The Professional Players Federation (PPF) will be hosting its first Inclusion in Sport week from July 1st – 7th 2024. Working with our members, the PPF will be hearing players’ personal stories, delivering education and promoting best practice to make professional sport more inclusive.
The key focus of the week will be an Inclusion in Sport event at the Kia Oval on Thursday 4th July. Attended by player association staff as well as representatives from governing bodies, clubs and leagues, the event will provide an opportunity to hear from player associations and their players with sessions on Active Allyship, Inclusive Leadership and Neurodiversity in Sport.
Throughout the week, the PPF will be sharing a range of ‘Inclusion Insights’ case studies highlighting initiatives and campaigns developed by player associations to support their members. We will also be profiling a number of Diversity & Inclusion Champions who have been leading the way to help educate and break down stigma relating to age, disability, faith, gender, race, religion or sexuality. There will also be an online Inclusive Language workshop delivered by Chris Gibbons from Inside Inclusion.
Neurodiverse Sport will be running a workshop involving neurodivergent players in a workshop hosted by Neurodiverse Sport in order to help address the lack of understanding around neurodiversity in sport and help sport provide a better experience for neurodivergent players.
Aliyah Zaranyika, a netball player for Saracens Mavericks, who will be attending the workshop said:
“I’m pleased that Neurodiversity in Sport is part of the PPF’s Inclusion In Sport week. Since I was diagnosed with AuDHD in 2022 after struggling with depression and anxiety, I’ve been passionate about raising awareness of the impact of sport on neurodivergence. It’s important to provide better education on how to make professional sport more inclusive and accessible.”
The PFA’s Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Simone Pound and chair of the PPF EDI Committee said:
“We are looking forward to working together during the PPF’s first Inclusion in Sport Week to demonstrate the wide range of work that player associations are doing to support and educate players, collaborating with a number of different stakeholders to influence change and ensure all professional athletes feel safe, valued and welcome. It is an opportunity for player associations to learn from each other and share best practice which will benefit all our current and future players.”
PPF Chair, Brendon Batson OBE, said:
“Following on from last year’s successful Female Athletes Week, we are looking forward to running our Inclusion in Sport Week. It will be an opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come but also look to the future and ways in which player associations can work together and better support their players, especially those who continue to face discrimination.”
For more information contact Simon Taylor (simon@ppf.org.uk)
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