I consider myself a big fan of sports. As a Hispanic, soccer is in my blood and I follow it avidly around the world. But another sport I really like is volleyball. I love playing it but I also love spending time watching it and seeing great displays of athletic abilities.

The other night I tuned into women’s college volleyball. It’s a big national competition that draws hundreds of thousands of viewers every year. I had the chance to watch the Texas Longhorns vs. UCLA Bruins. As I was watching it I was thinking that both California and Texas are in the top five states with the highest Hispanic population, so I was excited to look for Hispanic athletes; someone that would look like my sister or one of her friends. But there was none on the court.

I checked the bench but could as the TV allowed but did not see one. I was disappointed and could not figure out why there were no Hispanic athletes in these universities.
    I was especially disappointed because having been in the Pan-American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico in October; I had the chance to see the best volleyball players in the continent, and realized that can become great athletes and can compete, and win, and be great at their sports.

    So my question is, why aren’t more Hispanic athletes represented in college sports? Why do you think that is?

    There are some obvious reasons, for example the lack of Hispanic students attending college; in the case of girl sports, the funding is not as available as it is for boys; maybe girl sports are not something that Hispanic families value.

    Doing some research on the topic, I found a study that girls of color are affected twice as much by race and gender discrimination in the pursuit of athletics, and are less involved in school sports than any other youth group. The report goes on to mention that Hispanic women are also disproportionately affected by heart disease, which is correlated to the level of physical activity.

    So the obvious course of action here is to make sure that girls, and boys, of color are introduced to sports, and the earlier in life the better. This may open another door for young Hispanics to find something they really enjoy. So if you are good at something, participate, enjoy and excel.

    When it comes to sports, Hispanics are just as gifted as all other athletes. So challenge yourself to be great at something and enjoy a healthier life in the long run. Hopefully very soon, the longhorns, the bruins, and all other institutions across the nation will truly correlate the participation of Hispanic athletes to the numbers of our Hispanic community in the United States. That’s my hope!