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Howard University could already be often known as “the Harvard of HBCUs,” however we’re taking a second to focus on one other noteworthy title: the house of our nation’s solely all-Black faculty swim workforce!
Swim Coach Nic Askew Says ‘Nobody In America’ Can Offer What Howard Can
The Howard swim workforce was notably featured in Sports Illustrated earlier this month, and coach Nic Askew spoke on how the groundbreaking squad fosters a singular expertise that “nobody [else] in America can offer.”
“Nobody in America can offer what we have in our pool. Where else are you going to see this?”
As the publication notes that lower than about 1.5% of the nation’s aggressive swimmers are Black, Howard is a serious drive in breaking down obstacles throughout the sport—which has historically “shut them out of this experience.”
“This is about our mission as a university and the message we want to send as an HBCU. This isn’t a bunch of Black people in a pool; it’s young Black men and women succeeding in a sport that, for years, has shut them out of this experience.”
In truth, Howard’s swim workforce is presently in the course of competing on the Northeast Conference (NEC) Championships. Additionally, the workforce will hit up the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) National Invitational Championships in March.
In a sport tormented by problems with illustration, Howard University coach Nic Askew isn’t simply constructing a powerful swimming program.
He’s constructing one thing larger: https://t.co/jNXA63aa2V pic.twitter.com/hmoWcj3jXS
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 1, 2023
The Importance Of ‘Offering Representation’
Regarding the overarching mission of offering a supportive area for Black swimmers, Askew questions, “How many of these kids would have continued swimming in college if it weren’t for Howard?”
He additionally acknowledges the importance that the varsity’s swim workforce can have in getting different younger Black athletes within the sport, because it’s troublesome to get individuals enthusiastic about one thing when “no one looks like them.”
“How are you going to get a Black boy or girl interested in your sport when they don’t see a future for themselves, because no one looks like them?”
Nic Askew goes on so as to add, “That’s not offering representation [or] expanding this sport. That’s shutting out an entire group of people.”
Similarly, throughout a separate interview with NBC News, the Howard University swim coach famous, “It’s bigger than just what we do day-to-day. We have to be the representatives.”
In different phrases, whereas the workforce is dominating the game, it’s about greater than merely garnering accolades—it’s about altering the narrative.
Shoutout to THE illustrious Howard University and its barrier-breaking swim workforce!