#SpreadRespect Initiative Highlights America East's Continued Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
BOSTON – Furthering its dedication to fostering leadership on and off the field through its commitment to celebrating diversity and inclusion, the America East Conference and its member institutions will again sponsor #SpreadRespect nights throughout the 2018-19 academic year.
#SpreadRespect games, formerly branded You Can Play Nights, were created with the purpose of promoting awareness and education to ensure equality, respect and safety for all athletes without regard to sexual orientation or gender identity. That respect also extends to race, ethnicity, gender, religion and more. Sixteen #SpreadRespect events will take place this fall across all nine America East campuses in the sports of field hockey, men's and women's soccer and volleyball.
“We are proud of our status as a standard bearer among collegiate conferences when it comes to creating conversation and promoting awareness around diversity and inclusion,” said America East Commissioner, Amy Huchthausen. “For five years now, our #SpreadRespect events have highlighted the dedication and steadfastness our conference and its member institutions show towards respecting everyone, regardless of who they are or what they believe in, and we are excited for this year’s events to begin this weekend.”
| America East #SpreadRespect Events - Fall 2018 |
| Date |
Time |
Sport |
Home |
Away |
| Sept. 21 |
7pm |
Field Hockey |
UMass Lowell |
Albany |
|
7pm |
Volleyball |
New Hampshire |
UMass Lowell |
| Sept. 23 |
1pm |
Field Hockey |
Maine |
Harvard |
| Sept. 27 |
7pm |
Women's Soccer |
Albany |
Stony Brook |
| Sept. 27 |
7pm |
Women's Soccer |
Maine |
New Hampshire |
| Oct. 2 |
7pm |
Men’s Soccer |
Vermont |
Dartmouth |
| Oct. 6 |
6pm |
Men's Soccer |
Binghamton |
Stony Brook |
|
7pm |
Men’s Soccer |
UMBC |
UMass Lowell |
| Oct. 7 |
4pm |
Volleyball |
Hartford |
Albany |
| Oct. 11 |
7pm |
Women’s Soccer |
UMBC |
Stony Brook |
| Oct. 18 |
6pm |
Women’s Soccer |
Stony Brook |
Hartford |
| |
6:30pm |
Volleyball |
Stony Brook |
Hartford |
| Oct. 20 |
7pm |
Men’s Soccer |
UMass Lowell |
Albany |
| Nov. 2 |
7pm |
Volleyball |
UMass Lowell |
UMBC |
| Nov. 9 |
7pm |
Volleyball |
Binghamton |
Hartford |
| |
7pm |
Volleyball |
UMBC |
Stony Brook |
As part of its #SpreadRespect initiative, America East will distribute over 3,000 patches to its campuses this fall:
Last fall, America East unveiled a new 30-second institutional spot, featuring student-athletes asking friends, fans and teammates to #SpreadRespect.
America East has conducted You Can Play nights since 2014 after becoming the first Division I Conference to partner with the organization in 2012. Since then, the conference has helped further You Can Play’s mission by sponsoring a speaker series and locker-room campaigns on its members' campuses in addition to You Can Play nights and creating videos to educate the general public. In 2016, America East’s You Can Play nights were featured in USA Today.
The conference also partnered with LGBT SportSafe in 2016, becoming the first conference in the organization’s Founders’ Club, and sponsored educational programming on each of its campuses.
More #SpreadRespect events will take place during the winter and spring seasons, with the next ones taking place at basketball games between Feb. 13-21.
America East’s #SpreadRespect campaign is one of several leadership initiatives under the conference’s #3Pillars, including its commitment towards addressing student-athlete mental health issues, the America East Alumni Network, #3PAcademy and the #AEFoodFrenzy.
About America East: The America East provides its member schools and their athletic programs a platform upon which student-athletes can achieve both collegiate and life success through the promotion and nurturing of athletic excellence, academic achievement and leadership, on and off the field.
- #3Pillars – Building the Complete Student-Athlete -