Physical Health

LGBT Sports!

Posted by HIM on Thursday July 7th, 2011

The 2nd GLISA North America Outgames will be held from July 25th to July 31st right here in Vancouver and everybody is welcome. These events coincide with this year’s Pride festivities. I am looking forward to seeing what a healthy focus on athleticism will bring to the often sidetracked Pride weekend.

So what is the LGBT sports movement about? The greater world of sport can still be an uncomfortable place for queer athletes and fans. It is a world where issues of bullying and homophobia are still very prominent. In an environment where few active North American athletes in a major male team sport have declared their homosexuality, it remains rare for athletes to chime in on the issue of gay rights. Recent exceptions include Grant Hill and Jared Dudley of the Phoenix Suns, who recorded a public service announcement calling for an end to gay slurs in sports, and hockey player Sean Avery’s recent endorsement of gay marriage. I hear more and more from fans and players who have felt ostracized for being gay. Some say they quit sports because of the harassment, or had been shamed into staying closeted, unable to find support from friends, family, and teammates. It is still necessary for many to seek sport activities and competition within our own supportive community.

The Outgames are simply making it possible for many LGBT individuals to play sports that would otherwise not. The organizing body, GLISA (http://www.glisa.org), also concerns itself with discrimination as LGBT athletes prove themselves and work toward integration in mainstream sports. One of the pillars of the Outgames is partnership with mainstream sports, human rights, and cultural organizations that share their mission to make all places safe for LGBT athletes to succeed.

So why engage in recreation sports? The simple answer is to obtain stay active and have fun. This is true, but there are many other important health benefits to sport participation. The following is a list of 5 life benefits which have been proven by researchers.

1. Young people who engage in recreational sports on a regular basis do better in school – This is because athleticism stimulates neurological activity. Research shows that grade improvement directly correlates with regular extracurricular athletics. Attention abilities and information retention are improved, which are great benefits in a learning environment.
2. Recreational sports are the best way to study teamwork and goal setting skills – These are preciously underappreciated life skills. The benefits of practicing these skills extend beyond fitness and into success within one’s career, family, and social life.
3. Sports are good for your long term physical condition – In addition to maintaining physical fitness and a healthy body mass, individuals who engage in recreational sports experience less stress and injury. In the long run, those who keep active are less likely to suffer from diabetes, hypertension, or osteoporosis.
4. Playing sports boosts self-confidence – Beginning to play a sport may seem intimidating, but recreational sport allows one to build skill and become good at something. Also, sports are an example of something that holds your attention and requires enough focus that you forget about everything else. You will feel more competent, accomplished, and capable afterwards. These are great antidotes to low self esteem.
5. Staying active reduces stress and increases happiness – Hormones are secreted into the body’s blood circulation when one is stressed. Exercising can help you to use some of the stress hormones that accumulate in the body. Exercise also releases endorphins, which give your body a natural boost. Endorphins are natural pain killers that give you a feeling of happiness and positive well being.

Courtesy of V-Rag

Written By: Jason Keller

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