Our History
The Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University is one of the worlds leading social justice organizations that use sport to create social change both nationally and internationally. Sport in Society was the result of Richard Lapchicks vision to increase awareness of sports and its relation to society, and to explore the use of sports in bringing about positive social change. The center was founded in 1984 by Lapchick, who was recently honored at the 20th anniversary celebration True Heroes of Sport Awards Gala by being inducted into the Sport in Society Hall of Fame. In July 2002 Peter Roby took over the helm as director.
As one of its first projects to reform high school and college sports, in 1985 Sport in Society established the National Consortium for Academics and Sports to advocate for a balance between academics and athletics. Sport in Societys programs later addressed more general social problems by means of athletes and sports. The main project of the NCAS was the establishment and upkeep of the Degree Completion Program.
The Degree Completion Program was established to allow former collegiate student-athletes to complete their education in exchange for participating in community service programming approved by Sport in Society. By volunteering for ten hours a week, participants are awarded tuition waivers from their institutions towards degree completion. Participants work with underserved youth by developing sport programs, tutoring and mentoring school-aged youth, and supporting various other community initiatives.
Essential to the centers core are the programs that operate through Sport in Society. The first major program to branch out was Project Teamwork (PTW) which was established in 1990. PTW is a diversity awareness and conflict resolution program composed of former professional and collegiate athletes who are trained to work with middle and high school students.
Following on the heels of PTW was Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP), which was established in 1993. MVP is a gender violence prevention and education program and was the first large-scale attempt to enlist high school, collegiate and professional athletes in the effort to prevent all forms of men's violence against women.
1995 was a productive year as the center saw the development of two new and innovative programs: the Student Athlete Volunteer Initiative (SAVI) and Urban Youth Sports (UYS). SAVI provides an opportunity for athletic departments in and around the city of Boston to engage their student-athletes in the community, while UYS is an intermediary organization that provides the leadership and the partnerships necessary to improve the lives of Bostons urban youth through sports.
The Junior Coaches Academy, established in 2006, works with the UYS staff to create opportunities for youth interested in alternative ways of participating in sports. This is accomplished by teaching them leadership skills that make it possible for them to seek employment as junior coaches at summer camps and other out-of-school activities. Junior coaches posses an increased receptivity to training around creating a consistent standards and components that make up a quality sport experience.
The millennium brought even more additions to Sport in Societys programming and public outreach. In 2001 Disability in Sports (DIS) emerged as a major program that engages in research, education, and advocacy activities related to providing more opportunities and exposure for athletes with a disability.
In 2005, the Athletes for Human Rights initiative (AHR) brought a new dimension to the center. AHR focuses on the roles athletes and sports play in impacting social change locally, nationally, and globally. The human rights framework will allow athletes across backgrounds and borders to come together to support and embrace one another.
Established in 2004, the Double Dutch League of Massachusetts provides a low-cost, high intensity activity for Bostons youth. Participants in Double Dutch are given the opportunity to attend a demonstration, participate in a mini-camp, and compete in two tournaments every year.
Health Connection focuses on creating opportunities for urban youth to become active while making the connection between physical activity and a healthy lifestyle. This program highlights nutrition, physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices by placing Sports Health Coordinators in neighborhood health centers to provide physical and nutritional programs to patients of the health centers as well as neighborhood youth.
Awards/Honors
The Sport in Society Hall of Fame was established in 1994 to recognize those athletes who have made outstanding contributions to society through their participation in sport. Each fall, Sport in Society inducts a new honoree at the organization's annual Awards Banquet and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Hall of Fame members and the year they were inducted are as follows:
1994 Muhammad Ali
1995 Red Auerbach
1996 Wilma Rudolph
1997 Jackie Robinson
1998 Arthur Ashe
1999 Rafer Johnson
2000 Bill Russell
2001 Postponed due to 9/11
2002 Dick Schaap
2003 Althea Gibson
2004 Richard Lapchick
2005 C. Vivian Stringer
2006 Billie Jean King
In addition to recognizing individuals through Hall of Fame inductions, The New England Hero Award is given annually select persons or enterprises of the New England sports community that have shown outstanding commitment to promoting the positive aspects of sport through sportsmanship, community service and/or courageous achievement. The awards are bestowed upon one male and one female in honor of Lenny Zakim or Selma Black, respectively:
Lenny Zakim New England Hero Award Winners:
1998 Pedro Martinez
1999 Greg Montalbano
2000 Dan Doyle
2001 No winners due to 9/11
2002 Ron Burton Sr.
2003 Cam Neely
2004 Mayor Thomas Menino
2005 Tim Wakefield
2006 Eli J. Segal
Selma Black New England Hero Award Winners:
1998 Holly Metcalf
1999 Laurie Flutie
2000 Anne Woolf
2001 No winners due to 9/11
2002 Cara Dunne-Yates
2003 Jackie MacMullan
2004 Alfreda Harris
2005 Joan Benoit-Samuelson
2006 Jean Driscoll
Journalism Awards:
1986
Print Media: Frank Deford
Broadcast Media: Howard Cosell
Special Award: Ring Lardner
1987
Print Media: Chronicle of Higher Education
Broadcast Media: Dick Schaap
Special Award: Red Smith
1988
Print Media: Cleveland Plain Dealer
Broadcast Media: Ted Koppel
Special Issues Award: Chris Mortenson and John Sparks
1989
Book: Arthur Ashe
Print Media: Will McDonough
1990
Print Media: Sports Illustrated
Broadcast Media: Roy Firestone
1991
Print Media: USA Today
Broadcast Media: Bill Moyers and Howard Weinberg
1992
Print Media: Robert Lipsyte, New York Times
Broadcast Media: Bob Costas, NBC
1993
Print Media: Gary Smith, Sports Illustrated
Broadcast Media: Robin Roberts, ESPN
1994
Print Media: Ed Sherman and Barry Tempkin, Chicago Tribune
Broadcast Media: ESPN's "Outside the Lines"
Photojournalism: Howard Bingham
1995
Documentary Film: "Hoop Dreams"
Broadcast Media: Bob Ley, ESPN
1996
Print Media: Gary Smith, Sports Illustrated
Broadcast Media: HBO's "Real Sports" with Bryant Gumbel
1997
Print Media: The Sporting News
Broadcast Media: WCVB-TV's "High Five" with Mike Lynch
Broadcast Media: ESPN's "Outside the Lines" and "Town Meeting"
1998
Print Media: Sam Lacy, Afro-American (Baltimore, Md.)
Broadcast Media: Michelle Seaton, NPR's "Only a Game"
Broadcast Media: HBO Sports' "City Dump: The Story of the 1951 CCNY Basketball Scandal"
1999
Print Media: Erik Brady, USA Today
Broadcast Media: ESPN's SportsCentury
2000
Print Media: Derrick Jackson, Boston Globe
Broadcast Media: Ross Greenburg, HBO Sports
2001
No winners due to events of Sept. 11
2002
Lifetime Achievement: Dick Schaap
2003
Print Media: Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
Broadcast Media: Steve Crump, WTVI-TV, Charlotte, NC
2004
Print Media: Mark Fainaru-Wada, Lance Williams, San Francisco Chronicle
Broadcast Media: Tom Goldman, National Public Radio
Lifetime Achievment: Ralph Wiley, ESPN.com
2005
Print Media: Tracy Dodds, Ted Green and Jeff Rabjohns, Indianapolis Star
Broadcast Media: George Roy, HBO
2006
Print Media: Peter Thamel, The New York Times
Visual Media: Bill Hinds and Jeff Millar, Universal's Tank McNamara
