Embrace The Impact: Adelphi Athletics Awarded Gold Status by LGBT SportSafe Program

Embrace The Impact: Adelphi Athletics Awarded Gold Status by LGBT SportSafe Program

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. - The Adelphi University athletic department has been awarded gold medallion status, the highest honor by the organization, by LGBT SportSafe for its efforts in creating an LGBTQ-inclusive athletic community. 

As a Founders' Club member of LGBT SportSafe, Adelphi joins an elite group of institutions recognized as early adopters of inclusion. Founders Club status is awarded to the first two institutions from an NCAA-affiliated conference to complete join the program. Adelphi joins Pace University from the Northeast-10 Conference, and other athletic programs including the University of Oregon, the University of Nebraska, UCLA, North Carolina, Temple and Northwestern have earned this distinction.

LGBT SportSafe works to make inclusion efforts sustainable by educating coaches and administrators on how they can lay an inclusive foundation to support student-athletes. The goal is to make every college and university in the United States LGBT SportSafe, so coaches and athletes alike can compete in welcoming, respectful and inclusive athletic communities.

"We are excited to be recognized by LGBT SportSafe and are thrilled to be one of the early champions of this great program in the NE10," said Athletic Director Danny McCabe. "One of the pillars of Momentum, the strategic plan of the university, is for us all to strive to be a model of diversity and inclusion - and this is a wonderful step for us on that road."

LGBT SportSafe launched the "3-Peat Model" to help administrators champion a culture of respect and inclusion in collegiate athletics.

To qualify for the program, completion of training for coaches and administrative staff must receive training on creating inclusive teams, as well as updating department policies to include protections for LGBTQ student-athletes and coaches. Upon completion of the "3-Peat Model" assessment, an institution is awarded a gold, silver or bronze medallion for the athletic department website.

Gold status indicates that a collegiate athletic department has the highest commitment to inclusion. Adelphi's road to certification began in February, as the athletic department welcomed the organization's co-founder Nevin Caple, pictured with the softball team, to campus to speak to student-athletes and athletic department staff about the importance of inclusion.

"We are thrilled to welcome Adelphi University to the LGBT SportSafe Inclusion Program as a Founders Club member. Since visiting campus earlier this year, the athletic administrators and coaches have shown a real commitment to addressing the LGBTQ inclusion needs of their student-athletes," said Caple.

"Adelphi leadership is setting a precedent for other schools to follow and we are so excited to continue supporting their inclusion efforts through our partnership." 

For the 2017-18 year, the athletic department also instituted an internal Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Council, which developed a statement on diversity and a pledge that Adelphi athletes signed to champion a climate of diversity, inclusion and equity both on and off-campus.


ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.