The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has released a guide to assist administrators, coaches and students develop a more inclusive environment for LGBT college athletes.
The 82-age guide, titled “Champions of Respect,” was co-authored by Pat Griffin, professor emeritus of social justice education at Massachusetts-Amherst, and Hudson Taylor, Founder and Executive Director of Athlete Ally, an organization with a mission of ending homophobia and transphobia in sports.
The guide offers a comprehensive overview with recommendations, instructions and guidelines around best practices and policies for creating LGBTQ inclusive athletic cultures.
The document covers everything from intra-team dating guidelines to how a coach should respond when an athlete comes out. In addition to providing best practices recommendations, the guide offers an assortment of sample policies, LGBTQ definitions and terminology, and other helpful resources.
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“My work at Athlete Ally, whether speaking to professional athletes or college students, is to answer the tough questions. We need to delve deep to make sure that every sports participant can engage as a valued member of his or her team”, said Taylor, a former all-American wrestler at Maryland.
“I think the new NCAA resource will provide administrators, coaches and student-athletes with lots specific guidance to make college sports respectful and inclusive for participants of all sexual orientations and gender identities,” added Griffin.
