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Crusaders coaches promote diversity in times of division

Sep 29, 2017 | 12:00 PM

With all the divisiveness in football caused Donald Trump’s war over NFL players’ kneeling protests during the American national anthem some are looking for an inclusive voice.

The Carlton Crusaders are providing exactly that, after adopting ‘Diversity is Strength’ as the motto for this season.

The ‘Diversity is Strength’ initiative was started by the Canadian Football League to promote inclusion and acceptance in response to the white supremacist rallies and consequent murder in Charlottesville, Va., back in August.

Crusaders head coach Lindsay Strachan said with everything going on, that message was necessary to deliver right now to the young men on his team.

“Football is kind of the vessel, but let’s face it, the number one goal out here is to develop better people,” Strachan said. “All the things that we emphasize like punctuality, commitment, accountability, inclusiveness—we’re trying to build better people as much as we’re trying to build better football players.”

Strachan said the Carlton faculty went through diversity training at the end of last year and the beginning of this one. That in itself inspired the Crusaders coaching staff to adopt the ‘Diversity is Strength’ program.

“It just really struck a cord with me. A lot of things that were being talked about are things that we’re trying to mirror out here with the guys,” Strachan said. “We’ve got kids that have come together from all sorts of backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, ethnicities and just that message of all those different backgrounds and areas make us better and makes us stronger—versus making us different.”

So far, Strachan said the guys have bought into the initiative and says the team is better for it.

“To a large extent, that dictates how far you’re going to go as a group—how you mesh together,” Strachan said. “Are you willing to play for each other? Yeah, it’s been good. We’ve got a good group of guys, they’re coming out and working hard.”

The Crusaders are searching for the first win of the season, taking on Bedford Road on Friday at Max Clunie Field.

“We’ve had a good week here,” Strachan said. “We had a chance to look at them and we’ll be ready for Friday. We’re chomping at the bit to get back on the field.”

 

jdandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW