Diversity and Inclusion at CEVA
CEVA’s #VolleyTheChange program started in 2018. It started with a round-table discussion group on Monday, April 16, 2018 in the CEVA offices. We invited as many people as we could and had a good turnout. The conversation was very productive. It was a start and we knew we had actionable items coming out of that meeting.
We sent out a survey to the entire CEVA membership. We got great feedback about things we could do and how things could change. It gave us some data to work with.
We established a “working group” soon after that proceeded to meet on a regular basis to talk about how we could try to bring change to a sport that’s historically resistant to it. This working group soon became a permanent Standing Committee in CEVA’s administrative structure, with a representative on the Board.
In one of our meetings, we knew we needed a name for this movement, and it was a long-tenured participant in these conversations – Lisa Howard – who came up with the #VolleyTheChange hashtag. It stuck and Lisa deserves all the credit for it.
CEVA is on the forefront of this movement within USA Volleyball and the overall club volleyball world. We are proud of our standing and we are committed to pushing the envelope further than ever before to make this a safer, more inclusive, more welcoming place.
Statement of Transgender Equity
The Columbia Empire Volleyball Association believes everybody should be treated with dignity and respect. CEVA maintains this statement to both facilitate and encourage the participation of transgender, gender non-binary, and intersex individuals in our events.
CEVA prohibits any form of discrimination on the basis of gender identity or gender expression.
Our organization will stand with the many who identify as transgender, gender non-binary, or intersex. While we recognize certain policies must be followed pertaining to competition in our sport, we also fundamentally oppose any regulations that invade on the privacy rights of those who identify as transgender, gender non-binary, or intersex. We also recognize, and appreciate, that gender identity is not a simple matter for many.
Teammates, coaches, and staff should refer to transgender, gender non-binary, and intersex individuals by their preferred name. Additionally, pronoun references should reflect the person’s gender or pronoun preferences.
Transgender, gender non-binary, and intersex people make up our families, our friends, our team members, our coaches, our club directors, and so many others who are the fabric of what CEVA is.
Anybody who wants to be part of our events will be welcomed. CEVA recognizes that a diverse and inclusive culture must be at the heart of who and what we are. We, as an organization, will remain at the forefront of this cause.