PRIDE in our work
We chat about PRIDE and what it means at Coach Core
At least one in five LGBTQ+ people have experienced a hate crime incident as a result of their sexual orientation and many in the community still don’t feel safe to be their authentic selves. (Stonewall 2017)
The sports sector provides additional barriers, with a history of negative stigma, lack of role models, difficulties being transgender in sports and even major sporting events still being awarded to countries with poor LGBTQ+ rights records.
Further research from Stonewalls shows that hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation are still up by 112% in the last five years (published Oct ’23).
We know there needs to be change. This number needs to stop rising and we need to provide more support to this community.
Coach Core are committed to providing an environment where all apprentices and staff can feel supported to be their true selves and will continue to challenge ourselves on this. We are on our own journey but will not rest until everyone, regardless of age, gender identity, ethnic background, disability or socioeconomic status is able to enjoy the life changing impacts of meaningful sport, physical activity, education and employment.
Everyone is unique and will have different experiences, but we wanted to start by sharing stories from within our networks of our experiences to elevate their voices.
I’ve always been an active person. As a young child, I would spend hours riding my bike around the local park, heading to the local swimming pool or roping my sister in to play badminton in the garden. My first love however, was football.
We didn’t have many girls football teams at the time, but I always loved joining in with afterschool clubs or practicising my keepy uppies in the garden. I remember once going to a holiday camp at one of our local grassroots clubs- there were probably over 30 kids there and I was the only girl- but it didn’t put me off, I just loved playing! Despite my love of the game, my involvement in football didn’t really take off until I was at secondary school. I was part of the school team and joined my first ever team at the slightly later age of 14.
I played for numerous teams in my teens but after a lengthy injury and a complete drop in confidence, I stopped playing for a few years. It wasn’t until I started fulltime work, in football, that I started to get back involved. I still had a load of friends from my previous team, but I never felt ready to get back into playing. I did, however, maintain that friendship group- though I could never imagine what would come next.
It was whilst out with some of these friends that I met Kelsey. We hadn’t spent much time together previously but did have a lot of mutual friends and, in time, we started to spend more and more time together. Kelsey had known she was a lesbian for several years, but I’d always been in heterosexual relationships and had never considered myself to be a lesbian. We just clicked and, whilst I struggled to understand what we were or could be, I knew we were a great fit!
Having met Kelsey, I struggled for a few years with a sense of identity. I felt I needed to conform to a ‘label’ in order to be validated or accepted. It was a difficult few years and it definitely took a toll on my mental health. Despite that and over time, I started to realise that what we had didn’t need a label- we enjoyed being together and we were happy- so that was most important.
Fast forward a few years and here we are, married, expecting our first child and looking forward to the future! I’m happy to share my story because apart from one unpleasant experience, my wife and I have been fortunate to not experience hostility or hatred as a same sex couple. Whilst we are mindful of certain attitudes, we’ve got a fantastic support network who accept us for who we are- and for that I am really grateful. Unfortunately, that is still not the norm for so many, so I want to spread that support, in case it reaches another buddying, young version of ‘Amy’.
My message to a younger self would be not to worry about who you think you feel you should be. Embrace what makes you happy and surround yourself with good people- those who really care will accept you for whoever you are.
Next we hear from Belinda (Belle) who helps the digital department and runs the socials:
I grew up playing two entirely different kind of sports: Football and Majorettes. I'd literally go from a tight bun and pom poms to getting stuck in the mud against the boys. I was the only girl at football but that felt like an accomplishment growing up. When I got to secondary school I was told I couldn't play football in the boys team anymore and instead of finding a girls team, that ended my football experience.
As time went on, I missed the interaction with teams and my baton twirling club just faded out of my life. I did a little cross country but none of my friends liked running and it was an independent activity, so it could feel pretty lonely.
At the age of 18, I realised I was bisexual (although I go by queer now). I announced this to my very supportive family just before heading off to university and felt excited to be going somewhere new having discovered my 'identity'. It was here I found the rowing team and finally felt like I fit in. I coxed for the boys team and rowed for the girls and I adored every second. All of our socials involved going to LGBTQ+ clubs or parties, and it was a very inclusive environment.
I graduated with my now fiancé, Jacob. We experienced a bit of biphobia, presenting as a hetrosexual couple but we overcame it and are excited to plan our wedding now.
It was only when I started applying for jobs that I realised how much more can be done to support the community. I'm also autistic and research shows that neurodivergent people are more likely to identify as LGBTQ+ than neurotypical people. I was not only looking for workplaces that openly showed support but was actively trying to reduce barriers. That's one of the reasons I was so drawn to Coach Core, and now I love being able to offer even more opportunities to young people with similar stories to mine.
If I got to chat to my younger self, I would say that you'll find your people one day and they'll support you in being the most active and happy person you can be; Stick with it.