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How does minority stress impact coaching efficacy? What are coping strategies for sport coaches to help with minority stress?

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Sexual minorities are significantly underrepresented in sport coaching. Sexual minority coaches experience minority stress explained by Meyer (2003)  “Minority identity is linked to a variety of stress processes; some LGB people, for example, may be vigilant in interactions with others (expectations of rejection), hide their identity for fear of harm (concealment), or internalize stigma (internalized homophobia).” There has been documented progress with the acceptance of sexual minorities in sport. Even with the progress of more inclusion of sexual minorities athletes, there still remains a dearth of research investigating the experiences of sexual minority coaches.

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Connecting with other gay coaches

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When a Facebook post from Gus Kenworthy reminded me last month that it was National Coming Out Day, I knew exactly what to do.

His post brought back a favorite memory of my friend, teammate, Homegrown Lacrosse family member, and Minneapolis Lacrosse assistant coach, Christopher Jay White, who tragically passed away in early October.

It was June of 2017. I had just received an email from a parent seeking advice for her 13-year-old son who was "out" in almost all areas of his life with the exception of the lacrosse field. He was worried about coming to our overnight lacrosse camp.

The letter hit home. He was the same age I was when I started playing. He was fighting the same fears I was. I had 20 more years of battle scars than he. There was no way I could let him battle alone for that long.

I responded with our inclusion statement, took a deep breath, and asked that she let him know that he would be amongst friends.

I went on to say that I wished I had the courage to be more open about who I really was so that kids like hers wouldn't have to feel alone.

Lacrosse is still what it's always been to me, a place of acceptance, fun, passion, energy and togetherness.

Their response was awesome. It made me feel so good that I decided to take another leap and share it with my relatively new colleague, Chris. His response fundamentally shifted the way I felt about myself from that day forward and demonstrated how special he was.

"That is awesome to hear how brave [he] is at that age to be open about who he is, but a bummer to hear that the lacrosse community is the one place he does not feel safe to be himself," Chris wrote. "Thank you for trusting us by letting us know about yourself.

"I think it shows the strength of the culture that we have in the office with each other and I admire your bravery. You're right that you have a unique opportunity as a well-respected leader in the lacrosse community, and your email back to her showed how strong of a leader you are by relating to him and making him feel comfortable and accepted in the community that you have created with Homegrown.

"I hope that Homegrown can be a leader in changing the lacrosse community as a whole so that players like ------- can be comfortable with who they are. -Chris"

He later came over to thank me in person and shared a cool story about growing up in the Colorado skiing and snowboarding community, and how Gus' courage changed things for the better.

So for National Coming Out Day, in honor of Chris, his hopes for the future, and with what felt like his help, I was proud to introduce my boyfriend, Mike, to the world. He's dope. I love him a lot.

Coming out publicly has proven to be a really positive experience. The outpouring of support from friends, family and the lacrosse community as a whole has been incredible. I was really pleased to see several other lacrosse teams and organizations in the area repost what I shared along with their own inclusion statements.

I've also had a few alumni, fellow coaches and youth development workers reach out to confide in me about their own struggles around sexuality and identity. All of these experiences have been humbling and helped me to know that the impact I set out to make has been realized.

The mutual respect I've had with my players, coaches and officials is still there.

Most importantly, several of Chris' friends and family have reached out to congratulate me and thank me for sharing a testament to Chris' phenomenal character, kindness and leadership. I hope it's helped them to heal a bit. It has certainly done so for me.

On the field, it's been a bit surprising and ultimately really cool that it hasn't really come up directly. The mutual respect I've had with my players, coaches and officials is still there. Lacrosse is still what it's always been to me, a place of acceptance, fun, passion, energy and togetherness.

Where it has come up is just in how I feel: more genuine, accepted and fully realized. I think a lot of my coaching to date has been rather one-sided. For example, I give as much love, acceptance and effort as I can to my players. Since coming out it feels like something inside me has shifted where I am able to accept the same in return.

It's a good and healthy feeling.
Aron Lipkin is the Founder & Executive Director of Homegrown Lacrosse in Minneapolis and the Head Coach of the Minneapolis Public Schools Varsity Boys Lacrosse Team. You can find him on Facebook, or on Instagram @aronlipkin.

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Lacrosse coach comes out by introducing his boyfriend on Facebook

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When a Facebook post from Gus Kenworthy reminded me last month that it was National Coming Out Day, I knew exactly what to do. His post brought back a favorite memory of my friend, teammate, Homegrown Lacrosse family member, and Minneapolis Lacrosse assistant coach, Christopher Jay White, who tragically passed away in early October.

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Importance of visibility and role models

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Once rejected from a volunteer coaching position because of her "lifestyle," Katie Sowers will make NFL history as the first openly gay and female assistant coach headed to the Super Bowl.

Sowers is an offensive assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers, whose win against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday secured the team's spot in the championship game Feb. 2 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The 49ers will face off against the Kansas City Chiefs.

She is the second woman to coach in the National Football League and began her athletic career playing in the Women's Football Alliance for the West Michigan Mayhem and the Kansas City Titans. After retiring in 2016 because of a hip injury, Sowers joined the NFL as an intern for the Atlanta Falcons, and took the assistant coach position with the 49ers the next year.

Sowers became the first out gay coach in the NFL when she came out before the 2017 season.

"No matter what you do in life, one of the most important things is to be true to who you are," she said in an interview with Outsports after coming out. "There are so many people who identify as LGBT in the NFL, as in any business, that do not feel comfortable being public about their sexual orientation."

"By standing out and proud as the first-ever openly gay NFL coach in a Super Bowl, Katie Sowers not only shows LGBTQ athletes and fans what's possible for them, but also shows the sport world as a whole that LGBTQ people are a valuable part of this community," Joanna Hoffman, director of communications at the national LGBTQ athletic advocacy group Athlete Ally, wrote in an emailed statement.

"The more barriers we can break down in football and in all sports, the more LGBTQ athletes, coaches and fans will be able to be who they are and be a part of the sport they love."

Despite achieving a historic position of leadership in the highest level of national football, Sowers said she experienced LGBTQ discrimination in sports while in college, when was rejected from a volunteer coaching job because of her "lifestyle."

"I was so passionate about coaching and to feel like my opportunities were limited because of who I loved was hard to deal with," Sowers told Outsports. "However, without that experience, I would not be where I am today."

The incident encouraged the coach to use her platform to promote inclusivity. Sowers was in part responsible for the genesis of a Pride fan club for the 49ers last May, the first NFL team-sponsored group that officially recognized its LGBTQ fans. She also frequently posts pictures of her with her girlfriend on Instagram and talks about her experiences being a women's coach.

Athletes and fans are excited for Sowers' historic role at Super Bowl LIV and have remarked that her position is especially poignant given there have only been 13 out gay and bi players in the NFL's 100-year history, according to OutSports.

"Congratulations to @KatieSowers of the @49ers, who will become the first woman to coach in the #SuperBowl," tweeted Billie Jean King, gender equality advocate in sports and a former World No. 1 professional tennis player. "You have to see it to be it!"

"Phenomenal @KatieSowers," wrote World Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Hope Solo, alongside a clapping hands emoji.

Last week, another major advancement for women in professional sports occurred when Alyssa Nakken joined the San Francisco Giants as an assistant coach, becoming the first woman to be a part of a Major League Baseball coaching staff.

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Katie Sowers to make twin Super Bowl history as first openly gay and female coach

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Once rejected from a volunteer coaching position because of her "lifestyle," Katie Sowers will make NFL history as the first openly gay and female assistant coach headed to the Super Bowl. Sowers is an offensive assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers, whose win against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday secured the team's spot in the championship game Feb.

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Affinity Groups and
LGBTQ Affirmative Therapy