Difference between revisions of "LGBTQ Professional and Amateur Sports Coaches"
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* [[David Wilson]], Canada | * [[David Wilson]], Canada | ||
* [[Russ Witherby]], United States | * [[Russ Witherby]], United States | ||
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+ | * [[Katie Sowers]], United States | ||
'''Ice Hockey''' | '''Ice Hockey''' |
Revision as of 13:25, 23 August 2017
There is a large international field of LGBTQ professional and amateur sport coaches. These individuals are present in a wide range of sports categories. Most have made their mark previously as athletes in their chosen sports, including Olympic medal winners, world champions or national champions. Some are coaches of their national team. A few have earned the title of 'Coach of the Year' in their respective professions.
LGBTQ sports coaches play an important role in sports. They are not only mentors and leaders for the overall community, they also represent role models for individual LGBTQ athletes in sports, and often within their own teams. It is important for them to be proactive in rooting out homophobia on and off the field of play. As noted in the articles below, surveys have found that 84% of gay men and 82% of lesbians have heard homophobic slurs in locker rooms. There have been several LGBTQ organizations created to promote tolerance in sports, including Sports Equality Foundation, Athlete Ally, and PrideSports UK.
Regrettably, some of these individuals were fired (or 'contracts not renewed') from their position when they came out. In all of these particular cases, this made them LGBTQ activists to eliminate homophobia in professional sports. Others on the list are prominent LGBTQ activists regardless and have become notable specialists in the field of diversity.
There are several firsts in the list. Eric Anderson is considered to have been the first high school coach to have come out as gay and has written a book about this - today, he is a noted Professor of Masculinities, Sexualities, and Sport. Tennis sensation Renee Richards is a noted transgender leader in sports.
The range of sports represented in the list is notable. The most popular sports are basketball, soccer/football, and tennis. These are followed by figure skating and track & field. Such a wide variety of sports begs the question why there is not greater success in challenging homophobia in sports?
We have identified the following individuals as LGBTQ professional and amateur sports coaches. They hail from Canada, Venezuela, Brazil, Australia, Cuba, Great Britain, Germany, United States, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, and Sweden. Simply click on their names to read their fascinating biographies.
Basketball
- Jennifer Azzi, United States
- Chris Burns, United States
- Helen Carroll, United States
- Kenny Dow, United States
- Lexie Gerson, United States
- Curt Miller, United States
- Sherri Murrell, United States
- Sheryl Swoopes, United States
- Stephanie Wheeler, United States
- Stephanie White, United States
- Sue Wicks, United States
Biathlon
- Joan Guetschow, United States
Bodybuilding
- Shawn Stinson, United States
Boxing
- Savoy Howe, Canada
- Kellie Maloney, Great Britain
Cross-Country Skiiing
- Nat Brown, United States
Cycling
- Emma Trott, Great Britain
- Brendan Housler, United States
Diving
- Jhonmar Castillo, Venezuela
Equestrian
- George Morris, United States
- Gunther Seidel, Germany
Field Hockey
- Alyson Annan, Australia
Figure Skating
- Lyndon Johnston, Canada
- Cameron Medhurst, Australia
- Brian Orser, Canada
- Robert Wagenhoffer, United States
- David Wilson, Canada
- Russ Witherby, United States
Football (American)
- Katie Sowers, United States
Ice Hockey
- Yiva Lindberg, Sweden
Lacrosse
- Kyle Hawkins, United States
Soccer /Football
- Nadine Angerer, Germany
- Jill Ellis, United States
- Ursula Holl, Germany
- Adam McCabe, United States
- Hope Powell, Great Britain
- Pia Sundhage, Sweden
- Olivier Rouyer, France
Softball
- Jenny Allard, United States
- Vicky Galindo, United States
- Sue Rankin, United States
Speedskating
- Renate Groenewold, Netherlands
Swimming
- Daniel Kowalski, Australia
- Rafael Polinario, Cuba
Tennis
- Sean Burns, United States
- Billie Jean King, United States
- Nicole Pratt, Australia
- Renee Richards, United States
- Tine Scheuer-Larsen, Denmark
- Simon Thibodeau, United States
Track & Field
- Eric Anderson, United States
- Bev Kearney, United States
- Harriet Metcalf, United States
- Michael Muska, United States
- Otto Peltzer, Germany
Trampoline
- Tom Bosworth, Great Britain
Triathlon
- Christopher Bergland, United States
Volleyball
- Betty Baxter, Canada
- Jackie Silva, Brazil
Weightlifting
- Rob Kearney, United States
Wrestling
- Gene Dermody, United States
- Hudson Taylor, United States
See Also
- LGBTQ Sports Management
- LGBTQ Sports Referees and Umpires
- LGBTQ Personal Trainers and Lifestyle Coaches
- LGBTQ Tennis
- LGBTQ Cyclists
- Lesbian Football/Soccer Players
- The Community of LGBTQ Boxers
- Professional LGBTQ Mixed Martial Artists
- LGBTQ Presence in the Equestrian World
- The World of LGBTQ Golf
- World Sports Champions Who Identify as LGBTQ
Further Reading/Research
- http://www.caaws-homophobiainsport.ca/e/
- http://www.advocate.com/sports/2016/1/20/new-foundation-launches-support-lgbt-athletes-and-coaches
- http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2015/08/18/coaches-power--stop-homophobia-open-closet-gay-athlete/31886659/
- http://www.coe.int/en/web/sogi/news/-/asset_publisher/fmIWyzADpL08/content/lgbt-sports-coaches-still-taboo
- https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/home/research/articles-and-reports/lgbt-issues/playing-in-the-closet