Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth: Coaching Tips & Vocabulary

• When working with LGBTQ+ youth in team or community sports settings.
• As a reference for staff training sessions or onboarding new coaches.
• When reviewing or strengthening your organization's inclusion practices.
• As a conversation starter with teams around respect and belonging.
• To support a culture of learning and active allyship among staff and volunteers.

This resource is actionable and affirming, providing clear steps for building inclusive environments in soccer. It also helps normalize learning as part of allyship, offering a glossary and accessible suggestions for getting started.

• How could your program integrate these tips into onboarding or team guidelines?
• Do your current team norms create space for players to be their authentic selves?
• What LGBTQ+ training is already available in your network and community, and who’s participating?
• Are LGBTQ+ youth involved in shaping your program’s inclusion policies and practices? What feedback loops are in place to give players and parents / carers the opportunity to share their views? 
• Consider that inclusive language and culture benefits all players, not just LGBTQ+ youth.

Doc Wayne delivers therapy that moves you. As the first and only provider of sport-based therapy, we use sports, games, and movement to make mental health care engaging and effective. In team-like settings, our Coach Clinicians help youth build resilience, coping skills, and a sense of belonging. We don't stop there. Lasting change comes when entire communities are involved. That’s why we also deliver training and traditional outpatient clinical support for adults—teachers, clinicians, coaches, mentors, community leaders, and more—equipping them with the tools to support themselves and reinforce healing and growth in others. Together, we create stronger connections and real results on and off the field.