When people think about inclusion in the athletic world they think about how an athlete feels at home with a team. Whether you belong on a XC course or on the court, everyone has the need to feel embraced, including LGBT athletes. We are athletes who want to succeed just as much as anyone else would, but for that to happen the team has to play a part. Inclusion is very hard to quantify, given it’s highly individualized repertoire. So to figure out a little more what inclusion means to athletes around the country, I asked a few fellow swimmers what it means to them. The swimmers that I have asked help open the dialogue on inclusion range from rising high school seniors to National Team members. Take a look at what being a part of the team means to some swimmers below.
Inclusion is more than just being
allowed to participate in a sport. It’s being valued for who you are and what
makes you different. Everybody on the team is coming from a different
background, and has a unique viewpoint as a result. Inclusion is accepting and
fostering what makes each person unique within
the structure of the team.
Do you think education and awareness could help
organizations draft inclusion policies?
Absolutely! I’d imagine that,
most of the time, the lack of there being some sort of inclusion policy is not
malicious in nature. I feel like it’s just that, if it hasn’t been made an
issue of yet at your specific institution, it’s possible that nobody thought to
make one. I think by informing administrators and coaches of the importance of having
these types of policies in place, more often than not they’d be very open to
drafting one. Or at least I hope they’d be.
How has being accepted and included influenced your
swimming career?
If it wasn’t for my teammates’
acceptance of me, I might not be swimming anymore. And I know for sure I
wouldn’t be enjoying it as much as I am, or doing as well as I am. The ability
to be honest with my teammates about who I am allows me to lower my guard
around them. I can focus on what’s going on in the pool and not have to worry
about any of the outside stuff that was weighing on me before I came out. In
the few months since, I’ve had more fun with swimming than I’ve had in a long
time, and my times have reflected that renewed love of the sport.
Tom Luchsinger, USA Swimming, ArenaUSA
What does inclusion mean to you as an athlete?
Inclusion to me means the ability to
participate in the sport I love, despite the fact that I’m a proud gay man!
Do
you think education and awareness could help organizations draft inclusion
policies?
I do! Education and awareness are two extremely
powerful tools. We are fortunate enough to live in a time where people are much
more willing listen and learn than to pass preconceived notions.
How has being accepted and included influenced your
swimming career?
I have fallen in love with the sport
of swimming all over again since coming out. Even though the workouts are
extremely challenging, I’m always sore and I’m always tired, I feel like the 10
year old kid who just loved to be in the water. It is no longer a coping
mechanism that I have to do—it is something that I want to do, and enjoy doing.
It also just so happens to be my job, which is pretty great! My practices are
more consistent, I’m able to recover faster from a challenging workout or lift,
and I’m improving in my events. A huge difference from a year ago when I wasn’t
sleeping, loosing weight and always stressed out about being found out.
Jack Thorne, Loveland Swim Club, Northwestern ‘19
What does inclusion mean to you as an athlete?
To me, inclusion is when the team environment is,
not only accepting, but also positive and the coach as well as the team; treat
you as if you were not “different” because you are not different.
Do you think education and awareness could help organizations draft
inclusion policies?
I think it could. I think that many athletic
departments could utilize some education and training in order to figure out
how to best create policies that are inclusive and appropriate. I know that
many clubs and some athletic departments don’t think that LGBT students and
athletes are not an issue, so they haven’t thought about drafting these
policies. With education and awareness these issues could be fixed.
How
has being accepted and included influenced your swimming career?
Being accepted has made a huge impact. Before I
was out, I was so preoccupied with how my team would treat me once I was out,
how recruiting would go, how my coach would interact with me that I think it
began to negatively impact my swimming. After I came out to my team I no longer
had to worry about any of those things and I could focus my time and energy on
becoming the best swimmer that I could possibly be.
Lauren Neidigh, GO!
Athletes, University of Arizona ‘15
What does inclusion mean to you as an athlete?
Inclusion means equal treatment of
athletes regardless of race, gender identity, or sexual orientation. To me, it
meant unconditional love and acceptance from the people around me.
Do you think education and awareness could help
organizations draft inclusion policies?
I think education and awareness are
extremely helpful. It would help organizations identify possible issues and
solutions to the problems. This is
very important because it keeps people active and engaged in incorporation of
inclusion policies.
How has being accepted and included influenced your
swimming career?
I came to a point in my life where I
realized that I couldn't swim because of the environment I was in. I felt
threatened by some language that was used and the treatment of other LGBT athletes
even though I was closeted. People probably didn't mean to hurt me, but they
did. When I found a more inclusive environment, I found my love for the sport
again and was able to finish my career on a good note.
Want to read more about what these athletes think about inclusion? ClickHere for the full article for more Q&A from Lauren, Jack, Ryan and Tom!
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