Category: Press Coverage

 

Tinton Falls, N.J. (Thursday, March 31, 2016) – Sky Blue FC of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) announced today that it has partnered with You Can Play, a non-profit organization that stresses equality for all athletes.

“We are happy to enter this very meaningful partnership with You Can Play,” said Tony Novo, Sky Blue FC President & General Manager. “As leaders within the professional sports community, it is our duty to promote unity and show sensitivity among all athletes. We look forward to working with You Can Play and assisting them in their worthwhile cause.”

You Can Play is dedicated to ensuring equality, respect and safety for all athletes, without regard to sexual orientation and/or gender identity. The mission of the organization is to guarantee that athletes are given a fair opportunity to compete by focusing only on their skills, work ethic and competitive spirit.

“As a former soccer player who identifies as LGBT, I know how important it is for young people to see that professional athletes support them,” stated Anna Aagenes, You Can Play VP of Program Development and Community Relations. “By hosting a You Can Play Night and creating a You Can Play Video, Sky Blue FC is promoting a powerful message of inclusion and respect for soccer fans everywhere. “

As part of the relationship, Sky Blue FC will be celebrating with You Can Play when the team hosts its Pride Night on Sunday, June 19th. The New Jersey club will welcome Seattle Reign FC to Yurcak Field that evening, with kickoff set for 6:00 PM. Tickets for Pride Night are available for purchase now, and Sky Blue FC also has a Pride Scarf for sale in its online shop.

To buy tickets to support the You Can Play Project, be sure to visit our Twitter (@YouCanPlayTeam) and our Facebook page to find the special link and use the promo code: SBFCYCP.

“We at You Can Play are thrilled to partner with the Sky Blue FC for their second annual Pride Night on June 19th,” Aagenes noted. “We invite everyone, whether you identify as LGBT or an ally, to join us for this incredible game and show your support for members of the LGBT community.”
 
For any questions regarding tickets, call the Sky Blue FC tickets department at 888-SBFC-TIX (888-723-2849), and a team representative will be happy to assist you and you can also email Catie Cooper (ccooper@skybluesoccer.com) with any questions.

For all of the latest news on Sky Blue FC, visit www.skybluefc.com and follow them on social media, @SkyBlueFC. To learn more about You Can Play, visit www.youcanplayproject.org and follow us on social media.

OGDEN, Utah (January 14, 2016) – Today, the You Can Play Project and Big Sky Conference are announcing their official partnership. The primary aim of the partnership is to help make collegiate sports into a safer and more inclusive place for everyone – athletes, staff, and fans alike.

The Big Sky is now the first collegiate Conference in the Western region of the United States, and the second NCAA Division I Conference, to partner with You Can Play. You Can Play is a non-profit organization founded in 2012, whose mission is to ensure the safety and inclusion of all in sports – including LGBT athletes, coaches and fans.

Big Sky Conference Commissioner, Doug Fullerton, expressed his strong support for the partnership, “As a league, we are continually looking for ways to address the well-being of our student-athletes both on and off the court. We are proud to partner with the You Can Play Project and to have all of our institutions participating. We believe that this partnership will have a positive and meaningful impact on our student-athletes, coaches, fans, and institutions.”

The Big Sky Conference is an NCAA Division I Conference, with schools located across Washington, North Dakota, Montana, Arizona, Idaho, Colorado, Utah and California. The Big Sky member institutions participating in this partnership are Eastern Washington, Idaho, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State, North Dakota, Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado, Portland State, Sacramento State, Southern Utah, Weber State, along with affiliates Cal Poly and UC Davis.

You Can Play’s Executive Director, Wade Davis, describes how important this partnership is, both personally and for the Big Sky community: “To see the entire Big Sky Conference step up and be leaders in fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for LGBT students is magical. As a Weber State alum, it reaffirms the decision I made, ten years ago, to attend a Big Sky school. I hope that when LGBT students athletes hear about the Big Sky partnership with You Can Play, they feel as proud and supported as I do.”

Over the past two years, the You Can Play Project and the Big Sky Conference have worked together to train and develop leaders within the Big Sky community. Vice President of Program Development & Community Outreach, Anna Aagenes, and Davis traveled to Denver in July 2015 to deliver a You Can Play presentation for the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) student-athletes and administrators. Earlier that year, Davis was a featured speaker at the Big Sky’s 2015 Health and Wellness Symposium.

Through the partnership, You Can Play will provide additional trainings, educational resources, and support for the SAAC leadership at each member institution. The Big Sky will further spread the word about You Can Play and will assign representatives from each school to work directly with the You Can Play staff.

At the trainings, You Can Play and Big Sky representatives not only discuss homophobia in sports, but also racism, sexism, mental health, and other forms of identity that have an impact on whether or not student athletes feel safe and included on their teams. The key takeaway message is respecting each other, regardless of our differences.

“The Big Sky and You Can Play Project are a step ahead of the curve in where this conversation needs to be had about being inclusive with all athletes. The You Can Play Project focuses on student athletes’ performance and that’s what it should be about, rather than all those extra outside factors,” explains student-athlete, Cody McDavis. McDavis is not only the Big Sky Conference SAAC President at Northern Colorado, he is also a Division I National SAAC Representative.

Lisa Campos, President for Intercollegiate Athletics at Northern Arizona University (NAU) states, “NAU is excited to be partnering with the You Can Play Project through the Big Sky Conference sponsored diversity initiative. Supporting a culture of inclusivity is a priority for NAU Athletics and this initiative aligns with our core goals.”

Several Big Sky member schools have already created You Can Play videos, spreading the message that if you can play, you can play, and that’s all that matters on the field, track, or the court. Davis makes a special appearance at the end of Weber State’s You Can Play video.

Through this partnership, You Can Play and Big Sky will continue to expand upon their important work together to ensure that college sports teams are a safe place for everyone, including LGBT athletes, coaches and fans.

You Can Play Project is honored to be a recipient of the inaugural Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award at the ESPN Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards. The event, which took place Tuesday, July 14th at the Conga Room in Los Angeles, was the first of its kind. The Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards brought together athletes, coaches, teams, and non-profit organizations who use sports to make a positive impact on society. In addition to You Can Play, fellow winners of the ENSPIRE award are Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, former MLB commissioner Bud Selig and his wife Sue, and the “Like a Girl” campaign.

“Stuart Scott’s legacy is one of courage and honesty,” said Patrick Burke, who accepted the award on behalf of You Can Play in front of an audience comprised of some of the most powerful figures in sports. “It’s an honor to even be mentioned alongside Stuart, and an even greater honor to carry on his legacy of respect for sports.”

ESPN will air highlights of the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards ceremony, hosted by Laila Ali, on Thursday, July 23rd (8:30 p.m. ET).

Below is the full text of Patrick Burke’s speech from the awards.

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Time constraints are going to prevent me from personally thanking everyone who deserves to be thanked. So let me just thank our amazing staff and volunteers, our generous donors who support us, the leagues and colleges who have partnered with us, and especially our friends and families who care for us. It’s an especially moving honor to receive an award named for a true legend, Mr. Stuart Scott, and I would like to thank the Scott family and ESPN for gracing us with this award. I hope that we will live up to his legacy with our continued energy, hard work, and leadership.

You Can Play was founded three years ago, in honor of Brendan Burke. Brendan was my brother and my best friend, and we lost him tragically a few short months after he came out publicly as gay. Our family and everyone at You Can Play remembers him every day as we work to end homophobia in sports. So, this award is dedicated to the memory of Brendan Burke, who should be here to be honored personally.

After Brendan came out publicly, he received hundreds of emails. One of them has always stuck with me. A young gay man wrote to Brendan and said “I’ve always loved sports, but I never felt that sports loved me back.” Brendan responded to him with the promise that there were people in sports who loved and supported the LGBT community, and would always work to make him feel welcome. And after three years with You Can Play, I think they were both right. I think that there are many, many people in the sports world who love and support their LGBT friends, family, and teammates. We have amazing role models like Megan, like Jason Collins, like Robbie Rogers, Brittney Griner, Caitlyn Jenner – people who stand up and live their truths openly and freely. We have straight allies who speak out for equality and use their influence to make the sports world a little more welcoming. So Brendan was right that safe spaces do exist for the LGBT community in the sports world, and I am extremely proud that You Can Play is at the forefront of creating those spaces in sports.

But that young man was also right. For many members of the LGBT community who love sports, they are beaten down daily with evidence that sports do not love them back. That while safe spaces may exist within the sports world, sports culture is used to justify or excuse sexism, transphobia, and homophobia on a daily basis. This happens at every level. At every age. In every sport. For every gender. And it is worse for LGBT youth. When you look closely at high schools, you find that the vast majority of homophobic bullying happens where sport happens. It happens on playgrounds and in locker rooms and in gym class. It happens on the field and in the stands and it happens every single day. Change is coming and progress is being made but it is being made too slowly for the kids out there who need it now. We are losing young athletes. We are losing them to shame and to fear and to bullying and to self-hatred. Those of us with power and influence in the sports world have to take action. We are the ones who create the culture of sport and it is on us to fix what is broken. If we can inspire action- not just verbal support, real action- from everyone in this room, this slow shift is going to become an absolute tidal wave of progress.

The wonderful thing is, I know we can do it. We have seen the shift in culture in the leagues that have partnered with us. We have empowered athletes like Michael Sam and Derrick Gordon to come out publicly.  We have seen LGBT athletes win championships at the highest levels. We have worked with high school teams to create safe, inclusive locker rooms for our young athletes. When Brendan was in high school, he quit hockey. And he quit in part because he did not feel entirely comfortable in his own locker room. He needed to see out athletes as role models to show him what was possible. He needed to hear the voices of their teammates telling him that they would support anyone who loved hockey. He needed those of us with influence in the sports world to stand up and say to LGBT youth, “Yes, you can play.” That is what we do. That is who we are. We are relentlessly devoted to ensuring that no LGBT athlete ever again has to choose between what they love and who they love. I sincerely hope you’ll join us in our fight. Thank you.

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Week of March 4, 2012

New York Times

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Washington Post

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USA Today

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National Post

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Sporting News

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Boston Herald

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Reuters

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Associated Press

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Winnipeg Sun

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Advocate

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Online

NHL.com

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ESPNW

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Sharks Talk

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Outsports

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United States of Hockey

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NBCSports.com

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Yahoo Sports

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TV

Global Toronto

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