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Play to Win: IMPROVING THE LIVES OF LGBTQ YOUTH IN SPORTS

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Despite the growing visibility of LGBTQ athletes, coaches and officials, and the incremental gains in professional and collegiate sports, youth sports continues to lag behind.

Too many LGBTQ youth report that they have witnessed or been the targets of anti-LGBTQ treatment or exclusion. They fear discrimination from coaches or officials, which may force them to conceal their identities from their teams. Transgender and gender-expansive youth face even greater barriers to sports participation. Anti-transgender policies work to keep trans youth off the field. Even in jurisdictions with more inclusive policies, a lack of education, awareness, and training among coaches and parents can make the experience actively hostile for trans youth

Sport plays an enormous role in the lives and identities of young athletes across America. Though physical health benefits of participation are well known, sport can also instill life skills including accountability, leadership, and dedication.

Coaches set the tone both on and off the field. Their actions and attitudes shape the team environment and greatly impact a player’s experience.

Learn more about how you can 'play to win' by downloading the PDF below.

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  • Type: PDF Document
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