Coker Basketball’s Knight Spreading Messages of Love, Inclusion
Shaking from a mix of excitement and fear, Kristynn Knight sat on the stage of the 2024 NCAA Inclusion Forum. The Coker women's basketball player and featured speaker on a student-athlete panel calmed herself with the confidence of knowing that sharing her insights with others could change lives. Knight credited her team's close bond with its improved record from her freshman to sophomore season.
"I talked a lot about some of my experiences that I had gone through, but the biggest takeaway that I felt stuck with a lot of people was I talked about love. Love is so powerful, and I really understand that concept," Knight said. "I talked about just loving yourself. We're all on our own journey, and as you go down this journey, the easiest way to keep yourself grounded is simply by loving yourself."
Knight's two years as a women's basketball student-athlete have been marked by her active involvement in promoting inclusion and strengthening communities.
Attending the 2023 and 2024 NCAA Inclusion Forums profoundly impacted her, providing insights and strategies to foster a more inclusive environment at Coker. The forums not only helped her grow personally but also empowered her to make significant contributions to her campus community.
Coker attended the 2023 Inclusion Forum as part of the Division II Enhanced Attendance Program, which paid for administrators and student-athletes from 26 schools to participate in the forum. Teams had the chance to develop an action plan to enhance inclusion within their department and on their campus.
"I absolutely loved the Inclusion Forums. The first one was more wrapped around how to improve your school. We had to make an action plan and figure out the problem, steps to improve it, where we see ourselves in so many months. We came up with something that Coker needed, which was student-athletes being more engaged with one another, feeling more like a family," Knight said. "My freshman year, it felt like I didn't really know these people. But my sophomore year, it did increase, which made me feel much better. We're going down a path where I feel like by my senior year, I think Coker is going to be a really tight community."
Knight's religious journey has also played a significant role in her life. Despite societal pressures and misconceptions, she's found a way to reconcile her faith with her identity as a queer woman, drawing strength from her relationship with God.
"When I first was kind of coming out, I was afraid because of the fact that society kind of uses God to say, 'Hey, this is wrong; this is not right,' and it could kind of make those in this community feel like we're unworthy of God's love," Knight said. "I had to look past society to go out and figure out who God is for myself. It was a big thing for me. I came to the realization at a young age that I wasn't unworthy of his love, that I was still able to be who I am."
Knight's mother, Lynn Tyler, was a catalyst in this regard. She has served as a pillar throughout Knight's journey, providing unwavering love and encouragement.
In addition to being a standout on the court, Knight has been active in advocating for inclusion. She's attended two NCAA Inclusion Forum, including speaking on the panel of the 2024 forum.
"She is very accepting of who I am. Along this journey, she has told me things like, 'I know that God's going to use you in a mighty way. Don't let anyone make you feel less of who you are. Meet God where he's at and just keep seeking him,'" Knight said. "I feel like I'm walking proof that I can be who I am and meet God where he is and still receive his love."
On the basketball court, Knight has faced her share of challenges but has always found solace and strength in her faith. Her journey in basketball began in the seventh grade, inspired by her brother's love for the sport. Despite moments of self-doubt, Knight has persevered, finding confidence from her teammates and coaches.
Knight's decision to attend Coker was influenced by her relationship with head coach Melissa DeVore, whose consistent support and positive energy made a lasting impression.
"Coach Mel came into my life with great energy. I love her so much. She was so consistent, just letting me know that she wanted me," Knight said. "I just felt in my spirit like this is the place where I can be myself, this is the place where I know I can grow."
Reflecting on her two years at Coker, Knight expresses gratitude for the welcoming environment and the growth she has witnessed within the campus community.
"Coker's a really small PWI (predominantly white institution), and it's growing. And when I say growing, I mean in the aspect of from my freshman year to my sophomore year, I saw so much growth in trying to increase the engagement within students, trying to be there for each other, trying to go to more games," she said, referencing the work of the 2023 Inclusion Forum she attended. "We put things into motion so that student-athletes can get more involved, so student voices can get heard more."
Knight's involvement in promoting inclusivity extends to supporting her teammates through difficult times, creating a strong sense of camaraderie and support within the team. She noted how this led to more on-court success between her freshman and sophomore seasons, as the team went from 11-15 in 2022-23 to 17-11 last season.
"There's been some moments where we've had players that were at low moments in their life, where things were just hard, and we were able to as a team to just come together and be there for that person, help that person out," Knight said. "I really appreciate and love my team because we decided last year that we were going to take team bonding to a new level and really try to be with each other so that we could grow, and we did. We were able to see the growth in our record and our winning streak, the way that we're winning more now."
While Knight was able to share some insight into creating supportive and inclusive environments at the 2024 Inclusion Forum, her general advice to administrators on supporting the LGBTQ+ community emphasizes the importance of building relationships and being present.
"Take the small step of showing up, creating those initial relationships, going to more games — I know it's asking a lot because I know their jobs are so much and they do a lot in the background — but if they do want to help things become more inclusive … they have to show up. You have to put yourself out there and create relationships with all these different people from different backgrounds, beliefs, whatever it may be."