Each June during Pride Month, Up2Us Sports celebrates and elevates the valuable contributions of our LGBTQ+ coaches, VISTAs, youth, staff and the broader community. We reaffirm our commitment to stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community in their ongoing struggle against discrimination and injustice.
According to The Trevor Project's 2022 National Survey based on 34,000 LGBTQ youth ages 13 to 24 across the United States, with 45% of respondents being of color and 48% being transgender or nonbinary, they found that 73% of LGBTQ youth have experienced discrimination and 36% have been physically threatened. Their research also shows that LGBTQ youth who report having at least one accepting adult were 40% less likely to report a suicide attempt in the past year.
Up2Us Sports coaches and VISTAS are serving as a trusted adult in the lives of the youth they work with and are trained on how to create inclusive and supportive environments. Below, hear from AmeriCorps members Amelia, Jae, Jay and Kelsey on how they support their young people by creating safe environments and why representation through sport as an LGBTQ+ coach is so important.
Amelia (she/her), Up2Us Sports, New York, NY
● How do you ensure an inclusive and supportive team culture for LGBTQ+ athletes?
I encourage creativity, and freedom of expression. My athletes express themselves through their clothing, and sports equipment, which is always very colorful! I tell them to be who they are, and to ignore the haters! I also make sure to tell my athletes how awesome they are every time I see them, and to keep up all of their hard work.
● How are you celebrating Pride Month with your athletes?
I will be doing personal shoutouts to each of my athletes, and keeping a cycle of open communication. Pride Month is very important to me and my students, and I make sure to support them, and to share their successes with them. My students are awesome, and I want them to know and believe it!
● Why is representation through sport so important as an LGBTQ+ coach?
It is important, because I want my athletes to feel comfortable with who they are, and to provide a space where they can safely express themselves. The Adaptive Sports Foundation is a program that encourages people in the LGBTQ+ community to form a community, as well as inclusivity. I always tell my athletes, we are disabling the label when they hear mean comments. I do not tolerate bullying, and negative stereotypes are shut down before they can cause damage! I also encourage my athletes to dress however they please, and tell them that clothing does not have a gender, and that people should wear what makes them happy!
Jay (she/her), PeacePlayers Baltimore, Baltimore, MD
● How do you ensure an inclusive and supportive team culture for LGBTQ+ athletes?
Similar to what I do with the youth I see during the school day, I always enforce our no bullying and safety policies especially when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community. I strongly discourage and outwardly speak out against using any hateful slurs or innuendo, especially when the word “gay” is still used as an insult or a bad thing. It’s not the fact the word gay is said, it’s about the context in which it is. Being an active member of the community myself, and visibly so, as one of my tattoos shows the intersecting pride that I have for a couple of my communities. It’s very important to me that our LGBTQ+ youth, whether they are certain or not, have a safe space to develop personal, leadership, and basketball skills, because they go hand in hand. Not to mention, every child deserves a safe space to develop into the best person they can be, so aiding in healthy child social skills development by encouraging positive communication, discouraging hate, and being an example are ways I’m able to create a supportive team culture for our LGBTQ+ athletes within our supportive team culture.
● Why is representation through sport so important as an LGBTQ+ coach?
We have to be an example not only for our youth but for ourselves and other community members that are active in sports. Especially in what people wouldn’t consider “gay” sports. Yes, I’m a decent basketball player, but the sport I settled on and was grateful enough to be able to play in college, was tennis. I play multiple sports, but the one that I feel challenges me the most is tennis, but always being prompted with, “oh you hoop”...yeah but catch me on the other court. Breaking the stereotype of only gay girls hoop, and nothing else, will push our young girls to pursue other things. Don’t stop hooping, of course, but utilize your athleticism in other ways so you can not only increase the skills you need for your main sport, but it will allow you to keep challenging yourself to try new things, and not just in sports.
Jae (they/them), Harold Hunter Foundation, New York, NY
● How do you ensure an inclusive and supportive team culture for LGBTQ+ athletes?
Creating an inclusive and supportive culture that welcomes youth for who they are is only possible with ensuring that the space is safe. That comes with coaching intentionally and accepting kids for however they may come. It is important to show appreciation for exactly who they are and with that teaching them to appreciate themselves and appreciate their peers.
● How are you celebrating Pride Month with your athletes?
This Pride Month we will be celebrating by hosting our annual skate jam for women and LGBTQIA+ skaters during the infamous HHF weekend. At this event we give out products, supply food and beverage, invite queer BIPOC vendors and host a cash for trick where skaters will receive money for any trick they have.
● Why is representation through sport so important as an LGBTQ+ coach?
Representation in a coach is so necessary for Queer youth in sports because it allows them to not only have a role model but a relationship to their role model. This relationship can help guide them in their journey to finding who they are and support them along the way. I can truly say that if I had a coach growing up that looked like and identified similarly I would certainly have been out sooner to the World but also out sooner to myself, living my truth.
Kelsey (she/her), TeamUp Philly, Philadelphia, PA
● How do you ensure an inclusive and supportive team culture for LGBTQ+ athletes?
I believe the best way to make sure the team's culture is inclusive and supportive is to make sure we enforce the importance of teamwork. Being able to work with a team means that you put others' differences aside and be productive. Enforcing the importance of this helps maintain a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone.
● How are you celebrating Pride Month with your athletes?
We are celebrating Pride Month by informing them on what Pride Month is and telling them about age appropriate events and activities they could get involved with.
● Why is representation through sport so important as an LGBTQ+ coach?
Representation is so important as an LGBTQ+ coach for many reasons. It helps to break stereotypes, it can be inspiring to the athletes, and because it helps create a safe space for the athletes. LGBTQ+ coaches challenge stereotypes and preconceived notions about gender and sexuality in sports and this can be inspiring to young athletes because it gives them a role model or at least someone they can talk to and see themselves in. This provides a safe space for athletes that may not be able to go home and feel understood by the people closest to them.
Overall, representation through sports as an LGBTQ+ coach has a transformative impact on athletes by promoting inclusivity, equality, and respect for all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
