RACISM/PREJUDICE AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY TRACK AND FIELD/XC

Mods, please remove those posts.

Uncalled for.

Running at Georgetown was indeed a PRIVILEGE. As hard as we all worked, I think most of us took it for granted. I certainly did.

I hope that part of these allegations are true.

This is worth your time

Your story is not my story. Narratives of one person’s experience, does not and should not define groups of people or institutions. To be honest, being a black woman is hard enough without having to defend my story against others. I will start by saying my number one goal was never to GET TO Georgetown, it was to take down records and EXCEL AT Georgetown. Fortunately, I had a great support system within my coaches to get me to some of the highest levels of D1 competition and to help me overcome challenges along the way. My journey was not easy. As a black woman on a predominantly white track team at a predominantly white university I developed a thick skin. Not every word was meant to offend me and the things that did offend me I had spoken directly to the people who had said those words. I knew that going into Georgetown I would most likely be one of very few black people on the track team. I knew that Georgetown did not have great facilities for the track team to utilize at practice. I knew that Georgetown’s outdoor track was shared with the community and seconds as a dog park (fact!). I knew that I was not a sprinter but would probably race on 4x4s because Georgetown wasn’t a sprints focused program when I was recruited, and being a mid-distance runner, I didn't mind that. I knew that Georgetown University’s idea of a training room was an ice tub, 4 massage tables (only for the injured athletes, no preventative massages) and an understaffed medical team. And to this day I know that being a minority at Georgetown University is hard and sometimes I would feel out of place.

What I also know is when airing grievances one should include the full story to avoid the outrageous task of marking yourself perfect. (And this is the part where I am personally offended). If we are talking about the character of the coaches I will like for anyone reading to know a few things about them.

For Coach Henner, he has always been there for me since I stepped on Georgetown’s campus freshman year. There were some things that I was afraid to talk to him about, because I didn't think he would understand, but it turned out he did. You see, Henner and I are very similar, we love to jam out to Rock and Roll and Frank Ocean, and we are both wonderful singers (in our head). I remember the beginning of my Junior year when Coach Milt left and I had no clue what I was going to do (stay or transfer). Coach Henner coached me through one of my worst workouts; I was tired from not sleeping, and stressing about the staff change. I will remember his words for the rest of my life, “this workout doesn’t define you. We are going to get through this. You need to do whatever it is to make yourself happy, that's the most important thing for you right now.” I don't know anyone who talks to their “machines” with such positive reinforcement. And every crappy race and horrible workout since he has been the one I am least afraid to talk to, always reminding me that there is more to life than just running fast. When my condition (endometriosis) became very painful and almost unbearable my senior year at Georgetown he reminded me that even if I decided to remove myself from the team he would always be there for me. THAT is the Pat Henner I know. The one who would jam out to Frank Ocean with me at Big East after my first Championship win and who reminded me that life goes on at a pivotal point in my career. Henner has never had a negative outlook on my running, even when I was at my worst, and I appreciate him for always believing in me.

Michael Smith’s character? Before I ever heard his Barry White sounding voice introduce himself as my new coach I knew that he must be a lunatic for signing up for this job. But, fortunately, he turned out to be one of the most influential people in my life. You want to talk about race relations? This guy is your man. I AM PROUD TO CALL HIM MY COACH. The amount of hours I spent in his office talking about intersectionality and marginalization at Georgetown would probably add up to the amount of hours I spent thinking about it on my own. HE is who I turned to when I felt the need to talk about injustices. HE is who told me my feelings were important and legitimate. HE is someone who understood that being a minority at Georgetown was hard, and he wasn't afraid to talk to me about it and ask me how I was handling it. Mike was a teacher in Anacostia at a predominantly black school teaching inner-city, underprivileged black youth. He knows about race relations and speaks out on injustices. Beyond that, Mike doesn't have a negative coaching bone in his body. I remember after I ran horribly at NCAA Nationals my senior year. He told me, “I know this is very hard for you, I know what you have invested into this race. The only thing I want is for you to be honest with yourself.” It took a lot of time for me to realize that’s the greatest lesson you can teach an athlete. He always strived for us not only to run fast or win races, but also to be honest with ourselves. I can tell you one thing, if you are so afraid to be honest with yourself about your training and your performances you will go to extreme lengths to discredit those who made you look there.

My point is not to say that racism doesn't exist at Georgetown University, I know that it does, I have experienced it. What I certainly know is that racism does not exist in the coaching staff and it is not tolerated by any of the coaches at Georgetown. If any of the issues with teammates making racist remarks were 1) true or 2) brought to the coaches attention I am positive there would have been actions taken against said perpetrator. As a volunteer coach for the 2014-2015 school year I can tell you the majority of complaints being brought up does not fall within the coaching staff’s authority. What coach wouldn't want better facilities, athletes in every event to score points and win championships, the money and scholarships it takes to recruit said full track team, better/more gear and shoes for their athletes, and for their athletes to be treated to proper medical care when they need it?

-Chelsea Cox

readthis wrote:

This is worth your time

You're right. It was. Well said.

And whats sad, it looks like you put more thought writing a post on a message board than was spent writing the blog leading to an 8 page thread.

that was a response by a different girl to the original blog

NOP georgetown i love when the white establishments schools or groups are in trouble so many people come to defend even if they re wrong Salazar will go down and so will Henner and Smith

Catholic school plus federal money sexual misconduct,harrassment and ncaa violations all spell fire them this month !

she's a fatty.......that's the problem

d1 distance runner chunky

Amazing she ran as fast as she did in high school considering how weak she's turned out. Privileged whiner going after the absolute wrong person; Mike Smith! Racist!? As for the "scandal" on the men's team, that behavior is found on every campus, locker room, poker game, construction site, and anywhere guys hang out. This isn't new or exclusive to GTown track. Overblown waste of time.

It's the culture that needs to change. Forcing Freshman to perform acts on one another while videotaping it all for awards and embarrassment reminds of my days as a summer camp counselor. These "men" are acting like idiots with their "awards."

No wonder Georgetown XC has sucked for decades. No focus, no discipline, just privileged hooligans that bully and haze. They spend more time practicing their skits than running mileage.

Sucked for decades? Guess I'll be a curler if they aren't good. For what not shitty team did you run?

I was on a team that was as irrelevant as Georgetown when it came to NCAA XC... similar type finishes.

Georgetown University Cross Country National Championship Results (Men's)

2014 - 17th

2013 - 25th

2012 - 25th

2011 - 17th

2010 - 29th

2009 - 22nd

The last six (6) years. Their best finish in the HISTORY of their program is a 4th in 1965. Yes, 1965. They have only gotten worse, and if they were in a more competitive region, they would not have qualified for NCAA's from 2009-2014.

I have been following this post and found all the documentation posted and it seems to me that the real issue is "athlete v. establishment" How does an athlete seek redress for wrongs committed aginst him or her?

Setting aside the truth or falsity of the allegations. This girl complained about something to the school and got no results at all. She was ignored and then dismissed. This caused me to look a bit deeper into this issue and it is a big problem. There have been many instances of physical, mental and sexual abuse that have come to light recently but not until the media got a hold of the issue or a lawsuit was brought. Problem is, until recently abused athletes kept their mouth shut for fear of losing their scholarship or being attacked (like here) or suffering some other consequence at the hands of the school or coach. Coaches were bigger than life, they operated on a different standard and set of rules. Coaches were immune. The NCAA has no vehicle to address this issue. The athletes only option is to report to the school. Schools conduct so called investigations, but in reality just try to time out the athlete. They play the odds that the athlete will keep their mouth shut and the schools reputation will stay intact. The only reason Georgetown issued its statement Friday is because this girl posted Thursday. Otherwise, we would not have heard a thing. Also turns out that other national advocacy organizations are concerned about this very issue. This problem is not limited to the NCAA. It was a problem in AAU sports as well. So much so that certain AAU factions have established a central clearinghouse for complaints. Athletes now have a place to go and obtain redress. I think this girl tried to do the right thing by taking her complaint to the school but she would not tolerate being ignored forever so she went public. That takes a lot of guts and she has certainly paid the price. This girl brought to light a major issue in college sports to this community.

Leirbag wrote:

Georgetown University Cross Country National Championship Results (Men's)

2014 - 17th

2013 - 25th

2012 - 25th

2011 - 17th

2010 - 29th

2009 - 22nd

The last six (6) years. Their best finish in the HISTORY of their program is a 4th in 1965. Yes, 1965. They have only gotten worse, and if they were in a more competitive region, they would not have qualified for NCAA's from 2009-2014.

sorry there is no shame in qualifying for NCAAs 6 years in a row! and how many other teams who make it every year? are smack in the middle of a city with crap facilities?

Is Georgetown like Dartmouth? A bunch of rich white guy frats and sports teams riding roughshoud over the university exhibiting extreme racist and sexist behavior because they know nothing is going to happen to them? They are the sons of powerful men. The university will launch a soft investigation for PR reasons but unfortunately for the students affected nothing will change. Nothing ever changes.

softerthansoft - I hope you get the chance to look in the mirror today. When you do, please repeat the following: "I am the softest." Attacking Nate for using the 'n-word' in his twitter feed? Are you serious? Since when is exercising one's First Amendment rights on par with sexual assault?

Like it or not, discrimination exists. Is it the cause of all the problems that exist at GTown. Yes and No. The sexual stuff is something I don't know about but I'm not surprised. LOL.. The distance boys were an interesting bunch, some were like privileged Henner clones.

I loved my time at Gtown. It was a special place. I was successful. Was Henner partial to certain event areas, YES. Did certain event areas get more perks than others, YES. Was there more scholarship awarded to average distance runners vs. average level sprinters, YES. That's because he could get low income sprinters for cheap bc of Gtown's financial aid package. Was Henner a Jerk to both Black and White athletes, YES. Was Henner cool with both black and white athletes, YES. It all depended on who you were and how you interacted with him. In my opinion is Henner racist. NO. Does he have a poor opinion of black athletes and holds them to a harsher standard than other who are equal in general terms. YES. If that makes him racist, Then I am racist too, because I have a poor opinion of white people in general until I experience a personal interaction with them that either confirms or refutes the stereotype I have in my head.

I did not agree with Henner on many things while at Gtown. I did not like how he treated and spoke about the black athletes. I have been in meetings where I had to be quiet, cringe and leave frustrated. But I remember those years at Gtown and I loved them because we had a sprint coach that had our back. She explained what the expectation was and the reality of being a black student athlete in a distance program. She encouraged us when Henner ignored us. She disciplined us for bad behavior. She sympathized with us when there were injustices. But she always pushed for performance and pride in our performance with hard work in spite of Henner and privileged culture. We took pride in out scoring the distance team at conference championships. We took pride in being Hoyas. I loved Gtown. I love my teammates, I respect Henner. Did I like some of his "ways" no, but I respected him as our Head Coach.

When I was at Gtown we had sprinters. We ran fast, we had fun. We didn't care that we were excluded from certain things, even though we didn't like it. But our sprint coach at the time was a great coach and mediator. She protected us, she fought for us, she made us feel accepted and she never disrespected Henner in the process.

So from experience is there some truth in what is being said Yes, is it being handled the right way.... DEFINITELY NOT.

Now on the outside looking in to the program... none of this surprises me, just wish it was being handled differently.

You are right. Definitely not handled properly. That's on GTown for not addressing the complaints quickly and taking appropriate action. Bottom line....problems continue, coaches continue, athletes get screwed. Because of this no one else complains about problems. It's broken at GTown.

Girl gets stress fractures running 40 miles a week in high school then goes up to 60 over night. I wonder what's going to happen? Lingering injuries and subpar performances.

Certain runners are like mules...pack on the miles all day long they won't break.

Certain runners are like thoroughbreds...fast as hell but brittle like glass.

You can't coach the mule like a thoroughbred or vice versa.

Alan