Pushing The Edge with Greg Curran

In this episode, how do we go about changing the culture within sporting clubs - opening them up to the rich diversity within our communities?

How do we deal with sexism, the ableism, the racism, the homophobia and transphobia that puts off so many of us?

And what about all the emphasis on the 'economics' and 'market share' - as reasons for change.

Isn't there a 'social justice' case for change?

Well our guest has plenty of insights into these areas - having studied sporting clubs up close as a researcher and participant.

Ryan Storr is a PhD researcher and co-founder of Proud2Play, an Aussie organisation designed for anyone who ever thought there was no place for them in sporting environments.

For full show-notes go to: http://pushingtheedge.org/sports

Episode 36 - Quick Guide

▪ Ryan introduces himself

▪ Why inclusion in sport matters

▪ Does having skills = acceptance in sport?

▪ Why did Ryan hide his sexuality - when playing sport?

▪ Why does being open about who you are matter?

▪ What might inclusion in a sporting club look like?

▪ Getting beyond limited definitions of diversity - in sports clubs

▪ How passionate individuals are driving change in sports clubs

▪ Strategies used to drive change in sports clubs ▪ How prizing ability and competition affects young people's participation in sport ▪ The challenges for volunteers in terms of driving change in sports clubs

▪ The Lightning Round: inclusion, valuing diversity, volunteering, and competition

▪ How Ryan's research has affected him

Episode Links

▪ To connect with Ryan and Proud2Play, plus find all the show links, go to http://pushingtheedge.org/sports/

▪ There you'll also find resources to make your Phys Ed class and Sports Club more inclusive.

▪ Listen to Episode 32 where James Lolicato talks about Proud2Play, an organisation he co-founded with Ryan - http://pushingtheedge.org/32/

Support Pushing The Edge Podcast

▪ If this episode got you thinking or inspired you - please share it, rate it, or write a short review of it in iTunes - http://pushingtheedge.org/itunes/

▪ Check out the 'Pushing The Edge with Greg Curran' podcast archive.

▪ Connect with me, Greg Curran, on Twitter. 

▪ Thanks for listening and your ongoing support.

In this episode, how can sport clubs open up opportunities for culturally diverse youth?

How can they help them bridge the gap between their communities and mainstream sporting teams?

And why should sports clubs reach out, beyond their traditional supporter base? What's in it for them and their communities?

Plus, we've also got the Lightning Round where we're pushing the edges of participation, assumptions, leadership and community.

Our guest is Sue McGill, Regional Manager of 'The Huddle' at North Melbourne Football Club, Australia.

For full show-notes go to: http://pushingtheedge.org/sports/

Episode 35 Run-down

▪ Introduction to Sue and the North Melbourne Huddle

▪ The power of sport for social connections

▪ How The Huddle fosters connections for culturally diverse youth

▪ The importance of listening and the process of building trust with young people

▪ Why sporting clubs should build links to their multicultural communities

▪ What can Phys Ed teachers and Sports Coaches do to engage young people

▪ How do The Huddle teachers and coaches work with their young people?

▪ How The Huddle works against discrimination & helps foster pathways into mainstream sports teams - for its young people

▪ What does the newly started AFL Women's competition (in Australia) mean to Sue?

▪ The Lightning Round: participation, the power of sport, assumptions, re-thinking, leadership and community

▪ The power of sport as a community development vehicle

Episode Links

▪ To connect with Sue and The Huddle, plus find all the show links, go to http://pushingtheedge.org/sports/

▪ There you'll also find resources to make your sports club more inclusive.

Support Pushing The Edge Podcast

▪ If this episode got you thinking or inspired you - please share it, rate it, or write a short review of it in iTunes.▪ Check out the 'Pushing The Edge with Greg Curran' podcast archive.▪ Connect with me, Greg Curran on Twitter.

▪ Thanks for listening and your ongoing support.

In this episode, we meet dancer, multi-sport athlete and wheelchair user - Sam De Leve.

We explore the power of sport and sporting communities to change how disabled people see themselves, their bodies, and their possibilities in life.

Also why do access, equipment, and language matter? And what makes a good sports coach?

Plus you've probably heard people describing their identities as intersectional. We unpack what that means in the context of Sam's life.

And in the Lightning Round we're pushing the edges of labels, intersections in identity, visibility, disruption, disability, and bodies.

For full show-notes go to: http://pushingtheedge.org/sports

Episode 34 - Quick Guide

▪ Sam introduces themself

▪ What is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome?

▪ How Sam's disability impacts on the sports they play and the protection needed

▪ The drawcard of sport for Sam

▪ The importance of being around disabled people

▪ Mistaken perceptions about people with disabilities

▪ Sam as a disabled and trans non-binary Jew

▪ What does non-binary mean?

▪ The power of language around disabilities

▪ What teachers need to be mindful of - in respect to language

▪ Defining ourselves through our disability/ies - or not

▪ A funny tale: The sprint to the door

▪ Policies that do tangible harm to the lives of people with disabilities - in the arts, sport and recreation

▪ Access, equipment and dress-codes for people with disabilities and gender diverse people

▪ Why bathroom or toilet access matters so much for gender diverse people

▪ Why being disabled in public is a radical act

▪ What Sam has learnt about themself and they body - through dance and sport

▪ What do good coaches do?

▪ The Lightning Round: access, everyday planning, labels, intersections in identity, visibility, disruption, disability, bodies.

Episode Links

▪ To connect with Sam, find all the show links, AND access resources to 'Make Phys Ed and Sport More Inclusive' - go to http://pushingtheedge.org/sports

Support Pushing The Edge Podcast

If this episode got you thinking or inspired you - please share it, rate it, or write a short review of it in iTunes.

Check out the 'Pushing The Edge with Greg Curran' podcast archive 

Connect with me, Greg Curran on Twitter

Thanks for listening and your ongoing support.

In this episode, how do we make Physical Education more safe and welcoming for our diverse mix of students?

We tackle labels and the limitations of gender specific sports, as well as being closeted as an athlete.

Also how we can help young people have a more positive view of their bodies - and what you can do right now - to make your Physical Education classes more inclusive.

Then there's the Lightning Round where we're pushing the edges of language , lifelong participation, mental health, self-acceptance and inclusion.

For full show-notes go to: http://pushingtheedge.org/sports

Show Guests

Grant O Sullivan and Loretta Konjarski - from Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia

Episode 33 Run-down

▪ Introduction

▪ Grant introduces himself

▪ The impact of being a closeted athlete

▪ Loretta introduces herself

▪ The impact of labels and why we should challenge them

▪ The impact of homophobia and transphobia on young people's participation in sport

▪ How Physical Education teachers can make their classrooms more inclusive

▪ How we can shift beyond the status quo - in Physical Education teaching

▪ How schools are teaching physical education in more inclusive ways

▪ How sport impacts on young people's body image

▪ How we can promote a more positive body image

▪ How we can challenge those who are wedded to gender specific sports

▪ What you can do if you're looking for a more inclusive Physical Education or Sports space

▪ The Lightning Round

Episode Links

▪ To connect with Loretta and Grant plus all the show links - go to http://pushingtheedge.org/sports

▪ There you'll also find loads of resources to help make your Phys Ed class or sporting club more inclusive. Plus listen to previous episodes in this Sporting season.

Support Pushing The Edge Podcast

▪ If this episode got you thinking or inspired you - please share it, rate it, or write a short review of it in iTunes - http://pushingtheedge.org/itunes

▪ Check out the 'Pushing The Edge with Greg Curran' podcast archive

▪ Connect with me, Greg Curran on Twitter

▪ Thanks for listening and your ongoing support.

In this episode, an Australian organisation that's transforming LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex) people's attitudes towards sports participation - bringing them back to the games they love.

Why do so many LGBTI young people stop playing sports between 16 and 20?

And what teaching strategies can we use to turn this situation around - to make physical education and sports environments more inclusive?

Plus, what can you do - if you're in an unsafe, unwelcoming sports environment?

There's also the Lightning Round where we're pushing the edges of participation, body image, pronouns and feeling welcome in sport.

For full show-notes go to: http://pushingtheedge.org/sports

Show Guest

James Lolicato, Co-founder of Proud 2 Play Inc

Episode 32 Run-down

▪ Introduction

▪ What do we know about LGBTI people and participation in sport?

▪ Why do pronouns matter - in sport?

▪ Why do LGBTI people feel unsafe in Physical Education (Phys Ed) classes or sports?

▪ Inclusive teaching strategies for Phys Ed

▪ Practices of an inclusive Phys Ed Teacher

▪ Why was Proud 2 Play set up?

▪ Why does the social-relational side matter so much in sport?

▪ What strategies work?

▪ What can you do if you're LGBTI and want to be out playing sport?

▪ The Lightning Round: Participation, body image, pronouns, feeling welcome in sport

▪ What's changed for James - in terms of how he sees sport and himself?

Episode Links

▪ To connect with James, Proud 2 Play, and all the show links - go to http://pushingtheedge.org/sports

▪ There you'll also find loads of resources to help make your Phys Ed class or sporting club more inclusive. Plus listen to previous episodes in this Sporting season.  

Support Pushing The Edge Podcast

▪ If this episode got you thinking or inspired you - please share it, rate it, or write a short review of it in iTunes - http://pushingtheedge.org/itunes

▪ Check out the 'Pushing The Edge with Greg Curran' podcast archive. 

▪ Connect with me, Greg Curran, on Twitter.

▪ Thanks for listening and your ongoing support.

I have a confession to make. I love footy shows. I cannot get enough of them, as they dissect seemingly every move of each game in the AFL, the Australian Football League.

And yet I've always found the straight, white blokiness of most of these footy shows, problematic.

Whilst there's occasional nods to diversity or diversity-related issues, they're never central to these shows.

Then I discovered 'The Outer Sanctum' podcast. I took it out with me on my Friday morning walk around the neighborhood, and it's been a regular companion since then. It's a show that's defied my expectations, giving space to voices rarely heard in the mainstream sports media and consistently tackling issues of racism, sexism, and homophobia within the AFL.

The Outer Sanctum Podcast fires me up. It intrigues me and draws me in. It makes me laugh. In a time, where hate-related speech dominates the landscape, it makes me happy and fills me with hope. So I was pretty stoked when I had the chance to chat to two of the hosts from the Outer Sanctum Podcast.

For full Show-Notes, go to http://pushingtheedge.org/sports

Show Guests

Nicole Hayes and Kate Seear, two of the six hosts of The Outer Sanctum Podcast

Episode 31 Run-down

▪ Kate and Nicole introduce themselves

▪ Why inclusion matters to The Outer Sanctum

▪ Getting beyond "pale, male and stale" in footy (Kim Toffoletti quote)

▪ Grassroots change: How everyday people are making their sporting clubs more inclusive

▪ Using our privilege to bring about change

▪ Kick n Coffee Community Event: Learning skills we were never taught

▪ Feeling comfortable in our skin - in sport

▪ Why a focus on relationships (with sport) is so important

▪ Why the personal is political in sport

▪ The power of independent media - for change

▪ Why listening to diverse voices is crucial - for the development of sports

▪ The Lightning Round: Inner versus outer in football, diverse voices, participation, privilege

Episode Links

▪ Check out the Show Links plus 'Sports Resources with a Social Justice Edge'

▪ READ my 'Falling in and out of love with footy' post - inspired by The Outer Sanctum's 'how's your relationship with footy?' segment

Support Pushing The Edge Podcast

If this episode got you thinking or inspired you - please share it, rate it, or write a short review of it in iTunes.

Check out the 'Pushing The Edge with Greg Curran' podcast archive.

Connect with me, Greg Curran, on Twitter 

Thanks for listening and your ongoing support. 

Just imagine, you're a newly arrived refugee or migrant in an unfamiliar country: your new home.

How do you build your self-confidence? How do you make new friends outside your community? And how do you start to feel more like a local?

For the Refugee Council of Australia, SPORT is key. It's an important bridge to the new culture

But what about the language barriers and dress codes for sports?

And what about the opposition or resistance, both within and outside your community? Aren't these significant hurdles to overcome?

Our guest Michelle Hage, from the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation, has practical insights and strategies in all these areas. Plus there's a few challenges to our presumptions along the way.

We also chat about the importance of role models, and the link between diversity and growth for sports clubs.

There's also the Lightning Round where we're pushing the edges of belonging, traditional sports, language and sport, participation, and mindset.

And one last thing, Michelle's organisation The Western Bulldogs made history in 2016.

They won their first Australian Football League premiership in 62 years. It was an sporting event that captivated people right across Melbourne and Victoria, highlighting the unique role that sport can play in uniting people, regardless of their differences.

Episode Run-down

▪ Michelle Hage introduces herself

▪ Why making sport inclusive matters to Michelle

▪ What barriers affect refugee and migrant participation in sports and how can we overcome such?

▪ Why role-models in sport matter

▪ How we can respond to opposition or push-back

▪ The power of making friendships outside one's community

▪ We're all teachers and learners - How we can learn so much from our participants

▪ Why sports organisations should reach out to diverse communities

▪ How you can step up and lead change in sporting environments

▪ The Lightning Round - where speed and agility are key

▪ Michelle's sporting journey - the unifying power of sport

Episode Links

▪ To connect with Michelle Hage and the sports programs we discussed, go to http://pushingtheedge.org/30

▪ For Physical Education and Sports Resources - with a Social Justice edge, go to http://pushingtheedge.org/sports

Support Pushing The Edge Podcast

If this episode got you thinking or inspired you - please share it, rate it, or write a short review of it in iTunes - http://pushingtheedge.org/itunes

Thanks for listening and your ongoing support.

It's what we want for all our students - safe schools.

For some students though - school is the most unsafe place for them to be.

And increasingly they're saying, 'enough is enough if our school leaders & teachers won't take action to make school safe for us we will.'

In this episode of Pushing The Edge, young people taking the lead -to make their schools safer and more inclusive for same sex attracted, intersex and gender diverse students and their families.

Plus, how 1 organisation, The Safe Schools Coalition of Australia is supporting these students and their teachers.

We've got a swag of tips and insights so that you can join us and drive change in your school.

We're also pushing the edges of normalcy, safety, voice and being an ally in another fast and furious Lightning Round.

Our special guest is Roz Ward, Manager of the Safe Schools Coalition in Victoria, Australia.

For full Show-Notes, go to: http://PushingTheEdge.org/29

Episode Run-Down:

▪ Why Roz pushes the edge for gender and sexual diversity in schools (1:55)

▪ The school experiences of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex (GLBTI) students (3:10)

▪ How the perspectives of GLBTI young people has changed - substantially (4:12)

▪ How GLBTI are leading the way and changing school cultures (7:10)

▪ The themes young people are organizing around (8:35)

▪ Making connections across points of difference (9:15)

▪ Facing opposition: What's the reality here? (13:55)

▪ Getting staff and parents on board (17:15)

▪ Making connection to other forms of discrimination - strategies (19:03)

▪ How to support GLBTI young people when you don't have systemic support (21:31)

▪ How individual teachers drive change in schools (23:03)

▪ The sophistication of GLBTI young people's language and activism (26:03)

▪ What if you lack money, technology and live in a rural location? (28:38)

▪ I see you, I recognize you, I accept you: The power of teacher support (29:30)

▪ Practical teacher strategies (31:50)

▪ The Lightning Round - ally, normal, safe school, voice, and pushing the edge (35:13)

▪ Reflecting on our chat (36:07)

Episode Links:

▪ Safe Schools Coalition Australia - http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org.au/

▪ Safe Schools Coalition Australia on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SafeSchoolsAust

▪ The ground-breaking, Writing Themselves In report on same-sex attracted, intersex and gender diverse young people - https://www.latrobe.edu.au/arcshs/downloads/arcshs-research-publications/WTi3.pdf

▪ MindMatters (Australia) - Mental Health teaching program and resources - http://www.mindmatters.edu.au/

▪ All of Us - Australian Teaching Resource that supports gender diversity, sexual diversity and intersex topics - http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org.au/all-of-us

▪ GLSEN (USA)- Gay, Lesbian, Straight, Educators' Network - http://www.glsen.org/

▪ Stonewall Training and Resources for Teachers (England and Scotland) - http://www.stonewall.org.uk/get-involved/education

▪ Minus18 Australia's largest youth-led network for gay, bisexual, lesbian and trans teens - https://minus18.org.au/

Related Podcasts:

▪ Making a Difference by not playing it safe (Part 1) - http://pushingtheedge.org/making-a-difference/

▪ Making a Difference by not playing it safe (Part 2) - http://pushingtheedge.org/making-a-difference-part-2/

▪ Find your voice and really connect with Jenny Moes - http://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/3176934

▪ Challenging and transforming our worlds with Nakisha Hobbs - http://pushingtheedge.org/student-activism/

Related Posts:

▪ Sometimes it's not so easy to be true to ourselves by @GregBCurran - http://pushingtheedge.org/hiding/

▪ 5 ways to get from Survive to Thrive if you're hiding who you are by @GregBCurran - http://pushingtheedge.org/survive-to-thrive-2/

Additional Resources:

The Pushing The Edge Podcast Archive: http://PushingTheEdge.org or https://goo.gl/yJAZFm

Social Justice Resources: http://PushingTheEdge.org/social-justice-resources

Greg Curran on Twitter - https://twitter.com/GregBCurran

Transformative moments: The moments where you come face to face with a stark realization, that changes how you see yourself, your life and the world around you.

And life from hereon - is different - if you choose to make it so.

That's what happened to our guest, Justin Schleider, who comes to realize his privilege as a White, Straight, Middle Class Educator.

But that's not all, we're also talking Fear: Fear of The Other.

In this case, refugees seeking asylum in our countries.

It's a fear that has Justin facing his own family history.

And of course, we've also got the Lightning Round where we're pushing the edges of Money, Discomfort, Growth Mindset, and being a white educator.

Plus we ponder - can we ever stop being educators?

For full Show-Notes, go to: http://PushingTheEdge.org/28

Episode Run-Down:

▪ How Justin Pushes the Edge (2:09)

▪ How Justin came to branch out beyond what's normal for him (2:51)

▪ How Justin came to realize his privilege & began stepping out beyond it (6:30)

▪ Learning to keep our mouths shut (8:55)

▪ Learning, reading, conversing, and finding out more (11:24)

▪ Facing conflict online - Justin's experience and how he responded(14:10)

▪ 'One Word Fear' | Justin confronts his fear of refugees seeking asylum (18:14)

▪ Justin connects to his grandparents' story and The Holocaust(21:48)

▪ Why Justin published his post about his fear (23:03)

▪ How Justin teaches about difference in Health Classes (25:56)

▪ How reaching out beyond what's familiar has benefited Justin and his students (28:34)

▪ The Lightning Round - White Educator, Money, Discomfort, Growth Mindset, White Privilege, Ever Stop Being a Teacher (32:01)

▪ Justin's parting thoughts on the 'hidden curriculum' and teaching about difference and empathy (36:52)

Related Podcasts:

▪ How to navigate social justice in the classroom with Rusul Alrubail - http://PushingTheEdge.org/13

▪ Ending White Silence on Race in Education with Greg Michie - http://PushingTheEdge.org/26

▪ Being a Better Ally for Social Justice with Christina Torres and Bill Ivey - http://PushingTheEdge.org/27

Episode Links:

▪ Justin Schleider on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SchleiderJustin

▪ Justin's blog - https://slowchatpe.wordpress.com

▪ Justin's article - One Word Fear - https://slowchatpe.wordpress.com/2016/01/01/one-word-fear/

▪ Rafranz Davis - http://rafranzdavis.com

▪ Rusul Alrubail - http://www.rusulalrubail.com

▪ http://www.Tolerance.org

Additional Resources:

The Pushing The Edge Podcast Archive: http://PushingTheEdge.org or https://goo.gl/yJAZFm

Social Justice Resources: http://PushingTheEdge.org/social-justice-resources

Greg Curran on Twitter - https://twitter.com/GregBCurran

This is a special edition of Pushing The Edge.

Bill Ivey and Christina Torres return to discuss: How to be ally for social justice in education.

It can be quite a learning curve, filled with many questions and uncertainties.

What if we want to speak up but don’t fully understand the issues, or the correct language to use?

What if we slip up and say the wrong thing?

Our guests have been there, believe me, and they’ve got some especially useful tips and insights to share.

But that’s not all.

There’s a topic I’ve been wanting to discuss for quite a while but I’ve been too scared to raise it publicly.

Well finally I let it out into the world and it leads to an especially interesting discussion.

For full Show-Notes, go to: http://PushingTheEdge.org/27

Episode Run-Down:

▪ Do you know what you just said? How Bill's navigates being challenged(1:41)

▪ The importance of decentering ourselves (2:23)

▪ How might we get more people on board with social justice issues (2:43)

▪ Bill's tips about participating in diverse spaces (5:18)

▪ Owning up when we're wrong - Christina Torres(8:02)

▪ An Aha Moment: Christina slips up and a students calls it out (8:43)

▪ Speaking up about something I've been too scared to mention - Greg (10:25)

▪ Christina's tips for participating in diverse spaces (14:04)

▪ Helpful Strategies to navigate unfamiliar, diverse paces (17:45)

▪ A key lesson: The work is so much more important than whether the person likes me (19:51)

Related Podcasts:

▪ Teaching Students about Identity and Privilege with Bill Ivey - http://PushingTheEdge.org/25

▪ Empowering our Students to be Change-Makers with Christina Torres - http://PushingTheEdge.org/24

▪ Ending White Silence on Race in Education with Greg Michie - http://PushingTheEdge.org/26

Related Posts:

▪ Stand with Us for Social Justice in Education by @GregBCurran - http://PushingTheEdge.org/stand-up

▪ Tips for Making Twitter Chats more Inclusive by @GregBCurran - http://PushingTheEdge.org/26b

Episode Links:

▪ Bill Ivey on Twitter - https://twitter.com/bivey

▪ Christina Torres on Twitter - https://twitter.com/biblio_phile

▪ Christina Torres' Website - https://christinatorres.org/

▪ Jose Vilson on Twitter - https://twitter.com/TheJLV

▪ Beverly Daniel Tatum - https://goo.gl/Lza0Zg

▪ Educolor Website - http://www.educolor.org/

Additional Resources:

The Pushing The Edge Podcast Archive: http://PushingTheEdge.org or https://goo.gl/yJAZFm

Social Justice Resources: http://PushingTheEdge.org/social-justice-resources

Greg Curran on Twitter - https://twitter.com/GregBCurran