Sports and games are a great platform for inclusivity and representing the beautiful diversity of the world. We’d like to use Black History Month as an opportunity to celebrate black sports people, to use our platform to help offer representation and to reiterate our reaching ethos to strive for inclusivity and help sports be engaging and accessible for all.
So without further ado, here are some of our favourite black sporting heroes!
LeBron James
LeBron James is a famous American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA (National Basketball Association). With the nickname ‘King James’ it is obvious that LeBron is a superstar of Basketball in America and is revered across the world for his skills! Some of his achievements include:
- He has competed in 10 NBA finals.
- LeBron James is the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. (Information correct at the time of composition.)
- He had won 4 NBA championships- as part f a team.
- LeBron has won 2 Olympic gold medals!
King James is a wonderful role model for youth- his talent and hard-work is demonstrable in his many shining achievements! James’s start to life was far from glamorous, he overcame adversity by staying resilient; he didn’t let the challenging circumstances of his youth effect the outcome of his life.
As well as being a superstar on the basketball court, LeBron has been working off the court to help make things better for children all across America. He works with several charitable foundations to ensure that boys and girls can have access to safe education.
Serena Williams
How could any look at black sports people not include the whirlwind that is Serena Williams? Serenes and her sister Venus have dominated the tennis circuits since the early 2000s. She is a superstar of tennis on a global stage, and represents to girls everywhere the achievements that strength, passion and determination can lead to! Though Serena Williams is now retired from professional tennis, the enduring legacy and lasting impact of her work will be felt forever.
Some of Serena’s many achievements include:
- Serena was ranked World No.1 for 319 weeks running- that is over 6 years! Imagine being ranked no.1 out of all female tennis players in the world for over 6 years…astounding!
- Serena has an Olympic gold medal, which is a recognisable symbol of success.
- Serena and her sister Venus won 14 major doubles titles together- they were a dynamic duo that set the world of tennis ablaze.
- She holds 39 major titles: 23 in singles (she earned these on her own), 14 in women’s doubles (while working with her sister), and 2 titles in mixed doubles; thus demonstrating that whether working alone, or in a team, Serena Williams is a GOAT (a Greatest Of All Time) of tennis players.
Much like LeBron, Williams had a challenging childhood- but thanks to the support of her parents and coaches who could see her talent at an early age, Williams held fast and has gone on to have an absolutely glittering career! She is an inspiration to girls and women everywhere- showing how you don’t have to sacrifice a life for a career and vice versa! Serena is not only a Wimbledon Champion (several times over), she’s not only an internationally recognised tennis player- she is also a mother, a wife, a sister.
Simone Biles
Simone Biles is an absolute gem of a gymnast! Having risen to fame comparatively recently- and having absolutely dazzled on the dance floor of Dancing with the Stars in America, Miss Biles is a symbol of ambition for a whole new generation of young girls and individuals.
Simone has been praised around the world for taking her own health and mental health into consideration when competing. She has been known to withdraw from competitions due to her own concerns over her own Mental Health, which is a great concern to have highlighted to the youth; it is important to recognise the impact of Mental Health and the importance of taking deliberate, preventative actions to safeguard it.
Some of Simone’s achievements include:
- Winning 4 Olympic Gold Medals, but in total (including her silver and bronze) Simone has 7 Olympic Medals. These are in different gymnastics events, but demonstrate how she has worked at evolving and developing her skills.
- Simone has 25 World Championship Medals!
- She is a 5 time all-round World Champion!
Simone has worked with affiliated partners to create products for girls and women, she has been vocal about her belief that women and girls should be able to access sport safely and allowed to explore their enthusiasm.
Simone is an inspiration to girls, showing how you can overcome a turbulent home-life to go on to find huge success in a career that you care about, that you’re passionate about.
There are so many influential black sports people from history, here we have chosen to just briefly look at 3 current/very recent black sports people. We hope you feel inspired by their stories and successes. If you’d like to do further research into the lives of black sports people, please click here.
We feel it is so important to inspire and empower all children to try new sports and to be able to access the fun and skill-building element of sports and physical activity. Fiesta Sports Coaching is absolutely dedicated to inclusivity and diversity, we want to use our position and platform to ensure that all students, all children get to have access to the enriching experiences that we can provide to our customers.
For more information on Black History Month 2023 please consider checking out the following links:
www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk
www.inclusiveemplyers.co.uk/awareness-day/black-history-month
www.ibhm-uk.org