Previous Lute Leaders Stories

TACOMA, Wash. - This is the fourth part of a series highlighting Lute student-athletes, coaches, and administrators who are advocates and leaders in the community. Today's installment features Pacific Lutheran University Head Cross Country and Track & Field Coach Adam Frye.

Pacific Lutheran University cross country and track & field coach Adam Frye stresses the importance of creating a positive, welcoming, and inclusive environment for both programs. Frye lives out those values in his daily life, serving as an agent for change in the local community by participating in protests in Seattle organized by March for Justice and Black Lives Matter.

"Every year I share with the team and prospective students that my number one goal with our cross country and track & field programs is to create a really positive, welcoming, and inclusive environment. I think we've done a good job of that over the last four years but I know there's certainly room for improvement. This has been an opportunity for me to reflect on the environment that we're providing for student-athletes of color, what the values are, and that we're following through on the values that we hold as a program."

Frye along with his wife Ladia Albertson-Junkans participated in the March for Justice organized by health care workers on June 6 in Seattle before joining more the 60,000 activists a week later for a Black Lives Matter protest in Seattle on June 13.

The murders of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd in particular, really hit home and resonated with Frye who begins his fifth season at the helm of both the cross country and track & field programs in 2020-2021.

"The death of Ahmaud, who was out jogging, was really eye opening and caused me to reflect. It really hit home for me. Thinking about myself as a runner and not having to ever think about being in danger because of the color of my skin and then thinking of our student-athletes and what their feelings might be after that situation."

"Then with the death of George Floyd just how shocking that video was and the fact that happened in Minneapolis, a place that I've lived and have good friends there. I think those two had a bigger impact on me personally and prompted me to reflect a little bit more on racism in our country, my understanding of it, and what action I could take."

Frye learned about the March for Justice through a friend that's a physician in Seattle and attended the event that drew around 7,000 people.

"I think living in a smaller town outside of Seattle and especially under the isolation that we've been in recently, I kind of feel like we've been in a little bit of a bubble. This was an opportunity to get out and support a message and a cause and stand for racial justice which is something that I feel strongly about."

The experience was a positive one for Frye, who was able to connect with the powerful messages of the speakers.

"I think being there really helped make it a little bit more real and personal for me. Hearing the speakers and their message and the emotion and power of hearing their words in person as opposed to just reading things on social media or on the news."

That initial experience motivated Frye to come back to Seattle the following week and participate in the Black Lives Matter protest.

"I think now is a time where standing up for your values and what you believe in, and standing in solidarity with people of color is so important. When there was an opportunity to do that again, Ladia and I wanted to do that."

Frye and his wife were among 60,000 protestors to show up in Seattle for the BLM protest.

"I think it showed that so many people were willing to come out and stand in the rain, march in the rain, spend hours out there on their feet. My good health and fitness are something that I'm fortunate to have. I'm sure it was much more challenging for some other people out there that maybe have disabilities or health issues and so I had the opportunity to reflect on some of the privilege that I have."

Beyond marching for justice, Frye has ensured members of both the cross country and track & field programs have forums and discussions about issues of race and inequity moving forward.

"We also had discussions with our captains along with a couple of our coaches, Trey Henderson and Marqui Makupson, who shared some of their perspectives on this as people of color. We're trying to be thoughtful about how we can continue to live out our values and create a positive and inclusive environment. From two perspectives. One of creating a really welcoming team environment and two, as part of a larger PLU education and the values PLU has around equity and inclusion. Making sure we're being a part of that opportunity for our student-athletes to grow and learn around issues of race."