Princeton University Athletics
EIVA to Create Racial Equity Council, Sponsor AVCA Diversity Award
July 29, 2020 | Men's Volleyball
PRINCETON, N.J. – The Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) announced on Thursday, July 9, two decisions to follow its commitment to condemn racism and broaden education in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. The league has created an EIVA Racial Equity Council, and also will sponsor an AVCA Diversity Award to attend the 2020 American Volleyball Coaches Association Convention.
The EIVA Racial Equity Council, initially called the Minority Council and the first of its kind in collegiate men's volleyball, will be co-chaired by a pair of standout EIVA alumni: Ehidiamen (Junior) Oboh (Princeton 2014-18, and EIVA Hall of Famer member Tarik Rodgers (NJIT 1992-95). The pair are among 22 men from 10 schools on the initial council, with more expected to join. Every current EIVA member program, as well as future member St. Francis Brooklyn, is represented by either alumni or a current student-athlete.
While the full breadth has not been set for the council's objectives, the group will have a number of goals. Among them: to help mentor current student-athletes, advise coaches in ways to engage and activate on the campus level, assist in the identification of potential student-athletes in minority communities, increase educational and athletic development opportunities for youths in those communities, retain athletic engagement, increase academic performance of student athletes while addressing the potential challenges of those from minority communities, and ensure leadership and coaching pathways for student-athletes of color.
"I'm very excited to be named co-chair of the Council," Oboh said. "I strongly believe that this initiative will be vital in helping attract more minority players to the sport, as well as helping inform and educate the league on how to make the sport more inclusive to people from different walks of life. This council is a great step in the right direction of ensuring that historically underrepresented voices in men's volleyball have a platform to convene, discuss, create and execute actionable steps in guaranteeing the league and sport is in a much better position than we found it."
A driving force behind the creation of the council is Princeton coach Sam Shweisky.
"When the EIVA coaches released our statement condemning racism and systemic oppression of the black community in our society, we knew we did not want to not let our activism end with merely a statement," Shweisky said. "We brainstormed many ideas on ways we could help support the black athletes in our league and work to amplify their voices. But to do that we needed to coalesce a group of current and former EIVA student athletes of color. That is step one. From there the group will start to help dictate its own vision which we as coaches and administrators can then help to support."
The council held its first meeting on July 20. Council members are listed below.
To contact the council, email Ehidiamen Oboh (ehiobohjr@gmail.com), Russ Yurk (russ.yurk@att.net) or Sam Shweisky (shweisky@princeton.edu).
The EIVA also will sponsor an AVCA Diversity Award this year, joining other collegiate conferences from both the women's and men's game including the MIVA. The award will help an up-and-coming minority men's or boys' coach from the high school, club or collegiate level to attend the AVCA Convention in Omaha, Neb., in December. This will give the coach an opportunity to expand his or her network and professional development by meeting top coaches, attend seminars and broaden their volleyball knowledge.
The EIVA has hopes these will be two helpful steps leading to positive changes.
"The only way to combat a systemic problem is with a systemic solution," EIVA Commissioner Russ Yurk said. "We must commit to action items to accompany our awareness campaign."
Current or former student-athletes who have committed to the council:
Charleston: Adriel Roberts, Rajahl Moxey
George Mason: Bryce Gatling, Chey Cooper, Langston Payne, Lance Rogers, Chris Barnes, Erik Lanham
Harvard: Alister Bent
NJIT: Tarik Rodgers, Wycliffe Gordon, Jabarry Goodridge, Raphael Anthony, Ryan Thomas
Penn State: Eric Houston, Jalen Penrose
Princeton: Ehidiamen Oboh, Mark Nixon
Sacred Heart: Nick Hunt, Timothy McIntosh, Tyler Lee
Saint Francis (Pa.): Joshua Blair
St. Francis Brooklyn (N.Y.): Christian Prayer
Southampton: Kyle Robinson
