Race, class and gender in SA Ultimate - concrete recommendations

[Marlise Richter]

Thanks Katie.  

I copy the discussion on Robin's FB here to ensure cross-referencing, and am encouraging others to add their thoughts on what we (as a community) can do to make this better.

(Robin - I trust that this is ok, as it was an open letter and I assumed most people were commenting on your FB with the understanding that it is public.)

:-)

M

On 13 December 2016 at 13:00, Katie Huston <kati...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Marlise and all,

There's a lot of internal chatter going on within the Wild Dogs leadership team and SAFDA exec about this, and there are some good plans afoot (though ideas are also certainly welcome). Stay tuned!

In the meantime, Robin started a list on Facebook of what we can do in our own spaces.

“What can us ordinary players do in our club?” Hundreds of things, but here are a few:
1. Provide space for people to speak and then actively listen when they do.
2. Call out and address the microaggressions in your Ultimate communities (and your other communities!). 
3. Donate your time, your money, your old cleats / jerseys / discs / gear to help facilitate Ultimate in growing communities.
Please add to this incomplete list. What can we do to create positive change?

This reminds me of the convo we had at the women's meeting at Nationals 2015 - about the actions men and women took to make women feel included and help them move into positions of leadership. Perhaps this is a good time to resurface and share those notes - what were the things that enabled and motivated women and made us feel welcome in the mixed ultimate community?

It also reminds me of a really excellent article Thulie recently shared on Facebook. (Thanks Thulie!) I would have loved this article to have a few more concrete examples and suggestions, but I think it's a good starting point to think about what it means to build a more inclusive and diverse ultimate community.

https://medium.com/@chipadelphia/an-open-letter-to-the-ultimate-community-1378dd8a357f

"Gender equity is only one aspect of inclusion. And we cannot talk about gender, without also talking about race, class, and sexuality. We call this lens of looking at the world, this framework for solving problems, intersectionality. Think about it this way, the very notion of “inclusion,” can only exist with the practice of “exclusion.” We would not be able to fathom what it means to “include,” if we didn’t have a conceptual understanding of “exclude.”"

Katie

Katie Huston

mobile: +27 (0)735 071 464

On 12 December 2016 at 22:33, Marlise Richter <marlise...@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear peeps

I am forwarding Robin’s courageous letter to the SA Disc mailing list in this email.  (I didn’t recall seeing an email about the selection of the Wild Dogs coaching squad but found it on Facebook here)

I would like to salute Robin for drafting such an eloquent appeal, and for articulating tactfully two very important challenges facing SA Ultimate at the moment:

i.) rapid transformation of the the people who play and lead Ultimate in terms of race and class; and

 ii.) ensuring female representation in all leadership structures.

Robin calls on all of us to work on these issues, and I think it is only right that we as a community come up with concrete suggestions on how to deal with these issues in a frank and constructive manner.

 I would like to suggest that we use this forum to brainstorm some recommendations that we can put forward to SAFDA and the SA Ultimate community on how to

1.)   ensure that the Wild Dogs campaign is executed in an equitable manner; and

2.)    Longer term strategies on making the sport we love more inclusive and welcoming to a cross-section of SA society

Please post your suggestions/comments here and we can then think of ways of drafting something for wider consultation.

I would like to add on a personal note that I have tremendous respect for the people selected to coach and manage the Wild Dogs squad, and for the people who volunteer to take up SAFDA leadership positions, and who invest large amounts of time and energy into our sport.  Few people are willing to take this on, and I would like to urge that our brainstorming relates to tackling structural problems, and are not on based on individuals or particularities.

Looking forward to your thoughts!

J

M

 

 

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Robin Willis <rwil...@gmail.com>
Date: 12 December 2016 at 09:43
Subject: [SafDisc] An Open Letter to South African Ultimate
To: SafDisc <saf...@googlegroups.com>
Cc: safda-exec <safda...@googlegroups.com>

Dear South African Ultimate,

As the former Development Manager for SAFDA, I have had the distinct privilege of being involved in conversations and projects aimed to grow our sport nationwide.  In this past two years, we have seen incredible growth in our sport, both in established Ultimate communities and in new, developing communities.  SA Ultimate is now diversifying at an unprecedented rate, with more and more female players and players of colour joining our community weekly.  This is, frankly, wonderful and speaks to the hard work and dedication of leaders around the country to recruit players and provide resources to new communities. 

However, as South Africa becomes more and more involved in the world Ultimate community, we must pause and assess how the world sees us, as well as how we would like to be viewed.

In 2016, South Africa sent three teams to Worlds.  While the emergence of our first Women’s and first Master’s team on the international stage is remarkable, it is also notable that South Africa, a national of incredible diversity, did not send a single player of colour to Worlds in 2016.  This is, in all honesty, troubling.  While the 2016 Worlds campaign is behind us, the Wild Dogs’ 2018 campaign is before us and we, as a nation, have a new opportunity to define our image.

I strongly urge the coaching staff of the Wild Dogs to carefully consider the future of our sport in their selection decisions.  I encourage coaches to look not only at the skills of individual players now, but to imagine the growth and potential in players over the course of the next year.  I urge them to imagine what potential there is in selecting players from all over South Africa, from all communities.  Imagine the Wild Dogs coming back from their Worlds campaign and spreading their newfound knowledge not only in Cape Town and Johannesburg, but also in Orange Farm, Soweto, and Zithulele.  Worlds campaigns are an opportunity not only to compete at the international level, but also to grow and develop players from all around our great and diverse nation.  With so many incredible players of colour in South Africa, it is embarrassing to take another all-white squad to Worlds. 

Additionally, although the coaching staff chosen to lead the Wild Dogs in their 2018 campaign is comprised of skilled coaches and leaders, it is deeply troubling that none of these leaders of this Mixed Ultimate team are women.  In South Africa, we have a wealth of fantastic female players and coaches.  Why are they not represented on this staff?  It is not sufficient to say, “they did not apply.”  How has SAFDA targeted female ultimate players and sought to grow them as leaders?  To have a coaching squad of five men for a mixed team of men and women is, in all honesty, appalling.

The Wild Dogs campaign is not only about winning games; it is about representing our country.  How do we, as the South African Ultimate community, want to be viewed?  I urge the members of our community to join me in putting pressure on SAFDA and the Wild Dogs’ coaches to ensure equity in our leadership and in our national teams.  Let us strive to ensure that our sport represents our Rainbow Nation.

Sincerely,

Robin Willis

Former SAFDA Development Manager

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[Robin Willis]

Hi ladies!

Marlise, thank you for sharing the conversation here.  It continues on my facebook page here. SAFDA has responded, I have re-responded, and other incredible people have added their voices too.  It is an honest and difficult conversation and I hope that you all will take a moment to read through it.  The conversation has sparked movement and a renewed investment in transforming South African Ultimate into the community we want it to be: one that is inclusive and representative of this Rainbow Nation.

Building this community is going to be hard, and messy, and wonderful, and necessary, and important to the growth and development of us as individuals.  

What I urge us to do as members of South African Ultimate is to ensure that our voices are heard.  To actively participate in difficult conversations.  To actively invest in the growth of our community.  To seek leadership roles within SAFDA, our regional bodies, and our clubs, even if we do not feel fully ready for them, but knowing that we will grow and learn and develop into the leaders that we can be.  To call out the micro-aggressions against women on the field, in our whatsapp groups, and in our teams.  To volunteer to help shape SAFDA policy going forward: participate in the seeding discussions, join the diversity task team, join the development team, find ways to build this community, ensuring that all people are represented.  To pressure SAFDA to prioritize women's ultimate in scheduling and resources. 

I don't mean to say that the male members of our communities are not allies and are not fighting for us as well-- some really are.  But, as I recently discovered in a particularly difficult conversation with a work colleague about the definition of sexual harassment, even the strongest male allies don't know what it is like to be female and will, even without knowing it, seek to maintain the status quo and their own power.  

We play a mixed sport, we are a mixed community. But, the current leaders of our active national team and national executive committee are male (aside from Katie, who still remains actively involved as co-treasurer).  In a mixed ultimate community, it is troubling that nearly all of our leaders are male, and white (except one), and all heterosexual and financially stable (as far as I know).  Not only do we need to step up, but we must encourage others to as well.  We must demand space for women, people of colour, people from all backgrounds and all walks of life to be represented in our leadership and in our community.  And then we need to step into those spaces and fill those roles, and make positive change for everyone.  If we want our community to be inclusive, our leadership must be too, and we, as women, must seek out and accept leadership roles. 

I don't have all the answers.  I clearly have a lot of questions and thoughts.  I know that working together, we can challenge and change Ultimate in South Africa in a positive way that allows for greater inclusion and equality for all.

Lots of love, 

Robin 

--

Robin Willis
rwil...@gmail.com
South Africa: 076 802 6448

International: +27 76 802 6448

[Anna Coussens]

Thanks Robin and hello SA Ladies :)

I have been reflecting on this email over the holidays. I have remained fairly silent in the open forum on these issues, as a foreigner I often feel I should stay out of the operations of SAFDA, that I want South African's to lead these issues and develop the game in their country. However, South Africa is also my home for the foreseeable future, I am an active member of the community and I want South African ultimate to grow and develop to the best of it's potential. So, I will no longer sit back and I encourage all of you who are passionate about the game we play, to do the same!

Given the new WFDF rules, which in 2 years time will see all events enforce alternating  4 women and 4 men every 2 points (🎉), and an interim rule that the initial gender ratio is decided at the flip and that the gender ratio is chosen each point, irrespective of offence or defence, it appears our World body is evolving in the interests of creating equity for women's roles on Mixed teams. We are no longer defaulted to being the least represented gender on the field.  

My question is how will SAFDA respond to these new changes? Given we are 4 months from the next AGM, I suggest now is the time to put the gender rule back on the table to ensure we have a positive change voted on this year. If SA is to send multiple  mixed teams to the All African Championships in June, a mixed team to U24 in Jan 2018 and a team to World Ultimate Club Championships in June 2018, all of which will be using the new gender rule, I would think it imperative that SAFDA sanction the use of the new rules effective from the finals of Nationals this year, which would occur after the vote at the AGM.

However, I am unsure why our National body, who pays fees to WFDF for national recognition would do anything but insist that we play by WFDF rules. Leaving this up to the community to decide, of which 70% are male (Katie, is this the stat?!), and thus the rule change goes against their personal interest, astounds me. [Note: I know there are guys who do support the change, but irrespective, it will mean they will get less game time. Thus a win for the team can still be a personal loss]. We have clearly seen the benefit the change from a 5-2 to a 4-3 system had on improving women's ultimate in SA, despite the objections. Moreover, we are now beyond the agreed timeline for changing it to the former WFDF gender rule of 4-3, 3-4, which was voted on and not upheld. Thus, if we are to remain in our current gender rule status, which will be 2 steps behind the rest of the world, it will forever put us on the back foot and stifle women's development in SA. 

So, my question is who's up for the challenge? Who wants to drive this change with me? There will obviously be opposition. We may need to develop our own interim system, but it can't be 2 steps behind, it needs to be less than one step! And we need to be evolving. This is our opportunity to have positive change for all women in our community, which will also benefit our men. Developing women helps our mixed teams here and when we perform on the world stage. 

Change can feel unsettling, but it also has the potential for massive benefit. Doing nothing, leaves you stagnating in a slowly festering pond.

So, i ask again, Who's up or the challenge?!

Anna

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[Nicholas Zaloumis]

Hi guys,

I love that these conversations are popping up everywhere. I am not actually sure if I can email this list but maybe somebody would forward it.

The wfdf rule is an exciting move, an important step and I look forward to seeing it in action, especially on the world stage and hopefully on the local scene soon.

In reference to SAFDA's context: I speak as a SA ultimate player with a passion for development, not on SAFDA's behalf.

Within SAFDA and especially the community there is a bit of division with how to proceed with the move to 4:3 wfdf gender rule (1 step behind). In principle I would imagine that no one is against it however the logistics and lack of relevant solutions cause some concern. At this point in time SAFDA has to cater to ultimate communities of 150 (CT/GP) and then to communities of 15 - 20 (much of the rest of the country and even within GP and CT communities these smaller newer communities exist). GP's Binnerlanders Tournament still has a 1 or 2 ladies on the line rule as several teams are unable to even get 3 ladies to the tournament (but this is just from feedback - maybe that can be confirmed). A move to full on WFDF creates the potential of excluding a large proportion of our community. I agree that the move from 2 to 3 in 2014 (from the 2013 AGM vote) made a huge difference and was mostly a success story. And the momentum needs to be kept. It was many of the smaller communities that voted no to the 4:3 gender rule use and for that to change we would have to engage with them to facilitate the help they need and the change in their situation. 

The problem is that tangible solutions to this problem have not been presented but there has been a couple discussions on how to influence the increase in women participation. Although these still do not fully help isolated or small communities.

1. Mixed nationals competes at wfdf gender rule level as long as there are other smaller tournaments without these rules to help keep the sport participation higher. This way to partake in nationals means you have to develop an environment where more women are actively sort (like the 2013 vote did - you want at least 5 ladies minimum, maybe 4 if they they are all fit and experienced). Many newer or less experienced teams complain that their women end up leaving because they play savage at nationals and do not enjoy this, especially if one of their ladies gets injured (and they could only find 4 to begin with). SAFDA has been uncertain of how to deal with this, in the past has had limited success for these teams. Freelance women are usually very rare. 

2. The other suggestion is putting more emphasis on Womens nationals and creating a gender ultimate season (i.e. 2nd half of the year). This push has been largely from the larger communities (CT and JHB) who can support women's and men's leagues. Again smaller and isolated communities of less than 25/20 are not really catered for in this. The argument is that SA Ultimate as a whole unit is not ready for this push. However SAFDA is making a point of ensuring that all SA nationals (including) Women's nationals is known about at least 6 months in advance, hopefully even sooner before. Although this doesn't create a stable calendar, it is a step towards stability for planning. SAFDA could also put reference on encouraging women related leagues in regions that could have them. The 2015 ladies meeting at nationals attempted to address this, I am not sure what became of that meeting, my feeling was that little was resolved and we still face the same issues today as we did then - at least there are more voices and more people trying to make change happen with a collaborative approach. But where are the solutions from this meeting, where they enacted locally? I would be interested to know if there are success stories from that.

In short:

I agree with Anna, this is a challenge and SAFDA and its volunteers definitely needs the help, fresh and innovative thoughts, energy and suggestions. Step up and help create realistic solutions to achieve these goals. Hopefully with enough people coming up with ideas, step by step change can be created in the entire SA Ultimate community. We have the end goal in site, how do we progress there together.

Even if you do not step up, please send any and all ideas to the SAFDA comm or your SAFDA reps to put forward to the comm, or even your local governing bodies. 

I look forward to hearing from you guys and hopefully working with you guys.

Nick

--

Nicholas Zaloumis
MSc in Plant Ecology

Grassland Science and Restoration Ecology

SAOEN Intern - Fynbos Node

+27 84 857 2944

[Jenna Larsen]

Hey all,

its so important to keep this conversation going. the wfdf rule is a respectable move and it reflects where the international ultimate community is at in striving for gender equity. 

it is really awesome to be able to engage with everyone's opinions because i know how passionate we all are about ultimate in south africa and that we all want the best for ultimate here and that we all are striving for gender equity. we are all batting for the same team, we just have different positions. 

my position and opinion though, stem from being part of a developing ultimate community outside of ultimate 'hubs'. while i agree that we should strive to be able to play using the new WFDF rules, i feel that we also need to look at the south african context. i am confident we can can play with the wfdf rules in the not-so-distant future (not sure how long that is though) but that it would be detrimental to enforce the rule prematurely. i am totally 100% behind, and see the need for, playing using the WFDF rules for our national teams that are playing internationally, but it doesn't make sense to enforce at national tournaments at this time. i also think that SAFDA should consider the local context and the ultimate community that it represents and not just uphold rules of an international body that has no concept of the local context. and if that means revisiting rules and decisions because they are not working or are not appropriate,etc. then that is why we have a democratic system in place- so that people's voices can be heard. playing internationally is one thing, playing nationally/locally is another.  many ultimate communities are still struggling with the current gender ratio and i foresee that adopting this rule prematurely could/would exclude many developing ultimate communities even within the hubs. 

that being said, we need to move forward (possibly aggressively so) and figure out how to develop women's ultimate so that we can achieve this goal in a suitable/appropriate timeframe and strive for that 70/30 male/female ratio we currently have to be a more balanced 50/50. i agree with Anna that we need to constantly be evolving and that we will need an interim system in place. we also need to give the interim system a timeframe- (2 years?). 

we are still playing with the 3 females, 4 males at the moment. and as i mentioned before, this is still a struggle for some teams. perhaps we need to push for offence decides 3/4 ratio to be used at tournaments first and let there be an adjustment period for this before adopting the new rule. 

i also agree with Nic that setting a O/W season will help develop more female players. this to me is simple-mixed season runs from a certain period, then O/W season runs from a certain period and i dont think there should be much of an overlap (such as rocktober). coming from a developing ultimate community, we won't be able to send a womens team from each club/team in the near future but i would strive to send one from the province and maybe other smaller ulti communities could do the same as a start. 

we also need to be aware of what pushing the gender ratio before we are ready might do. this could mean players would be poached from developing ulti communities to pad the ranks of the 'hubs'- which would not assist with development at all. I've seen this happening already, which was  was by no means intentional. all I'm saying is that this could have a knock-on negative effect if we are not careful in how we approach it.   

thats my 2 cents for now. hope to engage more soon. 

-J

--

Nicholas Zaloumis
MSc in Plant Ecology

Grassland Science and Restoration Ecology

SAOEN Intern - Fynbos Node

+27 84 857 2944

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