BUILDING INCLUSIVITY

If you’ve been paying attention to the news, there are currently heavy discussions surrounding community behaviors, responsibility, and actions. We understand that the current conversations and emotions can be incredibly hard to process. It can be downright overwhelming trying to keep up, sift through information, and figure out the next steps. There’s a lot to unpack while we begin picking up on much of the work that has been greatly neglected. 

For many people, parkour is more than just a sport. The origins of parkour can be linked back to a French group where identity didn’t matter and character did. Parkour had come together through a diverse set of individuals that shared their own differing values – curiosity, self-expression, a sense of challenge, strength, and many more. It’s rooted in a culmination of many traits which has invited so many people to practice today. As stakeholders and leaders of today’s parkour community, we have a responsibility to uphold the pillars respective of its deep historical practices.  

• What is an inclusive parkour community?
• Why is building inclusive parkour communities important?
• How do you build an inclusive parkour community?

An inclusive parkour community is when individual practitioners, regardless of their background, are able to fully participate with full access to resources. Successful inclusion happens by accepting and attending to both differences and diversity. The community’s driving principle is to make all practitioners feel welcomed and supported. 

Diversity and inclusion enhance the qualities of a parkour community by bringing together different backgrounds, talents, abilities, perspectives, and interests. This allows for a larger platform for practitioners to create, exercise/train, and have a sense of belonging. 

In order to break through the barriers of increasing diversity and building greater representation, we have a number of recommendations to recruit more practitioners and enthusiasts to parkour. Here is our tipsheet to improve inclusive participation. 

Strategic Promotion

Active Encouragement

• Increase media coverage
• Highlight role models that are making a positive impact in your community
• Actively promote activities by using your e-mail list, social media, signage, and word-of-mouth
• Consider language and imagery for the community that you’re trying to build

Provide Resources

Share and Educate

• Work locally by building relationships with your city, neighboring organizations, and community
• Increase opportunities for specific groups
• Partner with organizations to facilitate increased access
• Reach out to community organizers for underrepresented groups
• Cater to community needs – everyone is different!
• Provide staff training and education
• Create incentives and pathways for staff professional development

Open Access

Lower Barriers to Participate

• Provide facilities or services that are easy to have access to
• Consider transportation and its proximity to services
• Consider scheduling and care needs (work schedules, childcare, public transportation, etc)
• Adapt equipment and access (For disabilities, age, etc)
• Reduce pricing for specific groups and audiences
• Create sliding scale or tiered pricing options
• Provide and publicize scholarships
• Adapt sport practices for accessibility

Additional Resources

• Skochypstiks – John Hall –  Inclusive Practice and Parkour Definitions of Inclusive Practice
• Medium – Alice Popejoy – Recommendations for Increasing the Number of Women and Girls in Parkour
• Parkour Visions – Goshman – Three Ways to Make Your Community More Inclusive
• Up Level Up – Caitlin Pontrella – If You Let Me Play: Inclusivity in Parkour and Sports
• Enso Movement – Alan Tran – Healthy Parkour Community Guidelines
• USPK – Blake Evitt – Diversity in Parkour