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Tallahassee coaches aim to move conversation forward after officer involved shootings, protests

Posted at 7:20 PM, Jun 01, 2020
and last updated 2020-06-02 02:44:30-04

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Sports has a way of bringing people together.

Coaches in Tallahassee are hoping they can help unite a country struggling to make sense of everything that has transpired in the last week: The killing of George Floyd, the protests and, in some cities, riots that have followed.

For Florida High head boys basketball coach Charlie Ward, having an open and honest conversation with people, especially people who don't look like you, is a way to move forward.

Cedric Jones, the head football coach at FAMU DRS agrees, noting it's as simple as that but it's going to take time.

Area coaches say change has to happen, it's long overdue, and they're ready to use their platform to help move the conversation forward.

"The platform that God has given me, I was fighting it for quite some time," said Ward. "Of course, whenever you have an active voice about certain things you're going to get criticized, and those types of things. That's just normal."

"This generation wants to see change," said Brandon McCray, the head football coach at Godby. "They want to know why does there have to be people losing their lives in situations where they don't have to."

"If we don't keep the dialogue going, if we don't make this an issue that's worthy of talking about and actually meeting on, it'll just die down," Jones said. "Like i said before, we'll be 10 years in the future and we'll be revisiting this all the time."

All the coaches that spoke with ABC 27 say they understand why people are angry, but rioting and destroying property is not the answer and will not invoke change.