Former NCAA coach Jen Fry to present anti-racist workshops to West Valley Athletics

SARATOGA - Jen Fry runs the social justice education firm, JenFryTalks, LLC. The West Valley College athletic department will present a trio of interactive workshops with Ms. Fry designed to educate and empower Viking athletes, coaches and staff members – through an anti-racist lens – on the issues of race, inclusion, intersectionality, diversity and equity. 

Dialogue will be facilitated to help develop best practices with the goal of creating anti-racist community building, support for student-athletes, coaches and staff, equitable employment searches and hiring and methods of retraining personnel.

Jen Fry spent more than 15 years coaching at Elon University, the University of Illinois, Washington State University and Norfolk State University. She has conducted JenFryTalks workshops at Colgate, Dartmouth, Florida State, Northwestern, Syracuse and UCLA, among many other institutions. She has facilitated sessions for the American Volleyball Coaches Association, the NCAA, the Black Student-Athlete Summit and Women Leaders in College Sports.

West Valley coaches and staff will participate in the first workshop Monday, Oct. 19, starting at 4:30 pm. Viking athletes will be asked to attend one of two sessions, as designated by their coach, either Friday, Oct. 23 at 10 am or Monday, Oct. 26 at 3 pm. Zoom link information will be provided to athletes by their coaches.

(Matt Folsom, West Valley Athletics)