Cal’s You Can Play video features administrators, coaches and student-athletes expressing their support for an open environment for LGBT student-athletes, coaches, and fans. The producers of Cal’s video feel that the number of coaches and student-athletes who participated in the project is a reflection of the nature of Cal Athletics and its commitment to inclusion and equality for all – setting a tone for the department and teams on and off the field.
According to Cal’s athletic director, Sandy Barbour, “At Cal Athletics, we not only accept our LGBT student-athletes, we embrace them for who they are. We honor diversity at Cal. Fostering an inclusive environment is not just the right thing to do, it allows our student-athletes to perform to the best of their abilities in all aspects of their lives. It’s important to me, as the leader of Cal Athletics, that each and every one of our student-athletes, coaches and staff members know that they can participate in the sport they love regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.”
Student-athletes, coaches and administrators appearing in the video:
Cal Chancellor Nicholas Dirks, Sandy Barbour (Athletic Director), Sonny Dykes (Head Coach, Football), Mike Montgomery (Head Coach, Men’s Basketball), Lindsay Gottlieb (Head Coach, Women’s Basketball), Jack Clark (Head Coach, Rugby), Caitlin Leverenz (Women’s Swimming), Nick Forbes and Bryces Treggs (Football), Ginger Miles (Head Coach, Women’s Lacrosse), Kevin Grimes (Head Coach, Men’s Soccer), Charmin Smith (Associate Head Coach, Women’s Basketball), Kai Felton (Assistant Coach, Women’s Basketball), Joe Greenspun (Men’s Track & Field), Avigiel Cohen (Women’s Basketball), Rebecca Roth and Ingvild Roenningen (Women’s Crew), and Blake Simons (Rugby).
With more than 52 participants filmed for the project, Cal Athletics is working on a second longer, more in-depth version of the YCP video. The remix version of Cal’s You Can Play video will be released in August.