• Advertise
  • Donate
  • Subscribe
    • Become a print subscriber
    • Sign up for e-Newsletter
    • e-Editions
Sunday, October 1, 2023
No Result
View All Result
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
  • News & Features
    • National
    • Local
    • Special Editions
      • MLK Legacy
      • Black History Month
      • The MSR Celebrates Women’s History Month
  • All Sections
    • Opinion
      • Mellaneous by Mel Reeves
      • Word on the Street
      • Reaching Out From Within
    • Health + Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • Minnesota Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Sports
      • Timberwolves/NBA
      • Lynx/WNBA
        • 20 in 20
      • Twins/MLB
      • MN Wild/NHL
      • Vikings/NFL
    • Business
      • Small Business Month Celebration
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
    • Arts + Culture
    • Photo Galleries
      • Photo of the Week
    • MSR Forefront Digital Roundtable Series
      • MSR Forefront Highlights
    • Go Green
    • Education
    • Bulletin
    • Jobs & Notices
      • Legals
      • Announcements
  • Events
    • Submit an event!
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • e-Editions
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
  • News & Features
    • National
    • Local
    • Special Editions
      • MLK Legacy
      • Black History Month
      • The MSR Celebrates Women’s History Month
  • All Sections
    • Opinion
      • Mellaneous by Mel Reeves
      • Word on the Street
      • Reaching Out From Within
    • Health + Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • Minnesota Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Sports
      • Timberwolves/NBA
      • Lynx/WNBA
        • 20 in 20
      • Twins/MLB
      • MN Wild/NHL
      • Vikings/NFL
    • Business
      • Small Business Month Celebration
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
    • Arts + Culture
    • Photo Galleries
      • Photo of the Week
    • MSR Forefront Digital Roundtable Series
      • MSR Forefront Highlights
    • Go Green
    • Education
    • Bulletin
    • Jobs & Notices
      • Legals
      • Announcements
  • Events
    • Submit an event!
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • e-Editions
No Result
View All Result
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
No Result
View All Result

The sorry state of softball diversity

by Charles Hallman
May 29, 2019
150
SHARES
3k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on LinkedIn
LSU players (l-r) Taryn Antoine, Aliyah Andrews, Karrington Houshmandzadeh, Akiya Thymes
Charles Hallman/MSR News

According to NCAA student-athlete demographics, the racial composition of college softball players across all three divisions hasn’t changed much in over a decade. Black females made up about six percent of all softball players in 2008, and that percentage has decreased slightly in 2018.

It was less than that at the recent NCAA Minneapolis Regional hosted at the University of Minnesota two weekends ago, and last weekend at the Super Regionals, which the school also hosted. Of the five teams that played here — the Gophers, Georgia, Drake and North Dakota State in the Regionals and LSU in the Super Regionals — only LSU and Georgia had Blacks on their rosters, five and three respectively. The other three teams had none.

This prompted us to dig deeper into the diversity of all 64 teams in this year’s NCAAs. We found the following:

Charles Hallman/MSR News LSU players (l-r) Taryn Antoine, Aliyah Andrews, Karrington Houshmandzadeh, Akiya Thymes
  • Total number of softball players: 1,320 (101 were Blacks – 7.6 percent)
  • Total number of players in the Minneapolis Regional: 101 (eight were Black – 7.9 percent)
  • Two regional sites, which also included two HBCU teams, had the most Black players (12 each)
  • Two regionals with the lowest number of Black players were Minneapolis (three) and Evanston (one)
  • PWI (predominately White institution) with the highest number of Black players: Houston and LSU tied with five each
  • PWI teams at Super Regionals with the most Blacks: LSU with five
  • PWI Super Regionals team with zero Blacks: Minnesota and Oklahoma State

Three things to note: First, both the Gophers and Oklahoma State, two of eight schools that advanced to this week’s Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, have no Black players.

Secondly, to our surprise the two Black colleges, Bethune-Cookman (eight) and Alabama State (four) had more non-Black players (a total of 22 for both schools) than Black players.

- ADVERTISEMENT -

And finally, only one of the 64 schools had a Black head coach (Illinois’ Tyra Perry).

The sorry state of softball diversity isn’t lost on the Black players we talked to at the stadium.  “There’s not that many of us,” Georgia outfielder Ciara Bryan admitted.   

Her teammate CJ Landrum added, “Some teams don’t accept different races. UGA softball loves diversity. I wish that other college teams were more culturally diverse.” Fellow frosh Jaiden Fields is redshirting this season and did not accompany the team to Minneapolis.

“I think it’s important for us to represent our culture in this sport,” LSU junior Akiya Thymes said.  “It’s also [important] for the other majority [players] on our team who don’t know much about the things we have to go through to get to this point.”

Her teammate junior Aliyah Andrews observed, “We have more than most teams. We’re thankful for that.”

- ADVERTISEMENT -

“Having multiple people on the same team [who look] like you allow you to feel comfortable and have stuff to relate [with],” Tigers freshman Karrington Houshmandzadeh pointed out.  “When you don’t see people like you, [you] just go play basketball or something like that.”

“We didn’t grow up with a lot of Black girls [playing softball],” LSU sophomore Taryn Antoine said.

As there were few Black players the last two weekends at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium, there were even fewer Black fans in the stands. Keyshalynn and Donnie Thymes and their daughter easily stood out among the majority White fans in attendance. 

Keyshalynn Thymes admitted, “No, I wouldn’t have come to this softball game” if her other daughter Akiya wasn’t on the LSU squad. Her husband said they rarely see more than a few Blacks at softball games.

Why aren’t more Black females playing softball? The reasons vary. Our discussion continues next week.

- ADVERTISEMENT -

Support Black local news

Help amplify Black voices by donating to the MSR. Your contribution enables critical coverage of issues affecting the community and empowers authentic storytelling.

Donate Now!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

International Final an NBA first!

Next Post

Just throw the whole SAT test away

Charles Hallman

Charles Hallman is a contributing reporter and award-winning sports columnist at the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

You Might Also Like

Activists want to close the downtown HERC trash-burner
Gophers/College

The Cook era begins in Gopher volleyball

Stereotypes influence Black women athletes’ NIL deals 
Sports

Stereotypes influence Black women athletes’ NIL deals 

So many firsts along the way for Coach Bev 
Sports

So many firsts along the way for Coach Bev 

Is the NCAA using NIL to avoid the employment issue?
Sports

Is the NCAA using NIL to avoid the employment issue?

Multilayered double standards still with us
Gophers/College

Multilayered double standards still with us

Symposium examines issues in college athletics
Gophers/College

Symposium examines issues in college athletics

Next Post
Just throw the whole SAT test away

Just throw the whole SAT test away

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
ADVERTISEMENT

Upcoming Events

Sep 12
September 12 @ 6:30 pm-December 18 @ 9:30 pm Recurring

Vic Volare Presents MUSIC FOR MARTINIS ft: Vic’s Fabulous Nightclub Academy

Oct 3
October 3 @ 8:30 am-October 4 @ 5:30 pm

Insects: Little Body, Big Impact | Nobel Conference 59 | Virtual or In-Person

Oct 4
6:00 pm-8:00 pm

An Evening with Liz Cheney

Oct 5
8:00 pm-10:00 pm Recurring

Dianne McIntrye Group In the Same Tongue

View Calendar
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Read our latest e-Edition!

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Subscribe

  • Home/Office Delivery
  • Weekly e-newsletter
  • e-Editions

Support

  • Donate
  • Subscribe
  • MSR Newsstand Locations

Connect

  • About
    • MSR Staff
  • Contact
  • Send a news tip
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms

© 2023 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

No Result
View All Result
  • News & Features
    • Local
    • National
  • All Sections
    • Arts & Culture
    • Health & Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • MN Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Business
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
      • Small Business Month Celebration
    • Opinion
    • Sports
  • Events
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • Donate
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: