Cameron Turner: A 'Menace' in several sports
Cameron Turner, in his seventh year playing gay sports in Chicago, managed five sports in 2011: softball, basketball, volleyball, flag football and dodgeball.
Turner, 39, who is partnered and lives in Chicago's Ravenswood neighborhood, is a partner at Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney.
He was the captain of the Spin Menace, Chicago's only top-tiered A-Division softball team. He also in 2011 played recreation division basketball, volleyball in the BB division, and B-Division football for the Futbol Boys. His dodgeball team was the Evil Empire.
Turner's commitment to the local LGBT sports community earned him the 2011 Male Athlete of the Year honor, chosen by a select group of fellow LGBT athletes.
Turner is a softball outfielder, basketball forward, volleyball middle hitter and multi-position football player.
"I like playing softball the most, probably because I play it better than other sports," Turner said. "I like watching college football and basketball because I am a huge Notre Dame fan.
"Our 2011 softball team won both the regular-season and the playoffs in our straight league in Elmhurst. We placed third at the NAGAAA Cup Tournament and fifth in the Gay Softball World Series, held in Chicago in late-summer. In spring volleyball, we placed second in the regular-season. In spring football, we placed first. In dodgeball, we placed first during the regular season and second in the playoffs.
"Sports are the center of my social life in the community. The vast majority of my good friends are through sports. In 2011, I just had a lot of fun and met even more great people through the sports leagues."
Turner said the softball showing in the straight league in suburban Elmhurst was, "really impressive." After all, the team didn't lose a game all season.
"It was yet another amazing year in 2011 on the local LGBT sports scene," Turner said. "Softball is the focus of my sports participation, and 2011 was particularly special with the [Gay Softball] World Series [being held] in Chicago."
His sporting goals for 2012 are simple: "To fare better in the World Series and give soccer a shot."
Turner's LGBT sports career highlight was winning the World Series championship with the Spin Cougars in 2009.
—Favorite professional team: Chicago Cubs
—Favorite professional athlete: "Can't say I have one."
—Cubs or White Sox: Cubs
—Final quote: "It was another outstanding year in 2011 … can't wait for 2012."
Emily Sexton: Outstanding in her fields
Emily Sexton was a four-sport standout in 2011, mixing basketball, softball, flag football and dodgeball in her ninth year playing gay sports in Chicago.
Sexton, 32, is a fifth- and sixth-grade science teacher who lives in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood. She is married to Jennifer Hostetler.
Sexton's commitment to the LGBT sports scene earned her the 2011 female athlete of the year honor, nominated by a select group of fellow LGBT athletes.
In 2011, Sexton played basketball for the Knockers in the Recreation Division, and for the Knockers in softball, too (C-Division). She also was the quarterback for Spin Blue (Recreation Division) and played dodgeball for Spin Average Janes.
Her favorite sport is softball.
"I like the summer sun," Sexton said. "I can't stand winter, so I enjoy the chance to be out and active in the warm weather. I think college softball is exciting to watch and I love the skill level that softball takes. There's so much strategy involved that most people don't realize. It's not just hitting a ball and running bases."
In 2010, Sexton played for the Knockers, who were the C-Division softball champions. The team finished in second-place in 2011 with one loss. Her basketball team also finished in second-place.
"It's great to have an organization, [the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association, CMSA] that gives us the opportunity to participate in so many sports," Sexton said. "I don't think I have many personal highlights from 2011. I had a few nice diving plays in softball or amazing passes in football, but, most of 2011 was about team accomplishments for me.
"It's great to see how CMSA is expanding and offering new sports and options each year. As a CMSA softball board member, it's been really great to see the number of teams and players increase each year."
In 2012, Sexton's softball team is moving into the B-Division, "so a goal would be to continue to do well," she said. "My goal for [flag] football would be to win a few more games. I was a new quarterback on an established team, so it took most of the season to get our timing down and for me to fully learn the plays. [Things] will be better in 2012."
Sexton said her LGBT sports career highlight was when the Knockers won the championship in 2010 or the Bushwackers winning the C-Division football championships a few years ago, probably 2007.
"We only had seven players show up most of the season and I broke a finger on my throwing hand," she said. Still, "we beat PYT and Raw Energy in the playoffs after winning only one game all season.
"Another [career] highlight would be our Chicago Thunder T's winning three of four pool-play games in the World Series in Las Vegas. Sadly, the rest of the tournament didn't go as well.
—Favorite professional team: "I'm not a huge fan of professional sports. I'd rather watch college sports. I'm an Iowa Hawkeye fan."
—Favorite professional athlete: Brian Urlacher
—Cubs or White Sox: Cubs
