In 2021, amidst the pandemic, Michael Amoroso (Queen’s University Alumni, 2012) and Parrish Offer (McMaster University Alumni, 2008) set out to improve the media exposure for Canadian Volleyball and Momentum Volleyball was born.
Recently the two released an article on why Black History Month matters for Momentum Volleyball. You may read it here by signing up for a free Momentum Volleyball account.
Being Black in volleyball in Canada isn’t the norm. This is true in most roles – as a player, coach, administrator or as a professional, and yet Momentum Volleyball’s leadership is just that – Amoroso and Offer are former players, coaches, administrators, and professionals in sport. They are also both Black.
“It’s not like race didn’t matter growing up,” explained Offer. “We understood that it existed and that our families were sometimes very different.”
“Sports are often a series of problems that a team works together to achieve – the more people with different backgrounds – the more ways you can look to solve them. I think that’s one of the things that made us successful.”
Offer also worked in the Dept. of Athletics & Recreation at McMaster, and was the Marauders men’s volleyball Assistant Coach from 2009-14. He continues to sit on the McMaster Athletics Hall of Fame Executive Committee and is a member of the Board of Directors for Volleyball Canada.
This article is shared as part of our Fair Dealing Policy. For the original article, please visit: https://marauders.ca/news/2022/2/26/mens-volleyball-former-marauder-volleyball-captain-parrish-offer-shares-story-of-why-black-history-month-is-important.aspx