Engagement Insider
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO October 24, 2013 – Top leaders from across the wide world of sports assembled again this week for the second annual Sports Diversity & Inclusion Symposium at the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) headquarters in Colorado Springs.
Following last year’s inaugural Symposium staged at National Football League headquarters in New York, this year’s event again featured the best and brightest from the sports industry, including professional, collegiate and national governing bodies.
Importantly, after last year’s one-day kickoff event proved so successful, this year’s Symposium was expanded to three days, where attendees could analyze trailblazing topics such as “Women in Sports Leadership” and “Disability in Sport: Reaching Full Participation,” all intended to improve and enhance diversity.
“We were pleased to again gather with our sports industry colleagues for this monumental event,” said Troy Vincent, Senior Vice President of NFL Player Engagement (NFLPE). “To see the Symposium grow and interest increase so dramatically in just its first full year bodes well for the significant progress we envision going forward.”
Jason Thompson, Director of Diversity & Inclusion at the USOC, added, “We were proud to partner with the NFL, NCAA, NASCAR and the PGA of America to host the Symposium, where we featured panels, group discussions and demonstrations designed to examine the current landscape and create tangible solutions for diversity and inclusion issues in today’s sports culture.”
A culture reflected in the Symposium theme of “Many Faces, One Team.”
And a theme that can be unique to this industry, according to NFL Chief Human Resources Officer Robert Gulliver.
“Diversity and inclusion, which we take very seriously at the NFL, is important to any business, but bringing people together is especially important in sports.”
A sentiment echoed by Gulliver’s NFL colleague Vincent, who spoke at length about his vision.
“A new paradigm must be established where trust is foundational as we look at the 21st century social justice system,” Vincent stated. “We must move beyond traditional historic concepts of leveling the playing field and equal opportunity toward developing human capital and occupational mobility from the perspective of good business sense and individual enterprise.”
Additionally, Vincent added, “Our vision must be to establish best practices and processes to develop, introduce and promote an atmosphere that establishes trust across all aspects of hiring actions. Diversity and Inclusion should reflect good business, moral and just leadership.”
View Agenda
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