Ideas worth spreading

Why I came out as a gay football coach

50,556 views | Shane Wickes • TEDxUniversityofNevada

Shane Wickes had his dream job: line coach at his high school alma mater. But there was one complication. "Football teaches so many great life lessons to those who play or coach," he says, "but one negative thing that it does teach is that being gay is not okay." In this moving talk, Wickes shares his story about coming out to his team. A story of owning your truth in the face of adversity.

Shane Wickes had his dream job: line coach at his high school alma mater. But there was one complication. "Football teaches so many great life lessons to those who play or coach," he says, "but one negative thing that it does teach is that being gay is not okay." In this moving talk, Wickes shares his story about coming out to his team. A story of owning your truth in the face of adversity.

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxUniversityofNevada, an independent event.

Read more about TEDx.

About the speaker

Shane Wickes

Student

Shane is a strong believer in the power of sports to bridge social gaps. He was born in Reno, Nevada. As a walk-on football player for Boise State University he was inspired to become a coach after his playing career came to an end. Returning home to Reno he quickly got back into the saddle and started coaching at his high school Alma mater. Recently he fulfilled his dream of being the Varsity Offensive Line Coach and at the age of 21 became the youngest Line Coach in the school’s history. A senior at the University of Nevada, Reno, Shane is majoring in Finance and Economics. In addition to school and coaching, he currently works as the Marketing Manager at Oliver Wickes and Associates® and he is the author of the blog Faith, Family, Football. He loves the game. Coaching is a strong passion for Shane and it has given him the ability to do what he loves most – have a meaningful impact on the lives of others.

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This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxUniversityofNevada, an independent event.

Read more about TEDx.