Female sports lack diversity
While minorities account for 29 percent of male athletes at CMU, minorities in women’s sports account for just 5 percent.
Only eight out of 148 women athletes at Central are minorities, according to Athletics Director Herb Deromedi. There are no women athletes of color on the soccer, volleyball or softball teams; and women’s track and field and basketball are the only sports with multiple athletes of color.
Deromedi said the reason for the low numbers is the lack of interest in sports like field hockey, where the only athlete of color is Cortney Blanchard.
“We think athletics do bring diversity to campus,” Deromedi said. “Both geographical diversity from out of state, and diversity when we talk about athletes of color.”
Freshman Sheena Smith, the lone black athlete on the gymnastics team, said she is used to being a minority in her sport.
“Sometimes at the beginning of the year I felt out of place because I was used to having more African-Americans around me,” Smith said. “But my teammates were good about it and accepted me on the team.”
Smith said although the numbers are low, she does not think it is a problem. She said she would welcome any black recruit to the school.
Men’s teams are much more diverse at CMU. Men’s track is 22 percent minority, football is 44 percent minority and 52 percent of the men’s basketball team are minorities.
Men’s basketball coach Jay Smith said diversity in his program is imperative.
“It allows us to see things from different perspectives,” Jay Smith said. “Without question, the mix of African-Americans and Caucasians is part of the melting pot of America.”
Lamar Chapman is the only black assistant coach on the basketball staff. Before Chapman, Cornell Mann, who is black, was an assistant coach. Mann is now coaching at Western Michigan University.
Gymnastics coach Jerry Reighard has had two people of color on his team in the last five years.
“I think diversity is really important,” Reighard said. “I believe all of collegiate sports should have diversity.”
Reighard said the lack of women of color in his program is because of lack of participation in the sport.
“Ten years ago there were virtually no African-American girls on the recruiting trail,” Reighard said. “But I have seen more and more in the last five years.”
Reighard said there are many factors other than race that come into recruiting an athlete.
“My number one priority is to have the best possible athletes I can have,” Reighard said. “I am not looking for any one particular cultural group, but when the opportunity arises to bring an athlete of color into the program I think it is a good opportunity.”
Reighard said he did not bring Smith in because of race.
“She was a nationally-ranked athlete (in high school),” Reighard said. “I knew her strengths and abilities she brought to certain events would help our program.”
