COMPETE October 2014

Fall Into Autumn Sports Season

Sports. Diversity.

Mr. No Days Off How Darren Young

Became A Wrestling Icon

Winning Off The Field

A Coaching Primer

Under The Arch St. Louis Roller Derby October 2014 • VOL. 8 NO. 10 • $5.95

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October 2014 Volume 8, Issue 10 FOUNDERS Publisher Eric Carlyle • eric@competenetwork.com Publisher David Riach • david@competenetwork.com COMPETE MAGAZINE Managing Editor Joshua Wyrick • joshua@competenetwork.com Executive Editor Connie Wardman • connie@competenetwork.com Community Editor Ty Nolan • ty@competenetwork.com Style Editor Alfonzo Chavez • alfonzo@competenetwork.com Travel Editor Brian Raymond • brian@competenetwork.com Art Director Jay Gelnett • jay@competenetwork.com Contributors Harry Andrew, Renee Chase, Ian Colgate, Joseph Gaxiola, Amy Jones, Jeff Kagan, Miriam Latto, and Brian Patrick Photo Editor Jacquelyn Phillips • jacquelyn@competenetwork.com Photographers Gregg Edelman, Thomas Fleisher Vice President of Marketing Patrick Gamble • patrick@competenetwork.com Chief Marketing Officer Kevin Terry • kevin@competenetwork.com Sales & Partnerships Joseph Gaxiola • joseph@competenetwork.com Accounting Mary Essick • mary@competenetwork.com Distributors Arizona Edition – Paul Sanchez Distributing Southern California Edition – Five Star Distributing

16 Action Under the Arch 22 A try Down Under 28 Mr. No Days Off Photo by Tony Correnti

KICK–OFF 11 Face Off 12 Speed Read 13 Grandstanding 14 Thumbs UP+Down Departments 32 Travel

Compete Sports Diversity Awards in Phoenix

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Mission Statement Compete unites the world through sports.

42 Gym Bag 44 Events 46 Sports Yearbook

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Cardiac Cardinals Survive Opening Tests

36 Sports–SOCAL

WEHO Dodgeball Turns Two

40 FiTness

Bringing Your A+ Game

Overtime

Compete Online

Check out additional Compete Online stories at competenetwork.com

Cover Photo Tony Correnti

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| COMPETE | 5

8 1 r e b o ct rk

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It’s Time for Gay Bowl!

I

@CompeteEric

t is football season! When you think about football do you think it is a wonderful time of the year for watching the sport, enjoying friends and great food? Or maybe you think about your favorite college or NFL team? At Compete we’re thinking about these and more locally, the National Gay Flag Football League (NGFFL). October is NGFFL’s Gay Bowl and we have been featuring the Gay Bowl since our inception.

The NGFFL has a great team. Our good friend Jared Garduno is the league’s commissioner and he keeps us updated on all of the league’s activities. In fact, he is like our very own Chris Berman! Beyond Jared is a team of football enthusiasts like Molly Lenore, Cyd Zeigler and even former pro NFL player Wade Davis. Zeigler not only officiates flag football games but he has also recently completed the NFL’s referee training.

While we admire Michael Sam and Arizona State’s Chip Sarafin for the positive attention they have brought to diversity and inclusion in college and professional football, we also admire the men and women of gay flag football. They have done an incredible job of fostering LGBT participation and interest in sports and inviting allies to join them.

This year Philadelphia will host Gay Bowl XIV. The city of brotherly love has another famous LGBT football connection—former college quarterback and current Philadelphia representative Brian Sims. What a perfect city to host this year’s event!

And while we get closer to Gay Bowl XIV we have to mention our good friend, Seth Greenleaf. Seth is the producer of the documentary “Flag Football the Movie.” Check it out. The name says it all.

So while I continue to cheer for Michael Sam and Chip Sarafin, my heart is truly with the football heroes of the NGFFL. Sport On,

Eric Carlyle Chief Executive Officer eric@competenetwork.com

@CompeteEric

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| COMPETE | 7

The Pick-6

by Joshua Wyrick, Managing Editor

Fresh and Fit

@CompeteJoshua

Hello Compete Readers, This is my first time in the editor’s chair over here, and I have some big shoes to fill. Connie Wardman, the Catbird, will not be leaving Compete, rather her role will transform into a position that will help foster my growth here.

Change is hard, but like the world we live in it is happening every day, especially so when it feels like things have been the same for a while. In just a few weeks the public has seen what NFL insiders have known for ages: cover-ups exist for many incidents, and only by true investigative reporting can these issues be exposed, creating an environment for the social change we crave.

Incidents like these impress more than ever upon our readers that speaking up is the most important thing you can do in life. Whether it’s about an unfair grade you got in school, or thinking you deserve a raise at your job, or coming out to your friends and family with unknown results; the first step in finding any sort of peace in your daily life begins with just a few words.

In our October issue you’ll be able to read about Darren Young, the first-ever active and gay professional WWE wrestler who has been reaching out to help fans after a recent injury sidelined him for the first time in his pro career.

We also have an interview with Tony Correnti, a die-hard Roller Derby skater with more than a few stories to tell. You’ll learn the most intimate details of Tony and the team he heads in St. Louis, an inclusive league that is mostly straight.

As running season gears up in Arizona, the gym bag will show you how you can help the environment by wearing super fly shoes that sprout into trees and flowers when you’re done with them, as well as avoid the runner’s worst nightmare: shin splints!

As we move forward here at Compete and the world continues to turn, please enjoy this issue and keep your eye out for someone you can help, in any way.

PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS FOR COMPLEX FAMILY PROBLEMS. We provide understanding and compassion for the delicate issues associated with family law and domestic partnership matters. We welcome inquiries from members of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community as to how we can help you with legal issues related to your household and personal life. Contact our law office in Phoenix to discuss your same-sex partnership issues with a knowledgeable and compassionate attorney focusing on family law and related legal areas affecting cohabitating couples.

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| COMPETE | 9

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Face-Off

Kickoff

The Question Connie Wardman

Who is responsible for the off-field violence of professional athletes like Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson and others?

Executive Editor @CompeteConnie

Personal Responsibility Starts With You and Me Sadly, incidents of domestic violence, infidelity, drugs, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, animal cruelty, gambling, even murder are alive and well within the ranks of our professional athletes. And when an incident goes public, an immediate hue and cry is raised demanding punishment, asking how it could happen.

Ultimately, only we are responsible for our own decisions and actions in life. For players who can’t or won’t take personal responsibility for their actions off the field, there is a hierarchy already in place to address appropriate punishment – law enforcement, league commissioners, team owners and coaches. But we as fans also play a part in this.

Here are some NFL players who have crossed the line: Jovan Belcher, Rae Carruth, Greg Hardy, Aaron Hernandez, Robert Rozier and OJ Simpson. Have we ever bothered to ask why this continues to happen or are we afraid we’ll realize our own complicity in this?

Professional football players are simply today’s version of Roman gladiators. Starting at the youngest levels of organized sports we push for a win. Starting in the early years on through college and into professional sports we reward violent, aggressive, game-winning behavior without ever acknowledging that this same on-field behavior might also be used off the field.

Fortunately, leagues are finally starting to address this with more player education and training.

We call for athletes to be positive role models, especially for our children. Yet as fans, we want to see violent behavior on the field as surely did the ancient Romans – we want to see fights, and love it when someone gets bloodied. But when a player does something bad off the field, we cry out in righteous indignation demanding punishment, pretending we didn’t know how “that” could happen.

Money drives professional sports! As fans, as long as we continue to demand violent, aggressive game-winning behavior. As long as we pay for game tickets, jerseys and other team and player-related paraphernalia that fill league and team coffers, why should we expect this to change? While we’re asking that others be punished for their bad behavior, maybe it’s time we look at our own behavior, admit our personal culpability and put our wallets away. Then we can begin to change our disingenuous behavior by taking responsibility for our own actions first. It’s a good place to start.

Ty Nolan

Community Editor @CompeteTy

The Power of the Purse The NFL has focused national attention on domestic violence, not only against women but also children. While the elevator footage of the Raven’s Ray Rice punching his thenfianceé unconscious has captured the most public attention, Rice is hardly the only problem commissioner Roger Goodell is facing this season.

The virulently homophobic National Organization for Marriage (NOM) praised Vikings’ Adrian Peterson for “courageously sharing” his rejection of marriage equality. He’s since been indicted for bloodying his four-year-old son’s thighs, buttocks and scrotum with a whip made out of a tree branch.

NOM’s “hero” isn’t alone in his expressions of domestic violence.

The Panthers pulled Greg Hardy at the last minute after approving him to play in their opening home game after a public outcry regarding his conviction for assaulting and threatening to murder his girlfriend in May. Then there’s the 49er’s Ray McDonald who was permitted to play on September 14th, despite being arrested for allegedly beating his pregnant girlfriend on August 31st.

None of these examples rival 2012’s Kansas City Chiefs’ Jovan Belcher murdering his girlfriend and then killing himself, leaving behind their three-month-old daughter. According to the National Coalition of Domestic Violence, approximately one in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner every year while 85 percent of domestic violence victims are women.

Defenders of the NFL have pointed out the percentage of NFL players involved with domestic violence is less than the national average. But this neglects the facts that not all crimes of NFL players are reported, that some law enforcement representatives may let players go or that victims may be too intimidated to press charges. If pedophilia at Penn State has taught us anything, it’s how the power of football can hide perpetrators from the law and public view.

Who has the ultimate decision over NFL actions? It’s the fans and their power of the purse. As long as they’re willing to tolerate NFL behavior and policies, Goodell and the owners have little real motivation to do more than rearrange the chairs on the Titanic. After all, it took the NFL twenty years to stop denying the reality that one out of three of its players will suffer from long-term cognitive impairment from their regular violence on the actual playing field.

www.CompeteNetwork.com

| COMPETE | 11

Kickoff

Left Field

Speed Read Inclusion in Sports is EPIC

T

he message of inclusion in sports turned “epic” last month with the EPIC Sports Conference held at the University of Denver’s Driscol Student Center Ballroom. With the purpose of promoting “inclusion and acceptance in all level of sports,” the oneday program was funded by the LGBT Sports Coalition and organized by the You Can Play Project; other sponsors included GO! Athletes and EPIC (Equality, Participation and Inclusion in Colorado).

Director of the event was Micah Porter, the awardwinning track coach at Denver’s D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School who made news last year when he came out as gay. Of this event, Porter said that “The goal is for people to bring the EPIC message back to your community. Language and attitudes need to really change about allowing people to do what they’re good at, regardless of gender or sexual orientation or what have you.” He continued to say that this program “… really is about equality and participation. The more people we can reach, the better.”

With an all-star lineup of national speakers, the event was intended to educate parents, students, athletes and coaches as well as advocates. Listed in alphabetical order below are those speakers who shared their own stories and experiences with attendees and answered their questions: > Mike Biselli: former Stanford football player > Wade Davis: former NFL player, executive director of You Can Play > Josh Dixon: USA gymnast > Kate Fagan: ESPN reporter/writer > Pat Griffin: University of Massachusetts > Katie Hnida: first female Division I football player > Marsanne Lavoie: recreational hockey player

> Chris Mosier: nationally sponsored triathlete, founder of transathlete.com > Anthony Nicodemo: high school basketball coach, Yonkers, New York > Derek Schell: former Division II basketball player > Tom Southall: coach, Paralympian advocate > Sean Smith: former Division I swimmer, GO! Athletes > Cyd Zeigler: co-founder of Outsports One of the more memorable stories for the Colorado attendees was undoubtedly Wade Davis’ since he was a local football star at Aurora’s Overland High School. He has shared his story before of bullying a gay student there out of envy and also to deflect any possible hint to others that he himself was gay. He shared that “There was one ‘out’ person who I knew of in high school and he was everything that I wasn’t, and because of that, I hated him for it.”

Davis also said that in all his appearances “I always make it clear now – if you announce that you’re gay, you are one of the most courageous people in the world. And to do it in high school speaks to the type of courage that we all need to exhibit, respect and aspire for.” He knows how much courage it takes to come out since he played in four NFL training camps in the U.S. and played on an NFL Europe championship-winning team before he felt comfortable enough to come out of the closet.

Another highlight of this event was the unveiling of You Can Play’s High School Sports Playbook, an easy-touse guide providing necessary strategies for people on how to approach sports-related LGBT issues, regardless of the sport. This curriculum offers both proactive and reactive strategies to combat intolerance, homophobia and sexism in athletics.

Racist Remarks Cause Hawks Owner to Sell Team

I

n yet another incident of an NBA team owner being held accountable for his racist remarks, owner of the Atlanta Hawks Bruce Levenson has agreed to sell his ownership of the team. This was announced by NBA commissioner Adam Silver following a meeting of NBA owners held last month in New York City.

In explaining the 2012 email he wrote, Levenson said it was in an effort to bridge what he called “Atlanta’s racial

12

| COMPETE | October 2014

sports divide” by trying to include “more suburban whites.”

Rather than try to deny it, to his credit he admits that it was “inappropriate and offensive,” and that by “focusing on race, I also sent the unintentional and hurtful message that our white fans are more valuable than our black fans.”

Levenson goes on to say “If you’re angry about what I wrote, you should be. I’m angry at myself, too. It was inflammatory nonsense. We all may have subtle biases

Compete Reader Survey Favorite Game Day Snack? and preconceptions when it comes to race, but my role as a leader is to challenge them, not to validate or accommodate those who might hold them.”

Then, adding insult to injury was the comment made by Hawks general manager Danny Ferry. In a conference call with the Hawks ownership group regarding potential free agent Luol Deng, he said “He’s got some African in him. And I don’t say that in a bad way.” Ferry has now taken an indefinite leave of absence from the team.

Weighing in on how free agents will now look at the Atlanta franchise was New York Knicks Carmelo Anthony. “As a player, as an athlete, we’re looking for a job; we’re trying to find a place where we can move our family, we can make our family comfortable, where we can be comfortable in a comfortable environment. But those comments right there, we would never look at a situation like that. I don’t care what it is.”

While sports fans continue to be enchanted by the amazing life they think pro athletes must lead – of the material possessions they can buy, the attention, perks and first-class treatment they receive – here is the real picture of the disparity between owners and players and it isn’t glamorous.

It’s not about people – in professional sports it’s all about the money. To owners and players, it’s about the bottom line and looking at the other side as a pawn to be moved on the business chessboard; it’s really a predatory environment. Owners want the best players for the least amount of money. And for the players, it’s about a job and what’s the best deal they can get from the owners during their short pro careers. Sadly, it’s rare that you see a sense of loyalty going either direction.

The lesson to be learned in all this? In this era of globally instantaneous communication and the ability to archive and retrieve material that’s years old thanks to the Internet, the Hawks incidents and the Donald Sterling/Clipper sale controversy should come as a profound wakeup call to all those in a sports leadership capacity. In fact, it should apply to all who are involved in sports at any level in any capacity – to paraphrase an old adage, “If you can’t say something worthwhile and constructive, shut up!”

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Grandstanding Letters to Compete Magazine Diamond Chip (August 2014) Thank you for the article on Chip Sarafin. This big, mountain of a guy comes across as more than just brawn. Chip comes across as happy, smart and genuine—a real diamond of a guy.

Brian Stevens Tempe, Arizona Simply Thank You I’m looking forward to the next issue already. Thank you again for putting together such a great idea in a magazine.

Michael Wildridge Anthony, New Mexico TALK TO US! Submissions to Compete should include the writer’s name, address and contact phone number and should be sent by email to letters@competenetwork.com. Letters may be edited by Compete and become the property of Media Out Loud, LLC.

www.CompeteNetwork.com

| COMPETE | 13

Kickoff

SPORTS

Thumbs UP Thumbs Down Hidekichi Miyazaki

… for winning the 2014 Bingham Cup, their fourth trophy win in a row. This year was the first time the biennial international gay rugby tournament has been held in the Southern hemisphere since its start in 2002.

The NFL’s Dallas Cowboys … for signing Texas native Michael Sam to their practice squad.

A. Joe Montana, a Hall of Famer who’s ranked #4 on NFL.com’s Top 100 Players of All-Time. In a list of complete honors and awards too long to list here, he also won four Super Bowls and three Super Bowl MVP awards. And after retiring, Super Bowl XXX was dedicated to him and he made the ceremonial coin toss.

The Sydney Convicts

QUIZ

?

… the 103-year old Japanese sprinter for wanting to race Jamaican sprinter and Olympic medal winner Usain Bolt … BUT … he doesn’t want to race him for another five years so he can train harder to beat Bolt’s worldrecord time of 9.58 seconds. Miyazaki broke the world record for fastest centenarian in 2010 with a 29.83-second time.

What record-setting quarterback was the NFL’s 82nd draft pick in 1979?

Former NFL Runningback Ray Rice

... for enacting domestic violence and unfortunately memorializing what could be the end of Roger Goodell’s career as the commissioner of the NFL.

THUMBS UP

to #ProudToPlay initiative

… the YouTube video series highlighting the achievements of LGBT athletes who share how their lives really did get better. Timed to debut during LGBT Pride month, its theme is sports and it features videos of Jason Collins, Michael Sam, Robbie Rogers, Brittney Griner, Meagan Rapinoe, Tom Daley, Fallon Fox, Darren Young, Caitlin Cahow, John Amaechi, Belle Brockhoff and Layshia Clarendon as well as other prominent LGBT athletes and supporters.

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| COMPETE | October 2014

Action

Under the Arch Photos by Tony Correnti

16

| COMPETE | October 2014

Compete: What are the names of the members of your team?

Tony Correnti: The St. Louis GateKeepers currently have over 40 skaters. We are a really diverse league, with guys from all walks of life, aged anywhere from 18-50 years old. As most roller derby teams, we adopt fun nicknames to identify ourselves. We have a guy named Bill who goes by “Wrecking Bill”, because he hits like a wrecking ball. We have Neil Death Experience, Fruit Wallup, Debaucherous Prime, and Skulls McCrackin’, just to name a few more. I go by “Percy Controll”, a play on an old Prince song. We have fun with it.

What is the importance of inclusive sporting leagues around the world?

Inclusive sporting leagues are vital to sports and society in general. They provide a welcoming environment with fellow teammates and allow the public to watch athletes perform regardless of their sexual orientation.

In these leagues, gay athletes can finally become role models for our youth. In the past, fearing discrimination, athletes have not felt safe being who they really are and have kept the truth hidden. This is a very timely conversation. After Michael Sam, the first openly gay man drafted into the NFL, conversations began and athletes were finally given an international platform for their stories and to discuss their love of sports. This provided an opportunity for public dialogue and to move society

forward to being more inclusive. These leagues are shifting the culture within sports but are also making an impact across the world to a place of acceptance and respect.

According to USA Today straight attendance of inclusive sporting events is at an all-time high. What are the factors that you think contribute to this?

Society is changing, albeit slowly.

People are becoming more and more accepting of things that they may not know much about or maybe even disagree with.

The media appears more liberal toward social issues as well. If, for instance, a world class tennis player happened to be gay and open about it, I doubt tennis fans would stop spectating the sport and/or miss out on watching his/her amazing skill. That wasn’t the case when tennis star BillieJean King was forced out of the closet in the 80’s. She was ridiculed and lost millions of dollars in endorsements. She lost everything. I don’t think that could happen in today’s society.

Do you think straight athletes participating in inclusive events will eventually sour the experience for gay athletes?

It shouldn’t. We should all be enjoying the same experience. Who we choose to go home to shouldn’t matter; it’s about performing well at your sport. In Men’s Roller Derby, I’d say that about 95 percent of skaters are heterosexual; but that’s not something I’ve ever even had to think about.

The resurgence of modern day roller derby was founded on the ideals of acceptance and

www.CompeteNetwork.com

| COMPETE | 17

Crimes vs Slammers

equality. The purpose is to provide an athletic outlet to anyone and everyone.

The fact that roller derby is so grassroots/ DIY, has allowed the culture to be created from the ground up instead of trying to change an already established flawed culture. The international governing body of Men’s Roller Derby, The Men’s Roller Derby Association, recently updated their non-discrimination policy with some very progressive and precedent setting wording. It’s almost an unconditional policy that will not tolerate discrimination of any person.

What is your sports background?

I had never played a sport in my life until I met roller derby. I was what you would call a “rink rat.” I grew up going to local skating rinks every weekend. I think my first date was at a skating rink.

The majority of people that come into roller derby don’t have strong skating backgrounds but many have played other sports. Since we all come from different places, I think we teach (and learn from) each other.

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| COMPETE | October 2014

When did you start playing roller derby?

I actually got my start in roller derby as an official. I was a referee for the Arch Rival Roller Girls, the St. Louis Women’s team, for a few seasons starting in late 2008. In early 2010, our men’s team was founded and I was present at the first practice.

What is your ‘milestone moment,’ or a moment that made you realize why you love the sport?

In March 2014, Team USA Roller Derby participated in the first ever Men’s Roller Derby World Cup in England. I spent the better part of last winter training five or six days a week, working toward my goal of making that team. At the end of the tournament, after Team USA beat Team England in the Championship game for us to take the gold, they held an awards ceremony where thousands of people starting chanting “USA! USA! USA!.”

That was pretty much mind blowing;

to have people from all over the world cheering for us. That made all the hard work pay off.

How important is it to the community at large that professional closeted athletes come out?

As much as I realize how difficult it can be, I’ve always believed that everyone should come out. Until people realize that we are your brother, or your best friend, or your role model—that we are your loved ones, the culture will not change. Professional athletes as well as celebrities and politicians have the unique opportunity to use that platform to advocate for change. With each person in our community who stands up to be counted, letting everyone know that we are here, the less likely it’ll be a headline news story when the next pro athlete comes out. That’s what we should be working towards.

Who is your favorite athletic figure and why?

Spring Roll: GateKeepers vs Southern Discomfort

My teammates. Every day I gain more respect, love and admiration for them all. I’ve never been involved with something where everyone has one goal and will work tirelessly to improve for each other. They want me to be better just as much as I want them to be.

Team Xtreme vs Fleur-de-Lethal

sporting leagues still around, or have they fallen by the wayside, and why?

When I imagine the future, I think that word “inclusive” won’t be needed.

It will just be a “sports league” where everyone and anyone who can play the

game is welcome to showcase his or her talents. There are no barriers based on “race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.”

What is your favorite sport?

I eat, sleep and breathe roller derby.

Most weeks I’m going to 4-5 practices a week, I am currently the president of my league, and also help coach the internationally competitive local women’s league. When I’m not doing that, I’m usually spending my time planning our events and working on practice plans.

Who is your favorite sports team?

I have a feeling anyone from St. Louis would say the same thing. St. Louis is a huge baseball town. Cardinal Nation!

Imagine a future where one’s sexuality is not an issue. Are inclusive Spring Roll: GateKeepers vs Magic City www.CompeteNetwork.com

| COMPETE | 19

Bingham 2014 A Try Down Under

by Joshua Wyrick

“We have the chance to be role models for other gay folks who wanted to play sports but never felt good enough or strong enough. More importantly, we have the chance to show the other teams in the league that we are as good as they are. Good rugby players, good partiers, good men.”

T

hese are the words of a now-legendary rugby player taken from the physical earth too soon.

On the morning of September 11th Mark Bingham joined a group of other passengers on Flight 93 to successfully wrest control of the plane from its hijackers, causing it to veer from its original course and crash in a Pennsylvania field. While Bingham and the others on that flight lost their lives, their courageous, selfless actions saved an untold number of lives.

Now over a decade later, a tournament bearing his name reigns mighty in the rugby sphere where teams from all over the world come to compete for the glorious namesake prize—the Bingham Cup. This year’s celebration was bigger than ever, drawing the attention of sponsors such as new-taxi company, Uber; camera mainstay, Cannon; leading men’s underwear and swimwear label, aussieBum and Aussie mobile phone company, Telstra—all have a major presence in the LGBT community.

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| COMPETE | October 2014

For the first time the tournament was held on Australian soil where teams from 15 different countries competed. Teams ranged from Bingham’s own team, the San Francisco Fog, to lesser-known ones, like the Amsterdam Lowlanders, and everything a fan could imagine in between.

The biennial event now doubles as not only an international inclusive sporting event but also as a social center for all things LGBT. Sydney’s event included pool parties, movie nights, concerts and even an official rolling out of the “pink carpet” as a welcome sign from the Sydney locals to the global community.

This year’s top honors went to the Sydney Convicts, a team which the reader might recognize from an earlier Compete story where the very same team was the first gay team to play a “curtain-raiser” game professionally—a match which they also won.

This year’s Bingham Cup was also the very first inclusive event to receive

the blessings of an international sporting committee, the International Rugby Board. This action could be the beginning of other international organizations recognizing inclusive events, like FIBA (Basketball) or FIFA (Soccer), a step which helps every member of the community gain exposure.

Bidding for the site of the 2016 Bingham Cup is currently underway but it’s known that Chicago and Nashville have each sent in a bid to be the 2016 host city. Only one thing is sure at this point, however—it will be hard to out-do the outback.

Photos courtesy of Bingham Cup

www.CompeteNetwork.com

| COMPETE | 23

Spotlight On The college landscape of today is full of financial landmines,

tough classes and a dreadful outlook for a job offer after graduation. These organizations help navigate one part of the college experience that shouldn’t be a chore: social life. Building a social life in a college where you aren’t familiar with any of the people can be a daunting task. But these people and their networks are here to help. Visit them, learn something and realize no matter who you are—you can play.

NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN TASK FORCE (thetaskforce.org) It provides resources for college students to start their own programs to educate their peers about the dangers of homophobia and intolerance across all levels.

CHANGING THE GAME: GLSEN SPORTS PROJECT (sports.glsen.org) Assisting K-12 schools to create and maintain an athletic and physical education climate that is based on the core principles of respect, safety and equal access for all students.

ATHLETE ALLY (athleteally.org) An organization that puts together professional and collegiate athletes who wish to help the community and those who can direct change at a meaningful pace from within. Some of the biggest athletic stars of today have put their star power behind Ally Hudson Taylor to make a difference in the community.

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| COMPETE | October 2014

Diversity BR{ACHE THE SILENCE CAMPAIGN (freedomsounds.org) A national campaign to advance LGBTQ inclusion in inter-collegiate athletics.

Utilizes “Ourchives,� a collection of stories and campus initiatives that serve to make the younger generation more aware.

OUT TO PLAY PROJECT (campuspride.org/engage) Over a decade old on the web, Campus Pride has yet another initiative on college campuses. This one is directed at athletes who are challenged to compete at the highest collegiate levels in all aspects of their lives.

GO! ATHLETES (goathletes.org) A support network of current and formed LGBT collegiate and high school athletes creating safe spaces in the athletic community through sensibility, education and advocacy.

www.CompeteNetwork.com

| COMPETE | 25

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COMMUNITY STAGE 10 AM 12 PM 12:45 PM 2 PM 3 PM 4:30 PM

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Mr .

F

rederick Douglas Rosser III—a name any fan of Compete should know, or maybe you already do. Some might recognize him from his “stage name” Darren Young, the very first out and active professional wrestler.

Like many others who have come before him in their personal journeys, Young felt intrinsically that his time as a closeted athlete was over. On August 15th of 2013 Young publically chatted with reporters from TMZ about his sexuality.

While other wrestlers have come out after their careers have ended (most notably Chris Kanyon and Orlando Jordan, the latter of whom is bisexual), Young became the first of his ilk to be true to himself while still pursuing a career in wrestling.

Rosser’s interest in wrestling began at an early age when a friend’s uncle first introduced him to Camp IWF (International Wrestling Federation).

Here he would spend several years training and eventually make his way on to the extraordinarily competitive amateur wrestling circuit. In 2003 Young would win his first major title at the IWF Heavyweight Championship in Woodland Park, New Jersey.

(Continued on page 30)

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| COMPETE | October 2014

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(Continued from page 28) The worth of any wrestler is not determined by winning the belt but rather by the length of time that the belt is held and defended by that winner.

Young held his for just six months before relinquishing it to “Roman,” but the loss would ultimately turn in Young’s favor. Shortly after his defeat he would be noticed by promoter Jim Kettner who would move him to the ECWA, (East Coast Wrestling Association) serving as Young’s springboard to the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment).

Not until 2009 would Young finally sign a development deal with the wrestling federation, and in 2010 he would see his first marquee television appearance as Darren Young, starring in the pilot episode of WWE NXT. Young’s main efforts in the WWE would be as a heel (a wrestling term for a “bad guy” who breaks rules and fights

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| COMPETE | October 2014

unfairly) pitted against superstar John Cena and other notable WWE names.

Young is currently battling back from a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) while many rumors surround his eventual resurgence to the main wrestling stage.

Unlike other major sporting organizations, Young’s coming out was met with overwhelming positivity from his organization and fellow athletes as well as his legion of rabid fans.

In the coming year you can tune in to the WWE to see Young devastate his opponents with his signature moves such as the gut check (a modified fireman’s carry into a double-knee gut buster) and the Heat Wave, a full nelson lifted and dropped into a flapjack. Whatever future Young’s career holds, it will not be hampered by his decision to be open about his sexuality.

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by Brian Raymond, Out Destinations

Compete Diversity Awards in Phoenix

T

he 2014 Compete West Coast Sports Diversity Awards will be held November 15th in Tempe, just a few miles from downtown Phoenix at the DoubleBrian Raymond tree, a former private boutique hotel in the Frank Lloyd Wright style. These awards, now in their fourth year, recognize individuals and groups who have made a significant contribution to the expansion of gay sports or awareness of gays in sports.

Surrounded by desert mountains, Phoenix is known as the “Valley of the Sun,” enjoying about 325 days of sun a year.

Greater Phoenix is spread out so you’ll need a car or taxi to get around town. The downtown is pretty quiet at night but the good news is that there are plenty of bars, clubs and restaurants just north of the downtown. In fact, you’ll find most of Phoenix’s gay bars within a two-mile radius of the Melrose District on 7th Avenue. And if you want high-end dining and shopping, just head east to Scottsdale.

Phoenix has a great parks system which includes hiking trails through the mountains. You can select difficulty levels from an easy walk up Pinnacle Peak to the difficult Cholla trail to the top of Camelback Mountain. Depending on which site you select, you’ll get great views of the city, wild desert landscapes with native saguaro cactus, dry waterfalls, large rock formations or native ruins.

Phoenix has some unique offerings. With over 55,000 plants on 140 acres, the Desert Botanical Gardens at Papago Park has the world’s largest collection of desert plants. And the worldclass Heard Museum features prominent collections covering the heritage and culture of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, especially American Indian tribes. Another of the toprated attractions is the Musical Instrument Museum, the only museum in the world dedicated to musical instruments. Don a pair of wireless headsets for a guided tour and get immersed in sounds of instruments from around the world, from ancient-tomodern times – it’s quirky but fun!

If you’re downtown visit Heritage Square featuring the elegant Victorian Rossan House and see Phoenix as it was in the late 1900s. Other homes have been restored to upscale restaurants, such as Nobuo at Teeter House or Pizzeria Bianco in the Baird Machine Shop.

Come and join the celebration as Compete announces the winners of its Diversity Awards … but bring plenty of sun screen!

To visit Phoenix or any other vacation destination, you can contact Brian Raymond at Brian@OutDestinations.com or 866-217-2341.

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| COMPETE | October 2014

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Sports Arizona

Cardiac Cardinals Survive Opening Tests

By Joshua Wyrick

A

team known for fourth quarter victories has put early season doubters to rest by winning the season opener and the road opener, a feat which when accomplished statistically guarantees a 62 percent chance to make the playoffs.

While starting quarterback Carson Palmer is currently out with a shoulder injury suffered in the opening game, backup QB Drew Stanton has risen to the challenge and granted the Cardinals a stay of a least one week. Stanton successfully carried the team on his back along with rookie John Brown in a week 3 victory against a San Francisco team that couldn’t avoid late-game penalties, leaving the Cardinals a week off to recover. The Cardinals Week 5 opponent will be the previous season’s Super Bowl contenders, the Denver Broncos who have quickly risen to the top spot in respected analysts’ power rankings.

Palmer’s injury has been talked about only vaguely in the press room although head coach Bruce Arians admitted that it is a nerve injury. Medical decisions can be very confusing due to the still-shadowy nature of nerve healing and injury detection.

Palmer has sustained injuries in the past and has bounced back like few others, but nagging injuries like the shoulder nerves could require surgery

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| COMPETE | October 2014

and therefore a longer recovery time.

Without Palmer the Cardinals will have an extraordinarily difficult time winning on the road where victories are extremely important to team morale.

The news isn’t all bleak—Week 2 against the football Giants of New York saw the return of explosive LSU safety Tyrann Mathieu who bolstered a fantastic backfield effort with Pro-Bowler Patrick Peterson. At the time of writing the Cardinals have also released Marcus Benard, a pickup in John Abraham’s absence which should end shortly unless the Cardinals release him entirely and sign a different option that has not been discussed.

Mending the wounds of the sixteen week NFL season is a factor that cannot

be overlooked. Every player in the league is a consummate professional, and the differences between top-level players are few. Having a healthy squad can mean the difference between sealing a playoff berth in the last four games or or sentencing them to the ridicule of their fan base.

The Cardinals are currently leading the NFC West division with a victory over the Chargers, Giants, and Niners while the defending champion Seattle Seahawks are 1-1. And the powerful San Francisco 49ers are 1-2 after a penalty-ridden week two performance.

Going into the winter months where teams from warmer climates suffer, every victory is an indispensable step toward a Super Bowl season.

Sports SOCAL

WeHo Dodgeball Turns Two

By Connie Wardman

O

ur congratulations go to the West Hollywood (better known as WeHo) Dodgeball League and its players on celebrating the group’s second birthday. Playing on Tuesday and Thursday evenings with an eightinch soft “no sting” or “friendly” ball that hands of all sizes can grip, the adult co-ed league provides its members with a mix of fun and competition. Teams get to choose their own fun name and after all, who wouldn’t want to join a team called Drop Dodge Gorgeous, Best in Throw or Saved by the Ballz (not to mention a few more perhaps a trifle too risqué for print).

In just two years the league has grown to 24 co-ed teams of 22 people per team (only 20 can play, however). In terms of equipment, all you really need to get started are a pair of shorts and gym shoes. For only $60 per an 11-12 week season, you get to let out any left-over aggression from work by throwing balls at people – you even get a league shirt to go along with it. And the true bonus reported by members is the amazing community and family life that’s part of belonging to the league.

While many sports leagues struggle to attract women athletes, according to league founder Jake Mason, there’s currently a minimum of five women per team, and there’s now a Thursday all-woman team. One reason the league has grown so quickly is that it’s heavily involved in the local

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| COMPETE | October 2014

community. With community outreach as part of its charter, the league holds a charity fundraising event every three months. And the local WeHo businesses have responded to the group’s outreach by offering special discounts for league members.

In addition to regular league play, the group is geared up for their Charity Halloween Tournament this month on the 25th at the Pan Pacific Park Recreation Center. After that comes

the Sin City Shootout in Las Vegas this coming January. It will be the third year WeHo Dodgeball has participated in this huge international fun-filled, multi-sport event, in fact proclaiming on its website that it’s “back by popular demand.”

Calling the league “the most amazing thing to happen since our ancestors first picked up a rock, threw it [and] caught it,” Mason has announced that a new 8.5 league is coming soon.

The 8.5 refers to the larger size of the dodgeball thrown. It has a harder core and yes, it does sting and bruise but who can complain when you’re

having fun, right? That means that after playing you get to join your teammates at GYM Sportsbar, the team’s local sponsor, for an adult beverage or three, show off your bruises and talk trash.

The league’s big challenge is playing space. If you know anything about the West Hollywood area, you know that its sports facilities are extremely limited; currently the only gym space in WeHo is the West Hollywood Recreational Center. But the good news is that the group recently picked up some open gyms last month at Pan Pacific Park in Los Angeles. The even better news is that the WeHo council has approved a redevelopment project for its park that will include a new gym that’s projected to be ready in three years.

WeHo Dodgeball was founded by Mason, originally a member of the World Dodgeball Society who left that organization to start this independent league. While a predominantly gay league, it is open to anyone who wants to play dodgeball. They have over 500 active members with approximately 3,000 non-active members on their rolls.

In addition to their local sponsorship, and Miller Lite and Coors Lite, WeHo Dodgeball is one of the first groups to be sponsored by Northwestern Mutual Financial Network® in their new LGBT outreach.

To learn more about WeHo Dodgeball, please visit its website at www.wehododgeball.com.

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Fitness

BRINGING YOUR A+ GAME:

Mantras and the Mentally Tough Athlete

By Dr. Rob Ellott Owens, C.S.C.S.

A

s an athlete you want to perform your best by excelling in your sport.

Coaches and athletes believe that spending hours in practice and physical fitness training are the only means to performing optimally in sport. While training hard is necessary for achieving personal bests and competing at the highest levels, extensive research in sport psychology has shown what makes the difference between athletes and teams comparably matched in physical, tactical and technical expertise is mental toughness. Mental toughness creates a performance advantage. But what is mental toughness and how can it be enhanced? While every athlete and team will utilize psychological skills differently to enhance performance, there are some general guidelines that sport and exercise psychology (SEP) consultants offer to coaches, athletes and teams looking to find that mental edge.

In sport psychology, mental toughness has been studied as a personality trait and as a contextspecific state of being in elite athletes.

Several studies have shown that mental toughness is genetically inherited by athletes and others have argued that mental toughness is something an athlete does (and not necessary who the athlete is). Therefore, mental toughness is defined as the natural or developed mental edge that enables the athlete to cope better than the competition and be more consistent, focused, confident, and resilient when performing under pressure. In addition, mental toughness can vary according to type of sport (individual versus team) and level of contact (non-

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| COMPETE | October 2014

contact, semi-contact, full contact).

While there are a number of sport performance enhancement models pertaining to mental toughness, I have found that when working with athletes the 4 Cs model (Clough & Strycharczyk, 2012) is the most flexible across type and level of sport.

The 4 Cs of mental toughness are control, challenge, commitment and confidence. Athletes who are able to control their emotions and feel higher levels of control of the sporting environment tend to have greater influence over the outcomes of a game (Control). These athletes oftentimes view challenges as opportunities instead of problems or threats (Challenge), demonstrate the ability to successfully carry out tasks while in pursuit of their goals (Commitment), and have an unerring self-belief that they can accomplish their goals (Confidence). Typically, mentally tough athletes are more coachable because they have a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset. In other words, mentally tough athletes are more likely to attribute mistakes to controllable, internal factors like inadequate physical preparation or lack of concentration during a match than to external factors such as the other team cheated or the referee was inept.

Some people are mentally tough by nature. The rest of us have to work at it. Like any other sports-related skill, developing mental toughness in sport requires practice. As an athlete in sport (and in life), it is important to attend to each of the 4Cs. If you are an athlete who wants to enhance mental toughness, you first need to identify which of the 4 Cs you want to work on.

Do you lose control during competition

after you make a mistake or are penalized by a bad call from the referee?

When the opposing team has a significant lead at the beginning of the second half, do you view the lead as a threat (of losing) or an opportunity (to make the come back and win)? At the point of physical exhaustion, do you remain committed to winning? Do you hold on to negative thoughts about your performance and/ or your team’s performance during competition and lack the confidence that you can turn things around? The second thing is to create a personal mantra for when the going gets tough.

The mantra should be a short, powerful statement you could speak silently or out loud to serve as a reminder that you can meet that performance challenge, remain committed, stay in control, and retain your confidence.

Middle and long distance runner Renee Metivier Baillie used the mantra “Think strong, be strong, finish strong” to meet the grueling demands of her sport. Duke University basketball coach, Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K) adopted the “Next play” mantra to remind his players to stay focused after making a mistake. Whatever your personal (or team mantra) it should express who you are as an athlete and a player and should incite your love of the game.

Reference: Clough, P., & Strycharczyk, D. (2012). Applied mental toughness: A tool kit for the 21st century. London: Kogan Page.

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Sports

Overtime

Events

Gay SPorts Events Around the Country

Aquatics

Tennis

Washington Wetskins Annual Fall Invitational Washington, D.C. Oct. 11-12

2014 Crape Myrtle Tennis Classic Raleigh, N.C. Oct. 3-5 Texas Open 2014 Dallas Oct. 4-6 Las Vegas Classic XIV Las Vegas Oct. 10-12 Fleur De Lis New Orleans Oct. 17-19 Aloha Tennis Open 2014 Honolulu Oct. 24-26

Bowling Rivercity Invitational Open Tournament Jacksonville, Fla. Oct. 2 Motown Invitational Classic Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Oct. 10 Bridgetown Invitational Tournament Portland Oct. 10 Jackpot Oklahoma Lambda Tournament Tulsa Oct. 11 Northeast Invitational Tournament Boston Boston Oct. 11 Palm Springs Desert Invitational Classic Palm Springs Oct. 17

Football Gay Bowl XIV Philadephia Oct. 10-12

Rodeo World Gay Rodeo Finals Fort Worth Oct. 16-19

Volleyball Autumn Classic Minneapolis Oct. 11 Dallas Fall Classic XXIV Dallas Oct. 11 Music City Challenge II Nashville Oct. 25 Sets on the Beach South Beach Oct. 25

Softball Show-Me Showdown Kansas City, Mo. Oct. 10 Ocean State Cup Classic Providence, R.I. Oct. 11

Pride Events Gay Days Disneyland – Anaheim Oct. 3-5 Atlanta Pride – Atlanta Oct. 18

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| COMPETE | October 2014

Tucson Pride – Tucson Oct. 18

Overtime

Yearbook This month in Sports History: October

1 Dallas Cowboy Ed “Too Tall” Jones records 1,000th NFL tackle - 1989

2

3

4

Steffi Graf youngest woman to win 500 pro tennis matchs - 1991

Gordie Howie, 69, plays in 7th decade, with IHL’S Detroit Vipers - 1997

1st U.S. Golf Open: Horace Rawlins shoots 173 at Newport Golf Club, RI - 1895

6

7

8

Colorodo Avalanche (former Quebec Nordiques) 1st NHL game, beat Detroit - 1995

Lou Piniella fired as manager of Yankees for 2nd time - 1988

BPAA U.S. Women’s Bowling Open won by Aleta Sill - 1994

11

12

Dennis Rodman returns from 2nd longest NBA suspension (11 games) - 1997

WNBA Championships, Seattle Storm beat Connecticut Sun 2 games to 1 - 2004

18

19

USOC suspends Tommie Smith & John Carlos for Olympic “black power” salute - 1968

Braves beat Yankees by recordtying 11 runs; 12-1 in a World Series - 1996

25

26 NFL announces new expansion team, Carolina Panthers in Charlotte - 1993

13

Atlanta Braves become 1st team to sweep in NL playoff (beat Reds) - 1995

Cleveland Indians strike out 23 Baltimore Orioles in 12 inn. playoff game - 1996

10 18th modern Olympic Games opens in Tokyo - 1964

15

16

17

Annika Sorenstam wins LPGA World Championship of Women’s Golf - 1995

Mike Tyson TKOs Tyrell Biggs in 7 for heavyweight boxing title - 1987

Angel Cordero is 3rd jockey to win 7,000 horse races - 1991

21

22

23

24

1st U.S. amateur outdoor athletic games (NY) - 1871

Lance Armstrong gets life ban from Intrn’l Cycling Unionsanctioned events - 2012

Les Alexander, owner of Houston Rockets buys NHL’s Edmonton Oilers - 1997

“Take Me Out to the Ball Game” hits music charts - 1908

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Dave Gryllis sets world bicycle speed record of 94.37 kph - 1980

NBA hires Dee Kantner & Violet Palmer-1st women to officiate major league male sports - 1997

Thomas Hearns wins unprecidented 4th different weight boxing title - 1987

Dodgers sell Ebbets Field to real estate group - agree to stay til 1959 with option to 1961 - 1956

20

Source: www.brainyhistory.com

46

14

9 Babe Ruth pitches & wins longest WS game (14 innings) 2-1 - 1916

5

| COMPETE | October 2014

Don Keller makes his 18,000th sky dive - 1992

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