Helen Carroll

project coordinator, Homophobia in Sports, NCLR

Helen Carroll is the coordinator of the Homophobia in Sports project at the NCLR. Carroll's long career as a basketball coach and college athletic director gives her credibility when examining complaints. She speaks the language of the locker room and the coach's office. Her 1984 University of North Carolina-Asheville team won the NAIA women's national college basketball championship, making her the first woman to win an NAIA title. From 1988-2000 she was the athletic director of Mills College in the Bay Area. In dealing with schools and sports organizations Carroll's goal is always the same: no athlete should be harassed or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation. The NCRL, a small nonprofit based in San Francisco, will cajole, educate and, if necessary, threaten legal action to create a tolerant atmosphere.