Awareness isn't enough. Here's what real, everyday support for transgender and non-binary athletes actually looks like—and the research behind why it matters.
Awareness campaigns have done their job. You've seen the headlines, the social media posts, the statements of support.
But awareness alone hasn't changed the daily experience of sport. Transgender and non-binary athletes continue to navigate challenges that cisgender athletes rarely consider: the anxiety of entering spaces where they're not sure they'll be welcomed, the exhausting work of fielding questions and correcting assumptions, and the mental load of staying vigilant about their safety [1][2].
That vigilance has a cost. Much of a trans or non-binary athlete's mental and emotional energy can go toward defending their right to be there, carrying the weight of representation, and managing other people's discomfort—energy that could otherwise go toward training, competition, and growth [2][5].
This matters for both well-being and performance. Compared with cisgender peers, transgender and non-binary people experience substantially higher rates of anxiety and depression, a disparity that researchers largely attribute to "minority stress"—the chronic strain of stigma, rejection, and discrimination rather than anything inherent to being trans [2][3]. In sport specifically, experiences of discrimination, exclusion, and bias-based bullying are associated with increased anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and dropping out of sport altogether [4][11].
So the question isn't whether we're aware. The question is: what are we actually doing about it?
What Real Support for Trans Athletes Looks Like (Beyond Awareness)
Meaningful support doesn't live in a one-time statement. It lives in daily interactions, in the moments when no one is watching, and in the choices you make about how you show up for your teammates. Below are concrete, research-informed practices for teammates, coaches, and allies.
Build Belonging Before Trans Athletes Join Your Team
Don't wait for a trans athlete to join before you make changes. Proactive inclusion signals that a space is safe before anyone has to test it—and gender-affirming environments are consistently linked to better mental health [2][6].
What proactive inclusion looks like in practice:
Use gender-expansive language for the whole team ("athletes" or "team" instead of "guys" or "ladies").
Introduce yourself with your pronouns and make it a routine team practice—not a special accommodation. People feel more comfortable sharing their identity when others visibly ask for and use correct pronouns [5].
Talk about inclusion before a trans athlete joins, so they don't have to be the first to raise it.
Make sure your team's social media reflects diverse bodies and identities.
The message this sends: You belong here. We've already thought about this. You don't have to fight for your place.
Notice and Interrupt Exclusion in Real Time
One of the most powerful things an ally can do is pay attention. Notice who gets left out of conversations. Notice who has to speak up several times before being heard. Notice when someone's pronouns keep getting ignored.
Then interrupt it—not aggressively, not performatively, just clearly:
"Hey, Jamie uses they/them."
"We're using gender-neutral language for warmups, remember?"
"That comment isn't okay here."
The interruption matters more than you might think. Repeated misgendering and nonaffirming language are linked to higher rates of depression and distress, while corrective, affirming responses signal safety [5]. Interrupting exclusion tells trans and non-binary athletes: You're not alone, you're not responsible for educating everyone, and someone else sees it too.
Make Space for Hard Conversations
Creating belonging means being willing to sit with discomfort. Your trans and non-binary teammates may sometimes need to talk about experiences that are hard to hear—discrimination they've faced, fears they carry, the exhaustion of existing in sport spaces [2][4].
Your job isn't to fix it, minimize it, or explain it away. Your job is to listen, to believe them, and to sit with the reality that a sport you love may not be loving them back the same way.
Helpful questions to ask:
"What would make this space feel safer for you?"
"How can I better support you?"
"What do you need from me right now?"
Then actually listen to the answers—and follow through.
Change the Culture, Not Just the Comments
Here's what many people miss: creating inclusion for trans and non-binary athletes means examining systems that affect everyone.
Rigid gender expectations don't only harm trans athletes. They create hierarchies that penalize anyone who doesn't fit neatly into traditional "masculine" or "feminine" athlete molds. When we insist certain sports are "for girls" or "for boys," expect athletes to perform gender in specific ways, or treat femininity as weakness, we build an environment where everyone has to police themselves to fit in. The strongly gendered, "toughness" culture of many sports is itself a documented barrier to seeking help [8].
Real inclusion means questioning these assumptions. Why do we segregate so strictly by gender when skill level is often more relevant? Why is asking for support read as weakness? What changes when we celebrate diverse ways of being an athlete? Researchers who study trans participation point specifically to "softening" the rigid gender binary of sport—through more inclusive language, mixed-gender options, and private changing spaces—as a practical path to greater inclusion [6].
This work is uncomfortable because it asks you to examine beliefs you may not know you hold. But challenging these barriers ultimately makes more room for everyone to show up authentically and thrive.
The Role of Allies: Show Up Consistently, Not Performatively
If you're a cisgender athlete, coach, or teammate, you have a specific role to play. It isn't to speak for trans and non-binary athletes. It's to create and protect space for them to exist, compete, and belong. Notably, when coaches and team leaders visibly support LGBTQ+ athletes, more teammates become engaged allies too [11].
Do Your Own Learning First
Trans and non-binary athletes shouldn't carry the burden of educating you. Read. Research. Follow trans athletes and advocates. Learn the basics on your own.
When you do have a question, be mindful of the emotional labor you're asking for. Consider whether the question is really about understanding your teammate, or whether it's curiosity about bodies and experiences that aren't your business. And be genuinely grateful when someone chooses to share their experience.
Challenge Exclusion When Trans Athletes Aren't in the Room
Some of the most important ally work happens when trans and non-binary athletes aren't present. That's when you challenge the joke, correct the pronoun, and push back on the assumption that everyone on the team is cisgender.
It's also when you examine your own assumptions and biases—when you notice your own discomfort and sit with it, instead of asking a trans teammate to make you feel better about it.
Be Consistent, in June and in January
Real allyship isn't a rainbow logo during Pride month. It's showing up consistently—when it's easy and when it's hard, publicly and privately. In practice, that means:
Using people's correct pronouns even when they're not around.
Speaking up even when it's awkward.
Doing the learning yourself instead of expecting trans athletes to do it.
Examining your own biases continuously, not just when it's convenient.
This kind of steady, predictable support is the foundation of what researchers call psychological safety—the shared sense that you can take interpersonal risks, speak up, and be yourself without fear of humiliation or punishment. Psychological safety is tied to belonging, stronger communication, and better team functioning [9].
What You Can Do Starting Today
Real change doesn't require overhauling an entire system overnight. It requires consistent, intentional action in daily interactions.
If You're a Coach or Team Leader
Start by introducing yourself with your pronouns at every team meeting. Ask athletes how they'd like to be addressed, and then use those names and pronouns consistently [5]. Create several ways to give feedback—not everyone will feel comfortable speaking up in a group. When an athlete reports an experience of exclusion, believe them and act on it.
Pay attention to team dynamics. Notice who's left out of social events, whose contributions get overlooked, and when someone is treated differently because of their gender identity. Then address it directly. This is especially important because trans and non-binary youth participate in sport at far lower rates than their peers—roughly 12–14% of transgender teens play on a sports team, compared with about 68% of youth overall—often citing fear of rejection [7]. Supportive coaches and teammates are a key reason athletes stay.
or more comprehensive guidance on creating inclusive athletic communities, explore our resource on how to promote diversity in sports and build inclusive communities.
If You're a Teammate
Introduce yourself with your pronouns and normalize the practice. When someone is misgendered, correct it quickly and move on—don't turn it into a big moment that centers your own discomfort [5]. Invite trans and non-binary teammates to social events explicitly, and make sure those spaces are genuinely welcoming when they arrive.
Challenge exclusionary comments when you hear them. You don't need to deliver a lecture; a simple "that's not cool" or "we don't do that here" is often enough. Your willingness to speak up gives others room to exist more freely.
If You're a Trans or Non-Binary Athlete Yourself
You don't owe anyone an education. You don't owe endless patience to people who repeatedly get your pronouns wrong. And you don't have to be the perfect representative of your entire community.
Your needs matter. Your boundaries matter. Asking for support isn't weakness—it's recognizing that you shouldn't have to navigate this alone. Sport can be genuinely protective for mental health, and participation is linked to lower depression and anxiety, so it's worth protecting your access to it [7][10]. Consider connecting with other LGBTQ+ athletes, finding trans-affirming spaces outside your sport, and seeking out mental health providers who understand these experiences.
The Path Forward for Inclusive Sport
The sports world has spent enough time on awareness. We know trans and non-binary athletes exist, we know they face real challenges, and we know the current culture too often fails them [1][4].
The question now is whether we're willing to do the daily work of creating belonging—building team cultures where belonging isn't conditional on fitting into narrow categories.
When spaces are built on consistent allyship, genuine curiosity, and a willingness to examine our own biases, something changes: athletes can stop spending energy on survival and start focusing on what they came to do—compete, improve, and find joy in their sport. For many trans and non-binary athletes, sport is deeply tied to identity. Exclusion from it removes a low-cost protective factor against the very mental-health challenges they already face at higher rates; inclusion restores it [6][10]. When that connection is honored rather than challenged—when belonging is assumed rather than earned—athletes can show up more fully and perform at their best.
Ready to Build More Inclusive Athletic Spaces?
At Skadi Sport Psychology, we help athletes, coaches, and teams navigate the mental and emotional work of creating change in sport. Whether you're a trans or non-binary athlete looking for support, a coach building a more inclusive team culture, or someone figuring out how to be a better ally, we're here to help.
Schedule a free consultation to learn how sport psychology can support your path toward more inclusive, psychologically safe athletic communities.
References
Marra J, Christensen D, Harper JM, et al. Medical Care of Transgender Athletes and Policy Implications: ACSM Contemporary Issue Statement. American College of Sports Medicine. 2026.
Tebbe EA, Budge SL. Factors that drive mental health disparities and promote well-being in transgender and nonbinary people. Nature Reviews Psychology. 2022;1:694–707.
Pellicane MJ, Ciesla JA. Associations between minority stress, depression, and suicidal ideation and attempts in transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review. 2022;91:102113.
Xiang M, Soh KG, Xu Y, Ahrari S, Zakaria NS. Experiences of LGBTQ student-athletes in college sports: A meta-ethnography. Heliyon. 2023;9(6):e17000.
Clary K, Goffnett J, King M, Hubbard T, Kitchen R. "It's the environment, not me": Experiences shared by transgender and gender diverse adults living in Texas. Journal of Community Psychology. 2023;51(3).
Lightner JS, Schneider J, Grimes A, et al. Physical activity among transgender individuals: A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies. PLOS One. 2023;18(9):e0291683.
Xanthopoulos MS, Benton T, Lewis J, Case JA, Master CL. Mental health in the young athlete. Current Psychiatry Reports. 2020;22(11):63.
Chang CJ, Putukian M, Aerni G, et al. Mental health issues and psychological factors in athletes: Detection, management, effect on performance, and prevention—American Medical Society for Sports Medicine Position Statement. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. 2020;30(2):e61–e87.
O'Donovan R, McAuliffe E. A systematic review exploring the content and outcomes of interventions to improve psychological safety, speaking up and voice behaviour. BMC Health Services Research. 2020;20:101.
Taimish JY, Bailar S, Turban JL. Considering youth mental health in transgender sports policy. JAMA Pediatrics. 2026.
Roberts CE, Oseni DA, Bohle-Frankel B, Reardon CL. Get your head in the game!: A review of factors that impact collegiate student-athlete mental health using a biopsychosocial-structural framework. Current Psychiatry Reports. 2025;27(5).
