Sports Conflict and Equity with Josh Gordon

I went to a Catholic all-boys high school run by the Christian Brothers, a teaching order founded by St. John the Baptist De La Salle. I will give them credit for giving me great preparation for future academic success, and even maybe this podcast. So at the foundation of Experience by Design are the Christian Brothers. 

But that wasn’t my first brush with Catholicism. I did a fair number of the sacraments growing up and into adulthood, a process which included learning about the tenets and history of such central figures like Jesus. One of the things I recall learning about was the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes. I also preferred the Beatitudes to things like the Ten Commandments. In a way the Commandments can read like the rules of a HOA of all the things you can’t do. It is important to remember things like “Thou shall not kill” and not to “covet thy neighbor’s wife.” But I liked the Beatitudes because they gave props to people already doing good things.

A really good one is “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

Regardless of your religious or spiritual beliefs, I think we can all get behind that, especially at a time when there is so much conflict. The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data global monitor organization states, “Recent levels of violence have been unprecedentedly high, with several ‘record-breaking’ months in the past year.” But this just doesn't mean armed conflict on the international stage. Things are tense all over with all kinds of conflict everyday.

Which is why we have Josh Gordon as a guest on Experience by Design. I’ve known Josh for a long time, but primarily in the capacity of a fellow runner and training partner. Josh also is a faculty member at the University of Oregon, a leader in the area of sports mediation, and the founder of the Sports Conflict Institute. In his career, Josh has done work with FIFA, Major League Baseball, Court of Arbitration for Sport, and others. 

We talk about fairness and equity in sports, and why emphasizing the opportunities provided by sports are meaningful and should not be derailed. We explore how we can build inclusive cultures through sports. He takes us into his work at the collegiate level, and how setting expectations ahead of time can produce greater satisfaction and happiness with ensuing experiences. We also talk about the difference between ‘distress’ and ‘eustress’, and why a little bit of friction can be essential to growth. 

Finally we explore how we can create equitable organizational cultures, and why the perception of fairness can be more important that the presence of outcome.

Sports Conflict Institute: https://sportsconflict.org

Josh Gordon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuagordon

Sports Conflict Institute TV: https://sportsconflict.org/sci-tv/