Daily News

Springfield College to Host Sports and Social Justice Symposium

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College will host the second annual Sports and Social Justice Symposium on Friday, March 31 from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Flynn Campus Union. The event features sports and social-justice pioneer and Springfield College graduate Justine Siegal. The event is free and open to the public, and is supported by the Dr. Tom Waddell ’59 Fund.

Siegal earned her PhD in sport and exercise psychology from Springfield College in 2013, and, most recently, she served as the mental-skills coach for team Israel in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Siegal served as an assistant coach from 2006 to 2009 for the Pride baseball team. She will talk about her experiences in making the national pastime an iconic place for inclusion.

Siegal made Major League Baseball history in September 2015 when the Oakland A’s hired her to be a guest instructor for its Instructional League club, making her the first woman to coach in big-league history. In 2011, she became the first woman to throw batting practice to a Major League team when she assisted the Cleveland Indians during spring training.

Through her nonprofit organization, Baseball for All, Siegal provides opportunities through a number of initiatives for girls to play, coach, and lead in baseball.

Following Siegal’s presentation, a current Springfield College student-athlete will be recognized with the Tom Waddell Level the Playing Field Award. Waddell is a Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame member who devoted his life to issues of social justice. This annual award goes to a student-athlete who has worked diligently to build a more fair and just world.

If you have a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to fully participate in this event, contact the Office of Inclusion and Community Engagement at (413) 748-3050 or e-mail [email protected] to discuss your accessibility needs. Springfield College is a smoke-free/tobacco-free campus.