targeting someone based on their identity. This can include making fun of an identity, deliberately mispronouncing a name, or mocking an accent.
Examples: A dressing room joke circulating about how a player’s religious headwear might affect their ability to perform a particular task. The changing of someone’s name to an easier pronounced version without their permission.
MICROINSULT Insensitive communications that relate to a person’s identity. These often rely on stereotypes.
Example: A coach assumes they must ‘teach the basics’ to a participant without checking her previous experience, because they assumed they would know nothing about the sport due to them being the first participant of their cultural identity within the session.
MICROINVALIDATION Communications that dismiss, exclude, or negate the thoughts, feelings, or reality of a person.
Examples: Justifying inappropriate “banter” as okay because other people of a similar identity said they weren’t offended An athlete raises a complaint around a comment from a coach and how it made them feel via an official process, the outcome of the complaint focuses on the lack of intent to cause harm of the coach, not the impact on the individual raising the issue
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROAGGRESSIONS Systemic assaults or insults that occur at a cultural or institutional level.
Examples: Organising a fixture in the month of Ramadan whilst athletes are fasting, without any adaptation, consideration or break in play to enable the breaking of their fast at sunset
A players association hosting an event for ‘past players’ at an international fixture in a hospitality tent, which includes limited or no representation from past ethnically diverse players
