06/03/2020
Black Lives Matter. The tragic and unjust killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery are only the most recent murders to make national news. The protests we are witnessing across this country reflect the frustration many feel with the lack of accountability in the criminal justice system. All perpetrators must be brought to justice including members of the police. We know this is only one aspect of how we can move toward a more equitable society in which people are treated with dignity regardless of race.
Sadly, this is not just a problem in our country. Last year, Kick It Out, England’s soccer anti-racism and pro-inclusion group, released findings showing a 32% increase in discrimination on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, religion, and race from the year prior. 65% of those incidents were related to race. In a recent example, a match between England and Bulgaria included N**i salutes and monkey chants directed at black England players. This is all to say that our beloved sports’ hands are not clean in this matter.
The LASL board acknowledges racism is real in our country and in our game. We, therefore, stand with the peaceful protestors seeking change. And, to you, we reaffirm our promise of zero tolerance toward any forms of racism or any other form of discrimination (based on gender, religion, sexual orientation, country of origin, etc.) in our league as outlined in our existing inclusion policy (http://www.lasl.org/Page.asp?n=152095&org=lasl.org). Our mission is, and always will be, to create a safe environment for people to play the game they love without fear.
Lawrence Adult Soccer League