Addison Moore

On Sunday, the Bowdoin Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (BSAAC) hosted a panel with former men’s lacrosse player Ben Chadwick ’11 to increase awareness of the LGBTQ+ athlete experience.

Panelists shared some of the ways they felt supported in their identities as LGBTQ+ student-athletes. Many highlighted their peers, upperclassmen and coaches.

“My teammates have always provided a welcoming, inclusive environment, so I wanted to convey the importance of providing these spaces as a teammate and fellow athlete,” member of the women’s soccer team and panelist Laila Nickelson ’26 wrote in an email to the Orient. “A big part of my team’s trust building comes from vulnerable moments and having open dialogue about what’s on our minds.”

Ashmead White Director of Athletics Tim Ryan said that the idea for the panel came from the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) subcommittee on BSAAC.

“This was brought forward at one of our leadership team meetings.… I mentioned [Chadwick] and the work that he had done as a student here to really impact the culture on campus,” Ryan said.

One recurring takeaway was the power of small actions.

“I think, taking some cues from the panel, [support] doesn’t necessarily have to be a drastic action. It can be seemingly small things, such as really caring for the nature of conversations that are happening individually and also in small groups,” Ryan said. “Always be mindful of our words and actions and how that may impact other people.”

Ryan talked about the strengths of the athletics department in supporting LGBTQ+ student-athletes.

“I think we have a collective group of coaches and administrators who practice what they preach in terms of being their authentic selves,” Ryan said. “[We] encourage members of our community to be their authentic selves.”

“[Some of the panelists] went to college in the early 2010s,” Jesse Vanston ’27, a member of the women’s rugby team, said. “Obviously, it was a different social and political climate. Hearing about their experiences would have been cool.”

At the same time, Vanston hoped that there would be more panelists represented from sports typically seen as exclusive.

“I felt like I would have the most to learn from alumni or athletes from sports that are known to be more [exclusive] and homophobic,” Vanston said.  “I think it would have been impactful to hear more about how people struggled and how they navigated problems and made space for themselves.”

Nickelson hopes that the athletic department will continue to hold space for conversations around the LGBTQ+ student-athlete experience and encourage inclusivity on campus.

“Athletes at Bowdoin work incredibly hard in their respective fields, and it’s really easy to get caught up and forget to take care of yourself and others,” Nickelson wrote. “For me, a culture that prioritizes mindfulness and curiosity creates the chance for anyone to show up genuinely and contribute on and off the field.”