Equity, diversity and inclusion chair for AUS hopes to open playing field for student athletes

Brady Paul wants to give young athletes the support he didn’t have during his student athlete days.

The 28-year-old former football player from St. Mary’s First Nation in Fredericton, N.B., was recently named as the new chair of the equity, diversity and inclusion advisory committee for Atlantic University Sport.

Growing up, the First Nation community was close-knit and supportive of Paul’s dreams of playing football.

But when he moved to Nova Scotia in 2011 to attend university and play football, he didn’t have that kind of encouragement on the field.

“It was a very hard transition for me,” said Paul. “There was no real supports there for someone like me, and I wasn’t really comfortable talking about some of the things I’m going through and the issues or barriers that were there, because they are hard things to talk about.”

Paul played three seasons at Acadia University before transferring to Saint Mary’s University in 2014 to finish his degree and play one more season of football.

He now works as the Indigenous community and cultural liaison co-ordinator for the Nova Scotia Community College while doing a master’s degree in Atlantic Canadian studies at Saint Mary’s.

The AUS equity, diversity and inclusion committee is made up of people involved in the 11 campuses within AUS, and has representation from the LGBTQ community, BIPOC and athletes of colour and other marginalized groups.

Paul said they’ll be speaking with student athletes from the AUS schools to hear about what their challenges are, and will make recommendations to the AUS board so “everyone can progress as a student and an athlete, and progress on and off the field with no barriers.”

Improving diversity in sport makes it more encouraging for other young athletes who want to follow in their footsteps, said Paul.

“Once you can see yourself there … it becomes more real to you,” he said.

“No one should be setting themselves up or have the narrative that they can’t do it just because of where they’re from, or what their cultural beliefs are, their orientation, or their history.

“It’s empowering these athletes now so that they, in turn, can empower athletes within their own home communities or within their circles.”

For instance, Paul has always looked up to Josh Sacobie, who is also from St. Mary’s First Nation and went on to play football at the University of Ottawa and have a successful career.

“That kind of really resonated with me, because it’s something I thought I could see myself doing,” said Paul.

He said he is hoping to bring the committee together in the next few weeks to talk about what they’ll do going forward.

In a news release, AUS President Phil Currie described Paul as “an incredible person who brings a wealth of empathy and experience to this important role.”

“As a conference, we are committed to finding ways to better serve our student-athletes. Providing safe spaces for them to have their voices heard is just the first step towards creating a more inclusive environment for university sport,” said Currie.

Paul said he was honoured to be selected for the role, and intends to stay for as long as possible so he can help student athletes achieve their dreams.

“If an athlete or someone doesn’t feel like they belong at this level, or at that institution or in their sport, I’m going to ensure that they do belong there and make sure that it’s known that they’re being heard, they’re empowered,” he said.

“Whatever the outcomes are, it’s an experience and I’m going to really cherish every moment of it.”

by Global News