This study examined the attitudes of 265 undergraduate student-athletes toward gay, lesbian and bisexual (LGB) athletes and coaches before and after viewing and discussing the It Takes A Team! (ITAT) educational video as part of the NCAA CHAMPS Life Skills curriculum. Student-athletes voluntarily completed a 10-item pre-and post-class survey to assess attitudes toward LGB teammates and coaches. The evaluations all took place during the 2005 – 2006 school year.
The pre-class survey revealed that the student-athletes’ overall attitudes before viewing the video were more positive than negative toward LGB teammates and coaches. After viewing the ITAT video and participating in a discussion with peers led by a Life Skills instructor, the post-class survey showed a significant positive shift in student-athletes’ attitudes toward LGB athletes and coaches. The researchers concluded that using the ITAT video in a one-hour planned educational intervention focused on LGB issues in sport has a positive impact on student-athletes’ attitudes toward LGB athletes and coaches.
It Takes A Team! Making Sports Safe for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Athletes and Coaches is a 15-minute video and Education Kit produced by the It Takes A Team! Education Campaign of the Women’s Sports Foundation. The It Takes A Team! video showcases a diverse group of lesbian and gay high school and college athletes and their teammates and coaches talking about their experiences, challenges and suggestions for how to make sport safe for all.
Participants in the study were 265 undergraduate student-athletes enrolled in 11 CHAMPS Life Skills classes at nine colleges from all three NCAA divisions in five different regions of the United States.
1. Student-athletes’ overall attitudes toward LGB teammates and coaches became more positive.
o Student-athletes’ overall attitudes toward LGB athletes and coaches showed a statistically significant increase in a positive direction.
o There was no statistically significant difference2 in rate of attitude change based on gender, race, year in school, or sport participation (type of sport: single or multiple sports, team or individual sports) indicating the video can be used effectively for diverse student-athletes groups.
o The correlation between pre- and post-class survey scores is .908, which is high, and significant.
2. Even the good got better.
o Overall mean score for all participants increased two points from 34 to 36, in a positive direction.
o 71% of student-athletes reported that having LGB teammates does not negatively affect team unity, representing an increase of almost 3% after watching the video and discussing it with peers.
o 59% of the student-athletes reported that having a LGB team member does not affect a team’s ability to recruit athletes, representing an increase of almost 2% after watching the video and discussing it with peers.
3. Student-athletes’ attitudes toward having an openly LGB teammate became more positive.
o After viewing and discussing the video, 71% of student-athletes said they are comfortable with openly LGB teammates, representing an increase of over 13%.
o 60% of the student-athletes reported that they either strongly disagreed or disagreed that LGB team members should keep their sexual orientation to themselves, representing an increase of almost 15%.
4. Student-athletes’ attitudes toward having an openly LGB coach became more positive.
o 61% of the student-athletes felt comfortable having a LGB coach after watching the video, representing an increase of over 8%.
o 49% of student-athletes said that having a LGB coach would not affect a team’s ability to recruit athletes after watching the video, representing an increase of almost 3%.
5. Student-athletes expressed increased personal comfort with LGB teammates.
o 58% of student-athletes reported comfort with sharing a locker room with LGB teammates after watching and discussing the video, an increase of just over 6%.
o 52% of student-athletes reported comfort with sharing a hotel room with LGB teammate, representing an increase of over 6% after watching the video.
6. Student-athletes expressed a dramatic increase in willingness to speak up in support of LGB people.
o 57% of the student-athletes reported that they would speak up to a teammate using an anti-gay slur or making a negative comment about LGB people after watching and discussing the video, representing an increase of almost 17%.
7. Few student athletes identified themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual.
With the national estimate* of lesbian, gay and bisexual people representing between 2-10% of the U.S. population, one would expect that, out of 265 participants, between 5-26 participants would identify their sexual orientation as not heterosexual. Even though responses were anonymous, not one student-athlete surveyed identified as gay, four identified as lesbian, one identified as bisexual, and two identified as questioning their sexual orientation, representing less than 2%.
o Student-athletes were more positive than negative about LGB teammates and coaches, and, as a result, may be poised to take the lead in helping to create college athletic climates that are safe and respectful of LGB student-athletes and coaches.
o A brief class on LGB issues in sport can result in an increase in positive attitudes toward LGB teammates and coaches as well as an increase in the percentage of student-athletes who say they would speak up to object to a teammate using an anti-gay slur or making a negative comment about LGB people.
o Fear could still be a factor. More education is necessary since nearly half of all student-athletes believe having a LGB coach would affect recruiting and half would not be comfortable sharing a room with an LGB teammate. See conclusions 4 and 5.
o The It Takes A Team! video can be used effectively with male and female student-athletes who participate in a variety of different sports at Division I, II and III schools.