The One with Kirk Walker

It’s fair to say that Kirk Walker has a life that has been shaped by softball, over and over again.

The current head-coach at UCLA, Walker spent nearly two decades at Oregon State before returning to the place where he had previously been on the coaching staff between 1984-94.

Kirk has more titles and accolades than you can shake a stick at – with multiple NCAA Championships, over a dozen appearances in the Women’s College World Series, Coach of the Year awards, stints serving on the coaching team for Team USA through the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens… the list goes on and on.

Yet Kirk’s significance is also related to what he’s done as an advocate – including in 2007, when he shared his story with Outsports and became the first out gay male Division 1 coach.

Nowadays, it’s also related to his work with the Sports Equality Foundation, which promotes visibility, linking, opportunity and education for LGBTQ+ athletes – so it’s only natural for us to get him on the podcast.

This chat is a cracker for anyone who wants to find out more about what it takes to coach at the very top level, and how authenticity is such a crucial part of that – and we’re delighted that Kirk made the time to join us for it.

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