Being part of a sports team forms friendships and bonds that can last a lifetime. With so much time spent together, players are with each other more often than not.

But what if a teammate had a secret about their true sexuality?

Lately the sports community has witnessed several athletes coming out about their sexual orientation. We have seen former NBA player John Amaechi recently come out, and top rugby player Ian Roberts recently revealed his sexual orientation to teammates.

When asked about insinuated “uneasy” locker room issues with teammates, Roberts said to The Weekend Australian Magazine,.“Every gay sports person should get up and say something if this kind of stupidity is ever raised again. It’s offensive.”

What kinds of tensions can this put on the bond between teammates?

Sophomore lacrosse player Trey Atkinson does not believe there will be any long-term tensions.

“Of course it would be a little weird at first (to have a teammate come out), but in the end, they are still my teammate and whether they’re gay or straight, it doesn’t affect how they play on the field,” said Atkinson.

One could assume that maybe one of the hardest things for an individual who is struggling with their sexuality is to actually work up the courage to “come out” to their teammates.

Homosexuality in sports is one of the more taboo subjects in modern society. It can be very difficult for players to talk about homosexuality or acknowledge it because it is largely absent in the locker room.

Lately, there has been a new wave of support for homosexual athletes.

New York Rangers forward Sean Avery hopes to break down some of these barriers experienced by “closeted” athletes. Avery has openly supported gay athletes, and has even gone as far to say he would be in the locker room when an athlete decides to tell their teammates.

“I’ll stand beside him in the dressing room while he tells his teammates he is gay,” said Avery in an interview with Outsports.com. “Maybe if Sean Avery is there, they would have less of a problem with it.”

Avery hopes that if more professional athletes recognize and support gay athletes, the stigma that surrounds it in the locker room would disappear.

Although Avery has been one instance of a pro-athlete standing up for the rights of others, NBA All-Star Kobe Bryant has done the opposite.

In a game during the 2010–11 season, Bryant became upset at a call and mouthed the word “faggot” towards the official. Bryant was fined $100,000 for the incident.

Many athletes’ best friends are on their team, so if an individual were to come out to a best friend on the team, would they out them to the rest of the team?

Quaker swimmer Kendra Medina does not believe so.

“I would respect wishes to keep it a secret on her terms,” said Medina.

If the person were to come out to the whole team, Medina added that she would ensure that everyone treated her equally.

“I would support her in any ways she needs,” said Medina.

A sports team’s locker room can also be a home to many homophobic slurs.

Sophomore rugby player Marley Carroll noted the prevalent use of these slurs.

“On any given day, you can hear guys calling each other ‘fag’, or ‘homo’,” said Carroll. He added that the use of these words can really deter a person from coming out to teammates.

“When a person who is thinking about coming out to teammates hears these words on a regular basis, it may make them reconsider coming out,” said Carroll.

In the Miami University hockey locker room, student team manager Brendan Burke came out to his teammates.  Burke, who recently died in a car accident, received nothing but support from his teammates.

Ben Chadwick, an openly gay lacrosse player at Bowdoin College in Maine, does not believe athletes are necessarily all homophobic.

“I don’t think any of them are truly homophobic, they’re just uneducated about the issue,” said Chadwick.

Many athletes have never dealt with a teammate being openly gay. Because of this, many athletes do not know how to react if a teammate were to come out to them.

As the issue gains momentum in the world of sports, communication remains the key. A better understanding in the athletic community about the struggles many gay athletes have had to endure along with the employment of a more endeared support will aid those that cross that barrier to rid themselves of any apprehension.

If you or anyone that you know is struggling with this issue please contact the sports department at the [email protected] and speak in confidence.