September 14, 2022

They Play the Game: Honoring the Fight of Latins in Sports

Kevin B. Thomas

Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion / National Junior College Athletic Association

We have all witnessed the great comeback story, the last-second field goal, the homerun that turned a stadium engulfed in silence into an environment of unstoppable jubilation. Many of these stories are etched in our minds, cemented in time by our unwillingness to forget them. Perhaps, to the die-hard sports fan, one of the greatest moments in our illustrious history didn't come from a perfect catch or the greatest shot. It was not defined by a play that won the game, it was a test of leadership that inspired a season and lead teams to championships.

This September, as we celebrate Latin American Heritage month, we can find no greater test of leadership than the contributions, and sacrifices Latins have made in sports. In fact, Latins have had a large impact on American sports in a variety of ways and in varying sports. In baseball, a game considered America's sport, they make up the largest minority group, and many Latinos have become stars in the league.

From the Olympics to practically every major league sport, Latin athletes have led their franchises to huge victories, winning world titles and gold medals, and many other championships. It is generally understood within the sports community, that prior to and even shortly after the 1940s, college athletics or professional sports were not known for being diverse. Sports in their modern form were shaped in fundamental ways by the racial changes taking place in America at the end of the 19th century. Race, too, was shaped by sports, as the terrain provided by athletic contests quickly became a crucial area for challenging prevailing ideas about inferiority and circumventing established patterns of exclusion.

Latin athletes were at the forefront of many of those fights, not just to gain representation in sports, but to gain access to educational institutions paving their way to a better, life and the pursuit of happiness of America's promise.

It wasn't until Jackie Robinson, who was and remains today an instrumental pioneer in breaking the racial segregation barrier, that things started to change in the right direction. Today as we look back on the history of sports you would be hard-pressed not to find a sport where a Latino has not made their mark. Players such as Juan Antonio "Chi-Chi" Rodríguez, Diana Taurasi, Roberto Clemente, Gabriela Sabatini, and Julio César Chávez played with a passion that rivaled the competition of their peers.

Game-changing Latino and Latina athletes have been relentless in reaching their goals. Thanks to them, present and future Latin athletes have an easier path to success. These famous Latin athletes have inspired many to follow their dreams no matter what they might be. Their excellence and dedication have paved the way for future generations and serve as an example that anything is possible with determination and discipline.

"As a Latino, the minute life starts making sense for you, you know that things are not going to be that easy," said three-time Major League Baseball World Series champion and 10-time All-Star David "Big Papi" Ortiz. "In the Latin culture, hard work and motivation and getting to know that you must fight to get things is a part of our culture. I was never the guy that had anything handed to me. And I think that comes along together with being Latino."

That has been the test of leadership for Latino athletes across this country as they continue the fight for representation in sports. Today there is a new generation of Latino athletes looking to leave their mark in American sports. They are filled with talent and optimism, looking forward to the challenge, and preparing for that moment. Who will be that leader? Who will stand up and speak? Whose voice will cut through the deafening silence? Will it be Lionel Messi, Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Yulimar Rojasor, or will it be a player whose voice and talent have not been echoed yet? During this month we celebrate all those who have embraced the fight for equity for all Latinos in sports.

These brave Latin athletes didn't play the game to hear the crowd, nor did they play to see their name in a headline. They played because somewhere embedded in the hours of practice and the coaches who have pushed them, they stood on the shoulders of giants that came before them, they look down into the eyes of young Latins who inspired to come after them, and they fell in love with the game and never looked back. If you listen closely, you can hear the voices of all the giants, the current players, and those inspired to play whispering a mighty sound "Si se puede."