![\"A](\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/MichaelNaraineAward.jpg\")
<\/a>Brock Associate Professor of Sport Management Michael Naraine received the Lough Award from the Sport Marketing Association for his efforts in advancing equity, diversity and inclusion during its annual conference in St. Louis, Mo., on Nov. 8. From left are Professor Nancy Lough of the University of Nevad; Naraine; Anuk Karunaratne, Senior Vice-President for Business Operations of the St. Louis Cardinals; and Brandon Brown, the President of Sport Marketing Association.<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s still a lot of work to be done, but this recognition shows we\u2019re moving in the right direction,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not just about opening the door for diverse voices, it\u2019s about making sure those voices are heard, valued and celebrated.\u201d<\/p>\n
His work focuses on creating equitable opportunities for marginalized communities and empowering students to incorporate inclusive practices into their careers.<\/p>\n
Naraine\u2019s research focuses on digital sport management, fan engagement and analytics. In addition to his academic work, he has consulted for sports organizations across Canada and Australia.<\/p>\n
As an educator, he is helping to shape the future leaders of the industry by teaching students to think critically about diversity in sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we want the future of sport to be equitable and inclusive, we need to instil those values now,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s about giving them the tools to think differently and approach problems with empathy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The landscape is changing quickly, Naraine said, adding he sees digital sports marketing as a space where inclusivity and innovation can go hand-in-hand.<\/p>\n
“The next frontier is making sure all fans, no matter their background, can see themselves in the sports they love,” he says. “We\u2019re on the cusp of breakthroughs that will bridge gaps between digital platforms and real-world experiences. As we look ahead, embracing diversity is no longer just an option, it\u2019s essential for the sustainability of the industry.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sport is more than just a game for Michael Naraine; it\u2019s a platform for progress.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":97429,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[36,1],"tags":[14026,14027,7909,7488,207,8568,57],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97420"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97420"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97430,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97420\/revisions\/97430"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}