2023-11-04 01:04:16
Justin Rogers, an athletic therapist with the Seattle Kraken, became the first openly gay man behind a bench in the National Hockey League (NHL) when he made the public announcement on Friday.
The American has been with the Washington State team since 2021 and said in an interview with the ESPN network that he had no difficulty disclosing his sexuality to general manager Ron Francis.
• Read also: Oilers: A first chance for Raphaël Lavoie
• Read also: CH: Rafael Harvey-Pinard in uncertainty
Rogers told his story in a letter to himself posted on the Kraken website. As a teenager, he was told he might never work in a sports locker room, but he quickly silenced the bad tongues.
“Walking into every locker room as gay will test your fear of acceptance as it does for many others in the queer community. You know you are different. But you will discover that there is a community within the sports world made up of LGBTQ+ individuals like you,” the Michigan native wrote.
He admitted to hearing a lot of derogatory terms regarding gay people during his work, and that he had to pick his battles. At the Kraken, he immediately felt supported by his work colleagues and the players.
The story of his coming out in hockey is quite amusing in itself. It took place while Rogers was working for Penn State University.
“The first athlete you’re going to tell at Penn State is going to be a young Russian player, who right following you score a goal, skates over to the bench, turns around and asks you if you’re gay. You will be in shock, you will ask him to repeat the question. He’ll rephrase it by asking if you like Skittles and rainbows. You will confirm to him that yes, but that he should return to play,” he said.
“After the game, the player will invite you to his locker to let you know that he had no problem with Skittles and rainbows, a subtle way of showing his approval,” Rogers concluded.
Today, the instructor is involved in the Seattle community by giving back. He is now trying to instill his growing confidence in other young people who find themselves in his situation.
1699062927
#openly #gay #coach #NHL
