How Racist Can a Volleyball Player Be?

While some sports receive more publicity for racist remarks or actions, other sports besides football, baseball and basketball share similar problems, which begs the question: "Just how racist can a volleyball player be?"

From my experiences, I can tell you they can be just as racist as any other person.

I played high school volleyball in the past year, and I learned a lot about the racial climate of the sport through my experiences there. There was a particular team, Proviso East, that was one of the poorer teams in the conference. It was a primarily black school, and due to this fact, they were the subject of many racist comments by both my friends and members of other teams.

"Watch out; they can jump REALLY high!"

"He should stick to basketball..."

And so on.

It was disgusting. Obscene. And, sadly, funny.

People today seem to have forgotten the significance of the sacrifices of those who fought for the freedoms of their race or creed. I'll admit to being guilty of such things.

Still, there is no room in our society for this obscenity. We cannot allow ourselves to forget the trials of minorities in our society. We cannot subject others to such degradation as a joke about their race or a rash generalization. It is wrong, unintelligent, and, quite often, hurtful to those around us, whether they show it or not.

So, just how racist can a volleyball player be?

Just as racist as anyone else. And the fact that anyone can be racist in this day of age is a major problem.

Sports is the one medium throughout the country that connects people of all races; be it to one player or to one team, people share a connection through sports that allows them to forget their differences and unite.

Sports should not be a place where differences are criticized; it should be a place where differences are forgotten, lost behind the love of the game, the team, or the player.

It's time for all of us to realize that racism has no place in our society, and that any form of racism, be it a joke or not, is wrong.

How racist can a volleyball player be?

Hopefully, one day, we won't have to ask that question.