What Can Online Intercollegiate Coach Biographies Tell Us About Inclusivity and Tolerance of Diverse Sexual Orientations?
By Dr. Nicole LaVoi
The majority of sport media researchers have examined representations of sportswomen—but have failed to examine media portrayals of coaches. This gap in research gave impetus for a study recently launched by researchers from The Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport at the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Nicole LaVoi, Associate Director of the Tucker Center, and doctoral student Austin Stair Calhoun explored the online coaching biographies of 226 head coaches in the Big Ten Conference. Online biographies are a universal component of intercollegiate athletic websites and provide the public with an accessible and “up close and personal” source of information about coaches and teams. The authors of the study wanted to know if coaches’ biographies reproduced or challenged heteronormativity (i.e., societal and/or institutional assumption that heterosexuality is the norm) and heterosexism (i.e., prejudicial and discriminatory practices and beliefs toward any non-heterosexual identities and relationships) within intercollegiate athletics. Over the past 25 years, researchers have documented that sport media portrays female athletes in ways that emphasize femininity, heterosexuality, and female roles consistent with traditional gender norms—such as mother, wife and daughter—while marginalizing athletic competence. Researchers argue trivializing portrayal patterns can partly be attributed to the affects of homophobia. Are coaches with non-heterosexual orientations similarly trivialized and erased?
To answer that question, the text of head coaches' biographies was analyzed for mentions of spouses, significant others, family and other personal information. What were the findings? References to professional achievements and athletic accomplishments, the biographical profiles of all coaches had much of the same personal information including charity work, hobbies and hometown. However, the most important finding was a complete absence of mentions of non-heterosexual partners/spouses. Put another way—when the text focused on significant others and families, only opposite-sex partners were discussed. Additionally, male coaches were statistically more likely to have their significant other mentioned than female coaches.
What do these findings mean? It tells us that one of the most commonplace sources of information about coaches reproduce current power structures of heterosexual male privilege within Division I intercollegiate athletics.
Even the most conservative demographic estimate suggests that 10% of the population is homosexual. Therefore, it is improbable that not one of the 226 coaches within the Big Ten has a same-sex partner. This absence begs the question—Why is there no recognition of diverse sexual orientations of coaches or their partners/spouses? We can only speculate as to why this phenomenon exists. Scholars have suggested that gay and lesbian coaches may “self-police” their sexual orientation due to fear of losing their jobs, recruiting implications, and homophobic backlash. It is also possible that “policing” originates at the administrative level, as scholars assert because sport is colored by institutionalized homophobia.
These results clearly demonstrate homophobia persists within the highest levels of intercollegiate athletics—creating a climate where administrations and some coaches monitor public portrayals. Disconcerting is the fact that institutions of higher education espouse teaching tolerance, inclusivity and diversity, but largely fail to do so within a context that is highly valued on most college campuses—athletics. Developing a best practice guide for writing inclusionary coach biographies which athletic departments and sports information directors at all levels of sport is warranted. Overcoming the effects of homophobia in sport requires systemic educational interventions that help to create a climate where everyone is equal and feels at liberty to express all aspects of their personal identity—It Takes A Team! is a good starting point.
Currently phase two of this research is underway with a larger sample—one that is nationally representative, and includes Division I and Division III head coaches. For more information visit www.tuckercenter.org or contact Austin Stair Calhoun at calho029@umn.edu.