MIAMI – The Miami Marlins, in conjunction with the Miami Marlins Foundation, are taking another step to go to bat for racial equality and social justice, by launching the new Sports Can Battle Racism curriculum for student-athletes in partnership with the national non-profit Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA). The Marlins have invested to become an official partner of PCA’s overarching Sports Can Battle Racism nationwide initiative, a focused effort to provide tools and develop solutions that work to battle racism within the environment of sports.

The goals and action steps of the youth-focused initiative include thought leadership and utilizing PCA’s national platform to facilitate conversation, amplify voices and influence change. Participants will walk away with specific tools for responding to racism, creating safe environments for all to belong, and action steps to do more on their teams to combat racism. The program will be implemented across South Florida, with the Marlins and PCA bringing the initiative to Marlins community partners and local youth program participants.

“At the Miami Marlins, we are committed to a culture that celebrates diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said Marlins CEO Derek Jeter. “With the launch of this program and the collaboration with Positive Coaching Alliance, we are hoping to create productive conversations and development among our future leaders that results in true change. We want to get to a point where diversity isn’t something to be celebrated – it’s expected.”

The 75-minute Sports Can Battle Racism workshop is led by certified PCA Trainers. It will be delivered virtually and is intended for high-school and above aged athletes of all sports and in all communities. PCA defines culture as “the way WE do things here.” This workshop helps define the “we” through exploring identity and understanding personal bias, and then provides historical context to how sports has been used to battle racism.

“Sports is an arena where youth from all walks of life come together, presenting a unique opportunity to create a truly empathetic environment where all participants learn to respect one another’s background, differences and commonality,” said PCA’s Executive Vice President for Business Development and Philanthropy, Jason Sacks.

The Sports Can Battle Racism program is the latest in a series of Miami Marlins initiatives promoting racial equality and social injustice. In addition to recurring programming with the organization’s Slugger Schoolhouses, the Marlins, over the past year, have sought to further the conversation and promote racial equality, social justice, and inclusion. Throughout the 2020 season, a “Black Lives Matter – United For Change” banner was placed in centerfield at Marlins Park, representing that the organization will not stand idly by and allow racism to persist. On Election Day – November 3, 2020, the Marlins teamed with Feed The Polls to distribute approximately 4,000 meals at select polling locations in Liberty City and Little Havana in an effort to remove food insecurity obstacles that impact our community’s ability to vote. And, in January, the Marlins named Raquel ‘Rocky’ Egusquiza the club’s first Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

More information and the registration form for the Sports Can Battle Racism program for student-athletes is available at Marlins.com/PCA.