A sports club doesn’t just mean a physical place with changing rooms, clubhouse and membership fees. It can also mean an informal group of people who get together for a jog or a group attending a regular class with an instructor.

Regardless of the set-up of the sport you play, everyone will benefit if it’s more inclusive.

An inclusive sports club is one where everyone feels they can be their authentic self and spend their energy and enthusiasm on their sport. For a lot of people, sport and sporting environments are ‘safe spaces’, somewhere they feel comfortable and safe. But other people might feel they have to hide part of their lives because they’re concerned how their teammates might react.

THESE TIPS CAN HELP MAKE YOUR CLUB MORE WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE:

• Draft and actively enforce codes of conduct so that everyone at the club knows what’s acceptable behaviour and what isn’t. Put the code of conduct on prominent display as a permanent reminder.

• Avoid using language that makes assumptions about people’s gender identity and the gender of their partner. It’s far more inclusive to say things like ‘bring your partner to the game’ rather than ‘boyfriend or ‘girlfriend’ or celebrating a ‘player of the match’ instead of ‘man’ or ‘woman’.

• If language focuses on someone’s identity in a negative way, it’s hurtful and abusive, even if it’s not directed at anyone around you at the time. This isn’t banter, never suggest that it is. It’s abuse.

• If you feel safe to do so, challenge abusive language when you hear it, whether it’s on the pitch, from the side lines or social events. You’ll find advice on how to do this safely in our Top Tips on Challenging Abusive Language.

• Don’t exclude lesbian, gay, bi or trans (LGBT) people from your conversations and avoid drawing out or assuming differences between LGBT people and others.

• LGBT is an umbrella term but the experiences of the people it covers can be very different, both in sport and in the wider world. Support everyone as the individuals they are.

• If your club has a formal committee, encourage them to think about diversity in the club and steps they can take to promote inclusivity. Find out if your club has accreditation where inclusion is one of the qualifying criteria and hold them to it.

• Check your club has policies on homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying.

• Check your club’s policies for gendered language as it excludes people. Make sure you have trans inclusion guidelines and policies from your national governing body, and that you’re confident applying these.

TOP TIPS FOR BEING AN INCLUSIVE SPORTS CLUB.

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MAKE SPORT EVERYONE’SGAME.

• Consider what could be done to your club’s facilities to make them more inclusive, such as designating toilets or changing rooms as gender neutral. If you use public facilities, work with the managers to ensure gender neutral spaces are available.

• Let everyone know you’re an inclusive club. Display Rainbow Laces posters in your clubroom, celebrate different identities on your social media feeds and get your sponsors and supporters involved in your activities. If you don’t have your own facilities, make sure you promote the club and its activities in a way that shows it’s inclusive and welcomes everyone.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR MY CLUB?

Being inclusive does take some effort, but it’s worth it. It isn’t just the right thing to do – it has real benefits for you, your teammates and your club. Inclusivity:

• Recruits new members and retains current ones, helping make the club sustainable.

• Attracts new talent to the club as they know they’ll be accepted for who they are and encouraged to reach their full potential.

• Creates a welcoming environment which makes your club a nicer place to work or volunteer at, ensuring your sport happens, week in, week out.

IT’S DOWN TO YOU TO BE AN ACTIVE ALLY.

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