I feel as though Athletic Trainer’s need to be culturally competent in today’s society for several reasons. First, there is no such thing anymore as segregation, so treating any player(s) any different because of race, culture, religion, etc , is not only unethical and unmoral, it’s also illegal. Second, to be a truly competent and effective Athletic Trainer, one must treat all athletes equally and with the same care and diligence every time. If not, then one is NOT being a true and effective Athletic Trainer. I feel that it is both easier and harder in today’s society to be culturally competent as an Athletic Trainer for a couple reasons. It is easier today because racism, while still very much alive, unfortunately, is not nearly as strong or as all encompassing as it was 40-50+ years ago. This means that modern Athletic Trainers can practice their trade on every athlete of every culture, and not worry about what society has to say about it, as it is illegal for society to object. While it is true society might object of look down upon certain Athletic Trainers for caring for athletes of a certain culture, it is in fact illegal for them to do anything about. Therefore, the Athletic Trainer need not worry about facing social persecution for simply doing his/her job. However, I also believe it can be harder to be culturally competent in today’s society as well. Nowadays, every, single, little word that could possibly be construed as racist or chauvinistic IS construed as such, and this makes it hard not only for Athletic Trainers to be “culturally competent” but for people in all walks of life to be “culturally competent as well.” Back 50+ years ago, understandably during a different day and age, one could call a person on African-American descent a ni***r and there would not be a word said about it. Today, however, if one calls a person of African-American descent anything but an African-American, all hell breaks loose and the person saying it is considered a vile and disgusting racist, and could possibly be sued or out casted. This mean’s that Athletic Trainers have to be particularly careful about what they say and who they say it around. If they are not careful, they could lose their jobs/certification.
Through my studies of American History I have been made aware of the atrocities of racism that spread through our country, particularly in the south, where this movie was based. However, never have I actually SEEN a more graphic example than when Nevil Shed was attacked in the bathroom at a local restaurant simply for being black. I was intensely disgusted with how simply racist and bigoted those people were back then (and how some are today) because of someone else’s skin color. This movie, while probably not intending to do so, actually made me look around and realize that racism is still a problem, while not nearly as big a problem as it was 50 or so years ago, it is still indeed a cancer to our society.
When the movie portrayed Adolph Rupp in the interviews and during the game, he made me think of a few things: Arrogance, Racist, and Hate. He was arrogant in the sense that he believed he and his team couldn’t lose, especially not to a bunch of African-Americans. Basketball was a game for white people, and any invasion of that color barrier he took as a personal affront. He was racist for the simple fact that he was wary to even take Texas-Western seriously, and it proved to be his undoing. He was hateful for rather obvious reason that he didn’t feel comfortable in the same room as African-Americans, let alone the same basketball court. I felt watching those few scenes that he personified racism perfectly: Too cocky to change, and filled with undying hate for no reason. As soon as he was introduced in the movie, I was praying for him to lose. My “I finally get it now” moment would have to be simply that I recognized Adolph Rupp as the epitome of racists in America. No, he didn’t light crosses on fire or take part in lynching’s or spray fire hoses on protesters, but what he did do was tell Texas-Western that they didn’t belong, and that’s worse than any physical injury one can sustain.
After watching this movie I can proudly say about myself that I AM NOT a racist, and this pleases me greatly. I believe 100% that I can work with athletes of any class/culture/race/religion/creed/etc. I have no problem saying that I will be an athletic trainer when I grow up (haha, that’s only in a few years) and that I will be the very best I can be and ZERO racist or bigoted feelings will hold me back.
No comments:
Post a Comment