Where Music and Sports Sound the Same (and Why We Need Both to Change)

I’m not going to claim in today’s blog that every player on your roster is a fan of Toosii. I would imagine his name is at least known in your team space, and any time we can use something that already lives in their world to frame a conversation, it’s worth considering.

What struck me about this post (and let’s, as always in 2026, acknowledge this is an alleged quote) is how it stands on its own. It doesn’t need much added to it or reworked to make a point land.

The message is simple: stop using “gay,” “fag,” or “faggot” as insults. He talks about wanting to create a world where his son doesn’t have to ask him about that language.

That matters.

Because we know those words still show up in the spaces we coach in. They’re used in frustration, in competition, sometimes without a second thought. Add in “bitch” or “hoe,” and you start to see how common it is for players to reach for language that’s meant to tear someone else down.

It’s worth asking what those spaces could feel like without it.

Not just from the perspective of someone watching from the stands, but from the standpoint of the athletes who have to exist in that environment every day. There’s an opportunity here that goes beyond correcting a word in the moment. It’s about what we are allowing to be normal.

And whether we’re willing to help build something different with the group in front of us.

Coach Prompts

• What language shows up most often in emotional moments with your team?

• How do you address slurs or degrading terms when they happen?

• What have you allowed to continue because it feels “normal” in sports?

• What would it take to shift the language in your program?

Player Prompts

• What words do you use when you’re frustrated or trying to get at someone?

• Where did you learn that language?

• How does it affect the people around you, even if you don’t mean it that way?

• What would it look like to compete without tearing someone down?