The Locker Room

4Growth Takes Place Outside of Comfort Zones

Of all the things Coach Smitty expected to hear his best friend say was wrong with their team, racism was dead-last on his list. There could be no doubt that what Davey had said was wrong, insensitive, and just plain stupid. But racist? No way!

With his own eyes, Coach Smitty saw the way the boys worked together, and how every player—of every race—followed Davey. They were a team.

Coach Smitty exclaimed, “Rod, don't pull that card on me. We go back too far for that nonsense. How can we have a racism problem? I'm the least racist person I know. If I saw racism, I would call it out. There is no room for that on our team. Every player gets a fair shake from me. If you step on the field in our jersey, it's because you've earned it by your merit, hard work, and dedication.”

Coach Washington maintained eye contact, but said nothing. Coach Smitty continued passionately, “I couldn't hold a kid back because of his color, Rod. I don't even see their color. All I see is the blue and gold of our jerseys. And on top of all of that, you're my best friend, Rod, and you're Black! How can we, of all teams, have a racism problem?”

Coach Washington knew he needed to think deeply about his response. It saddened him to see his friend so oblivious, but he realized that Coach Smitty's justification about there being no racism problem was the same reason that racism so often flies under the radar. He knew his friend's heart, so he knew what Coach Smitty ...