I Love Compete!

As the Compete Sports Diversity Council has continued to grow, I reflect on where Compete has come since Eric and I first started back in 2006. For those of you who don’t know my back story, Compete became my retirement job since I had a gay son who, as a child had desperately wanted to play sports but was uncoordinated at the time. As a result, the coaches never let him play and develop.

He ultimately became a world class dancer who traveled the world, bringing happiness and joy with him wherever he went (he was a hugger and kisser like his momma). AND he did things with his now hyper-coordinated body that still make me wonder the following: how did he manage to move his body like that; as the tremendous athlete he was now as a dancer, what might he have been as a young sports player; and above all – why did he have to be bullied, even attacked just because he was gay?

This has turned into my life’s work. I now have a gay grandson. Although he faced some bullying, thankfully his passage into adulthood was much smoother. You ARE born this way (thank you, Lady Gaga!) and it does run in families. But Compete, now the CSDC is about more than diversity, inclusion, equality/equity, acceptance and leadership for the LGBTQ+ community alone – we believe that this is for everyone!

Because sports of all kinds really do bring people together, our Vision from the beginning has been to “Unite the World Through Sports.” And we believe that each one of you is a vital component in making this happen! As a result, we’ve decided to reconstitute Compete Magazine into a membership magazine so we can communicate directly with you. I hope you’ll read all the articles and give us some feedback.

As always, with lots of hugs and kisses,

Connie Wardman, M.A., SDLT • SHE | HER