Last newsletter, DEI’s Director, Kadari Taylor-Watson shared with us her approach of Humanizing DEI. To Humanize DEI is to acknowledge that people are the most important asset to any sustainable organization. With a focus on people in DEI, U.S. Figure Skating can attract, hire, develop and retain high-quality athletes, staff and a strong membership base. It also provides us the opportunity to do the right thing, which is to build and maintain an organization that reflects the beautiful diversity of our nation.
Benefits to Humanizing DEI
There are many benefits to humanizing DEI in every area of our organization. However, clubs play an important role in advancing our initiative to foster a love for ice skating for everyone. You are the first point of entry for many skaters. Their experiences at your club and with your members can dictate if they decide to stay in our sport. So, the next question is, how do we do it?
Having courageous conversations about issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion can help you acknowledge that all experiences at your rink are not the same. As a club, you want to ensure that each skater and their family feel welcomed, represented and considered in your practices and policies. Here are a few tips for practicing courageous conversations at your rink:
Survey the members of your club to see if they believe the environment at the rink is diverse and welcoming for all.
Talk amongst your club leadership about longstanding practices and policies that may not be equitable for all members.
Communicate to all members your nondiscrimination commitment and bylaws.
Shifting from a fixed to a growth mindset is a key factor in ensuring the sustainability and growth of the sport of figure skating both competitively and for leisure activity. Often when the conversation of diversity and inclusion are brought up, many people begin to feel uneasy and think they will be replaced or overlooked. This is a fixed mindset. Sure, more people introduced to the sport of figure skating might mean stiffer competition, but it also means that we work to achieve our mission fostering the fun of ice skating for everyone! Look at some ways you can shift your thoughts about DEI:
Practicing the platinum rule is a best practice! From the time we start kindergarten, we learn the golden rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. While it doesn’t seem harmful, it can work to universalize people who are different from you and come from varied cultural backgrounds. The platinum rule helps us realize that people should have the right to be treated the way they wanted to be treated. Here are a few steps on how to do practice the platinum rule:
Learn about implicit bias and how it impacts how you interact with others.
Practice the components of cultural competency: awareness, knowledge, attitude, skills.
Have courageous conversations with members at the rink to find out if they are being treated the way they want to be (i.e., religious holidays and competitions conflict).
Be an ally and actively support people who are different from you.
Don’t go at it alone: Seek DEI resources that can help you!
For more information on DEI, follow the link below to learn about the five pillars of DEI, or reach out to Kadari Taylor-Watson by emailing her at ktaylorw@usfigureskating.org.
Thank you for your continued support and dedication to the sport of figure skating. If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to drop us a line at memberservices@usfigureskating.org.
U.S. Figure Skating, 20 1st Street, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80906, United States
