SJSU football gets lesson at gender event

On Wednesday morning, there were some different guests than the usual ones who come to panel discussions on gender and society.

The entire San Jose State football team was in the audience at an event on gender, sport and society sponsored by their university’s Institute for the Study of Sport, Society and Social Change

Head coach Brent Brennan was behind the participation.

“Did we make it optional?” he asked. “No.

“This is such a powerful event and, given the timing, it’s important for our guys to hear the discussion. Treating people with respect is one of our team’s core values.”

The event included different panels: one on trailblazers that included former Olympic swimmer Anne Warner Cribbs and basketball player Ann Meyers Drysdale. There was also a panel on opportunity and empowerment, moderated by 49ers general counsel Hannah Gordon that included 49ers assistant coach Katie Sowers. There was a keynote address by former Olympic swimmer and attorney Nancy Hogshead-Makar, who eviscerated the U.S. Olympic Committee’s role in the Larry Nassar sexualabuse scandal.

Also participating was Brenda Tracy, who spoke to the football team Tuesday and again at the event. Tracy was the victim of gang rape by members of the Oregon State football team in 1998. When she originally reported her assault, her name became public and she was vilified by her community. After years of feeling suicidal, she is now an activist. She speaks to collegiate teams because she views the 90 percent of men who don’t commit acts of violence as a way to solve the problem.

“Too often the tone is, ‘We think you’re going to commit rape,’ instead of viewing them as part of the solution,” Tracy said. “We need to have conversations with each other.”

Brennan said that there is a need for the message at the collegiate level.

“A lot of our young people come from situations that are not very healthy growing up, so there’s a need for education,” said Brennan, whose team will discuss the panel.

“We treat our football team as a family. The healthiest families are the ones that communicate, that talk about things that are hard.”

Tracy has not spoken to any professional teams. Her message needs to be heard.