I had a chance to have a mini-interview with Coach Wade from the Chicago Sky. At first, I was hesitant to contact Coach Wade via Twitter due to everything that is going on in the world and with the pandemic. It has been one of the toughest years and weeks. I didn’t want to interrupt family time especially knowing how things are hard right now. But I wanted to see his perspective and listen to what he had to say on the matter. It is important to listen and learn from the African American community and that is what I intend to do with this information from Coach Wade. Take a look at the Q &A with Coach Wade on Police brutality and injustice.
Penny Guevara : “How are you doing through these tough times?”
Coach Wade: “Well I’m doing as well as to be expected. I think it’s tough for everyone right now. This time is helping me gain clarity on what’s really important”.
Penny Guevara: “What is your impact and how do you plan to bring more awareness of police brutality and injustice in your personal life and in the league?”
Coach Wade: ” I think everything starts with me being more vocal. I owe it to a lot of people that came before me to be more vocal for the youth and young adults that come after. Personally, I have my 4-year-old son and a 15-year-old nephew and two Godsons ages 21 and 17. I want to feel comfortable when they are out that it’s normal for them to come home at night.
As far as the league, I think I have to carry on in being a contributor to what the great people in our league have done for a long time. From Ownership to Staff to the players. They have always done a great job of being a voice for the voiceless. I want to represent that. “
Penny Guevara: “Any changes as a society we should do from now on?”
Coach Wade: “I think we have to listen. I also feel we need to look at it in a way where it bothers you when people are treated unfairly. We can’t let public opinions distract us from doing what is right.”
Penny Guevara: “What are your views on hiring more African American female and male coaches in the league? I think it is sad that there are only two African American coaches in the league. ”
Coach Wade: ” I think it’s always room to grow in that area. We have a diverse country, diverse league and it’s not just our league. It’s every major sports league in the USA. Having minorities and women in leadership and ownership roles are a key to improving as a society. We have a lot of things to fix in order to get to the root of that issue. ”
Penny Guevara: “Is it going to be hard to communicate with your players in person once the league resumes; any particular message you plan to convey to your players and coaches? I know its a tough conversation to have but its a start so we all can be educated on this important matter.”
Coach Wade: “We talked about it earlier and it was hard because of how recent the incident was with George Floyd and how it made everyone feel seeing it. Everyone was forced to open their eyes to a grim reality. I think now we’ve had time to process and I think now everyone has to be eager to make sure this doesn’t happen again. We have to search for solutions. This feeling can’t fade. We must stay vigilant to stomping out inequality.”
Penny Guevara: “What do you think the league will do moving forward in regards to police brutality and injustice?”
Coach Wade: ” I’m not sure but I know the league will work with the players because it’s something that’s very important to them. Knowing the players we have in the league I know that they will be active. Our players across the league do a great job of speaking on issues that plague our society today. It’s one of the many reasons that I’m proud to coach the players and compete against them.”
Here are a few organizations you can donate and check out. Thank you @coachjameswade for sharing this information. #BlackLivesMatter
Thank you so much for your time Coach Wade. I hope you learned something from this Q & A with Coach wade on police brutality and injustice. I sure did. We have to listen more and do better as a society.
Follow me on Twitter @CoachGuevara205 and read other WNBA articles on Belly Up WNBA.
