Boston Red Sox hire first Black woman to coach in MLB history
Bianca Smith will serve as a minor league coach at the club’s player development facility in Fort Myers, Florida.
Athletics & sport
This archive covers progress in athletics and sport — from accessibility and inclusion initiatives to record-breaking achievements and policy reforms that expand who gets to compete. Stories here explore how sport shapes communities, health, and human potential.
Formula 1 makes switch to biofuel, will be carbon neutral in 2021
Formula 1 will adopt a 100% sustainable, bio-waste derived fuel and become carbon neutral in 2021.
MLB retrospectively elevates Negro Leagues to major league status
The move grants recognition to some of baseball’s pioneers from 1920 to 1948 and immediately rewrites the game’s record books.
Sarah Fuller becomes first woman to play in a major college football game
Sarah Fuller is the starting goalkeeper for the Vanderbilt women’s soccer team, but last Sunday she took on a different athletic role for the school as she became the first woman to play in a Power 5 Conference college football game.
Marlins hire Kim Ng as MLB’s first female general manager
Ng becomes the highest-ranking woman in baseball operations in the major leagues, and she is believed to be the first female GM for a men’s team in a major professional sport in North America, the Marlins said.
Pride House Tokyo, the first-ever permanent LGBTQ center in Japan, opens in Tokyo
Their opening was an official part of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics’ Programme, making it the first “Pride House” officially recognized by the International Olympics Committee.
NBA, WNBA, and MLB games called off as players boycott in response to police shooting of Jacob Blake
All three NBA playoff games scheduled for Wednesday have been postponed, with players around the league choosing to boycott in their strongest statement yet against racial injustice.
The virtual Tour de France will allow female competitors for the first time
The Tour de France was delayed until August 29 due to the pandemic, but a virtual version of the race will begin as scheduled in July. The virtual race will include women for the first time in the event’s history. Organizers also plan to have an in-person large-scale female race by 2022.
Formula 1 announces plan to be carbon neutral by 2030
Not only will Formula 1 focus on reducing emissions of their cars, but they will also aim to run all their operation facilities on 100 per cent renewable energy.
The NCAA will now allow athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness
The decision is a major shift for the NCAA, which had historically been steadfast in prohibiting college athletes from being paid.