Donna Duffy, proponent for advancing women in sports, to speak at CSUEB on May 8

• May 7, 2014 7:00am

The Center for Sport and Social Justice at Cal State East Bay is sponsoring two events on the Hayward campus on Thursday, May 8, featuring Donna Duffy, director of the Program for the Advancement of Girls and Women in Physical Activity at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.

Duffy, also an assistant professor in UNC Grennsbor's Department of Kinesiology, will present her research on reducing and preventing sexually violent language in an attempt to motivate athletes. That will take place from noon to 1 p.m. in room 1203 of the AE Building.

Then beginning at 4:30 p.m. in room 142 of the AE building, Duffy will lead a one-hour workshop she created for high school coaches titled "Coaching Coaches: An Educational Workshop to Reduce and Prevent Sexually Violent Language in Coaching." Those who plan to attend are advised to send an RSVP to Rita Liberti, director of the Center for Sport and Social Justice and professor of kinesiology at CSUEB, via email to rita.liberti@csueastbay.edu.

"All too often in sport, the behaviors of coaches and their tactics used in motivating young athletes go unquestioned because we, as a society, believe those strategies are best in encouraging athletes to be stronger, faster, quicker, better," Liberti said. "What can quickly get lost is that sometimes language used by coaches can demean the athlete or others. Dr. Duffy's work is important because it supports more positive, constructive, and inclusive language in working with young people in sport and physical activity settings."

Duffy has presented numerous papers at national and international forums and gives workshops to practitioners who work with youth in community agencies and school settings. Her research interests focus on service learning experiences of undergraduate and graduate students who mentor underserved youngsters. She also has a wide range of experiences ranging from teaching in alternative school settings to coaching nationally ranked field hockey teams.

The Center for Sport and Social Justice began as a CSUEB center in the fall 2011. Since then it has hosted public lectures, panel discussions, workshops and films that address critical issues around sport and culture.  All events are free and open to the public. More information about the center is available at Kinesiology.

-- Barry Zepel