The unavoidable question...."Sexual Orientation Consideration"

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While coaches denied that sexual preference would be a deciding factor in recruitment, it often comes up during the process.

When one head coach at a mid-major school discovered that a prospect slept with one of her current players during an official visit, the recruitment of that prospect ended immediately.

"I've been in situations as a player and coach when teammates have been in relationships with each other and it's all bad," the coach explained. "I would never not recruit a kid because of sexual orientation, but I don't want what I call 'inbreeding' on my team. I talk about it with my kids. I don't care who they date as long as it's not a teammate. It just never ends well and affects the team."

As in the previous discussion about race, coaches did not want to think that sexual orientation is an issue in recruiting, but it is at the very least a consideration, albeit one that depends on situation and context.

When ESPN HoopGurlz asked more than 20 college head and assistant coaches or recruiting coordinators whether a prospect's sexual orientation should be a factor in her recruitment, all were adamant that it should not be. Yet, when the discussions progressed, it turned out that sexual orientation, in some situations, could have an impact.

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Sexual Preference Consideration