Being the ‘first’ or ‘only’ athlete in your world can be so difficult. I cannot speak to the struggles or adversities that other athletes have faced, but I have dealt with a few situations myself.
There was the time when I was in elementary school and the only girl on the boy’s basketball team (we didn’t have a girl’s team yet). I remember feeling embarrassed, although I shouldn’t have, any time a boy would say ‘let’s play shirts and skins’.
In present day as a professional fundraiser, there are times that I was the only woman of color in my department, and one of the few people of color amongst the faculty and staff. Finding ways to adjust were challenging, but each day I found ways to help me manage many of the feelings that came with being present in those situations.
Being that ‘only’ athlete may take many forms. Maybe you are the only athlete of color in a predominately white sport. Maybe you are the first athlete at your school to identify as a gender that is different that the gender you were assigned to at birth. Maybe, you come from a completely different socioeconomic class that makes you feel like you are from a whole different world than your teammates. These situations may have you feeling like you have to prove yourself, might make you feel like you don’t belong, or feeling imposter syndrome, amongst others.
When you’re trying to navigate as an underrepresented athlete in your sport, here are a few strategies to help you thrive in your situation.
5 Ways to Thrive as an Underrepresented Athlete
Give yourself grace. Athletes put so much time and energy into being successful, so adding additional pressure to constantly finding your place within your team or fitting in within your organization adds up. Be kind to yourself always, and remind yourself how hard you worked to get here on your own volition.
Talk to someone. It could be your best friend, a parent, a support group, a therapist or somebody else. Finding an ally who can be supportive and give you the feedback you need can greatly help you navigate the space you’re in.
Focus on results. As an athlete, you have a job to do, which is probably focusing on getting results and scoring wins. Your status as that ‘only’ person doesn’t change all of the work you’ve done to get you here. Continue to work hard and focus on the efforts that will help you move forward in the classroom, on the playing field, or in your career.
Leverage your uniqueness. Is there a possibility to turn your diversity into an opportunity to help others? Maybe there are athletes who are in a similar situation and could use your shared experiences as a platform for support. Maybe you can turn this into an opportunity to educate others. Creating a space for others to learn about people who come from diverse backgrounds could be a huge win to bring to your athletics program or place of work.
Be yourself. Just because I might’ve been the only person of color on my team or at my job doesn’t mean I have to act a certain way- or the way I think people expect me to behave. Living up to your own expectations, versus the ones that society, your teammates or friends think of you, will garner you respect, bring you happiness and will help improve your overall well being.