History

  • Founded in 1984 by visionary and social justice pioneer Richard Lapchick.
  • As one of its first projects to reform high school and college sports, in 1985 Sport in Society established the National Consortium for Academics and Sports to advocate for a balance between academics and athletics. Most namely it established the Degree Completion Program.
  • The first major program to branch out of Sport in Society was a diversity awareness program called Project Teamwork (PTW) which was established in 1990.
  • Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) was established in 1993 as a gender violence prevention and education program. In 1995, it launched two new programs Athletes in Service and Urban Youth Sports.
  • In 2001 Disability in Sports (DIS) emerged as a program that engages in research, education, and advocacy activities related to providing more opportunities and exposure for athletes with a disability.
  • As Urban Youth Sports Expanded it launched three new initiatives
  • In 2005, the Athletes for Human Rights initiative (AHR) brought a new dimension to the center.

True Heroes of Sports Hall of Fame

The Hall of Fame was established in 1994 to recognize those athletes who have made outstanding contributions to society through their participation in sport.

Inductees
1994 – Muhammad Ali
1995 – Red Auerbach
1996 – Wilma Rudolph
1997 – Jackie Robinson
1998 – Arthur Ashe
1999 – Rafer Johnson
2000 – Bill Russell
2001 – Postponed due to 9/11
2002 – Dick Schaap
2003 – Althea Gibson
2004 – Richard Lapchick
2005 – C. Vivian Stringer
2006 – Billie Jean King
2007 – The 1999 US Women's National Soccer Team
2008 - Tommie Smith and John Carlos
25th Anniversary - Thomas "Satch" Sanders & Eunice Kennedy Shriver

New England Hero Awards

The New England Hero Award is given annually to select persons or enterprises of the New England sports community that have shown outstanding commitment to promoting the positive aspects of sport through sportsmanship, community service and/or courageous achievement. The awards are bestowed upon one male and one female in honor of Lenny Zakim or Selma Black, respectively:

Lenny Zakim New England Hero Award Winners
1998 – Pedro Martinez
1999 – Greg Montalbano
2000 – Dan Doyle
2001 – Postponed due to 9/11
2002 – Ron Burton Sr.
2003 – Cam Neely
2004 – Mayor Thomas Menino
2005 – Tim Wakefield
2006 – Eli J. Segal
2007 – Larry Lucchino
2008 - Greg Zaff 

Selma Black New England Hero Award Winners
1998 – Holly Metcalf
1999 – Laurie Flutie
2000 – Anne Woolf
2001 – No winners due to 9/11
2002 – Cara Dunne-Yates
2003 – Jackie MacMullan
2004 – Alfreda Harris
2005 – Joan Benoit-Samuelson
2006 – Jean Driscoll
2007 – Stacey Lucchino
2008 - Kathy Delaney-Smith

Richard Lapchick Sport and Social Justice Innovation Award

The Richard Lapchick Sport and Social Justice Innovation Award recognizes leaders who have dedicated their lives and careers to moving social justice forward through sport.  Peter Roby was the first inductee at the 25th Anniversary award ceremony.

Excellence in Sports Journalism Awards

The Excellence in Sports Journalism Awards recognize journalists or works of journalism that address the human, sociological or societal impact of sport on life. Co-sponsored by Sport in Society and the Northeastern University School of Journalism, the Excellence in Sports Journalism Awards honor journalistic achievements that enhance our understanding of the impact of sport on our culture.  

1986

  • Print Media: Frank Deford
  • Broadcast Media: Howard Cosell
  • Special Award: Ring Lardner

1987

  • Print Media: Chronicle of Higher Education
  • Broadcast Media: Dick Schaap
  • Special Award: Red Smith

1988

  • Print Media: Cleveland Plain Dealer
  • Broadcast Media: Ted Koppel
  • Special Issues Award: Chris Mortenson and John Sparks

1989

  • Book: Arthur Ashe
  • Print Media: Will McDonough

1990

  • Print Media: Sports Illustrated
  • Broadcast Media: Roy Firestone

1991

  • Print Media: USA Today
  • Broadcast Media: Bill Moyers and Howard Weinberg

1992

  • Print Media: Robert Lipsyte, New York Times
  • Broadcast Media: Bob Costas, NBC

1993

  • Print Media: Gary Smith, Sports Illustrated
  • Broadcast Media: Robin Roberts, ESPN

1994

  • Print Media: Ed Sherman and Barry Tempkin, Chicago Tribune
  • Broadcast Media: ESPN's "Outside the Lines"
  • Photojournalism: Howard Bingham

1995

  • Documentary Film: "Hoop Dreams"
  • Broadcast Media: Bob Ley, ESPN

1996

  • Print Media: Gary Smith, Sports Illustrated
  • Broadcast Media: HBO's "Real Sports" with Bryant Gumbel

1997

  • Print Media: The Sporting News
  • Broadcast Media: WCVB-TV's "High Five" with Mike Lynch
  • Broadcast Media: ESPN's "Outside the Lines" and "Town Meeting"

1998

  • Print Media: Sam Lacy, Afro-American (Baltimore, Md.)
  • Broadcast Media: Michelle Seaton, NPR's "Only a Game"
  • Broadcast Media: HBO Sports' "City Dump: The Story of the 1951 CCNY Basketball Scandal"

1999

  • Print Media: Erik Brady, USA Today
  • Broadcast Media: ESPN's SportsCentury

2000

  • Print Media: Derrick Jackson, Boston Globe
  • Broadcast Media: Ross Greenburg, HBO Sports

2001

  • No winners due to events of Sept. 11

2002

  • Lifetime Achievement: Dick Schaap

2003

  • Print Media: Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
  • Broadcast Media: Steve Crump, WTVI-TV, Charlotte, NC

2004

  • Print Media: Mark Fainaru-Wada, Lance Williams, San Francisco Chronicle
  • Broadcast Media: Tom Goldman, National Public Radio
  • Lifetime Achievment: Ralph Wiley, ESPN.com

2005

  • Print Media: Tracy Dodds, Ted Green and Jeff Rabjohns, Indianapolis Star
  • Broadcast Media: George Roy, HBO

2006

  • Print Media: Peter Thamel, The New York Times
  • Visual Media: Bill Hinds and Jeff Millar, Universal's Tank McNamara

2007

  • Print Media: Peter Keating, ESPN the Magazine
  • Broadcast Media: John Barr and Jon Fish, "Lady Caliphs" ESPN

2008

  1. Print Media: Paul Fain and Brad Wolverton, The Chornicle of Higher Education
  2. Broadcast Media: Bryant Gumbel and Kirby Bradley, "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel"

25th Anniversary

  • Lifetime Achievement: Bob Ley
  • Print Media: Bob Hohler, Boston Globe