Knowledge is power. A phrase we’ve all heard many times before, but does it work the other way around? Being able to control the knowledge that people internalize is, to some, the essence of power—true power is to control knowledge. The pen is mightier than the sword, right?
Clichés aside, the problem with the control of knowledge and information has been a hot-button topic recently in American politics in light of the debate over potential alterations to Texas’s public school curriculum. Some proposed changes include referring to the slave trade as the “Atlantic triangular trade.”
Similarly, students at the National University of Rwanda have had issues openly discussing the 1994 genocide. Having to refer to ethnic differences as “linguistic lines,” some students say that the laws aimed at suppressing ethnic differences have made them afraid to speak openly.
Whether it’s classroom learning from national curriculums or discourse at a university setting, full and complete control of what and how information is delivered takes away the student’s voice and opportunity for discussion. How are students supposed to develop the critical and independent thinking processes necessary to grow from the dark spots of our history when our very own education lies at the command of only a few?
The thought of sports in school often evokes flashbacks of the dreaded rope climb in gym class or afterschool teams that allowed us to shake off our pent up energies from daily-desk learning. But sports in school can be more than this. Grassroot Soccer (GRS) is one example of how sport can be effectively integrated into the learning process itself. GRS taps into several of the things we love about sports—the interactivity, the camaraderie, the fun—in order to use soccer as a tool to educate and empower African youth about HIV and AIDS. Yes, the information being taught about the pandemic is life-saving, but the way that information is taught, through sport, provides a unique avenue for education.
There are many innate aspects of the sport world that can be tapped into for positive and empowering learning experiences. The fun and interactive qualities of games encourage students to open up, participate in, and enjoy the learning process. The learning environment created through sport becomes a more horizontal playing field focused on team sharing—cliché puns intended.
– Emma Colucci is an intern with Athletes for Africa this summer. She recently completed her master’s at Ryerson University and played varsity soccer at Concordia as an undergraduate. You can email her here or leave a comment below.
