Darryl Hill: Breaking Down Pay-To-Play Barriers In Youth Sports
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By DERON SNYDER
No one has to convince Darryl Hill about the value of sports in society. He has been a first-hand witness for a half-century, ever since he enrolled at the University of Maryland and became the first African-American to play in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Hill had to sit out in 1962 after transferring from the Naval Academy, but he integrated the ACC in 1963 and emerged as the Terrapins’ top receiver. He has been honored this year during 50th anniversary celebrations at Maryland and Clemson, and reflected on his accomplishment in various articles.
“Sports put everyone on the same playing field and same level,” Hill said in a recent phone interview. “I fought against discrimination in college sports so that young African-Americans and people of color could play sports at the college of their choice.”
Now the 69-year-old native Washingtonian has turned his attention to a different type of discrimination in sports, a form of bias that is growing but isn’t grasped by many folks. His new battle entails breaking down barriers associated with cost, not color.
