Youth sports are a huge part of kids’ identities, development, and physical and mental well-being. So, why are kids all over the world being purposely barred from participating? On January 28, 2024, a 9 year girl was harassed by a fully grown man for simply trying to play with her friends, and the scariest part is- this is happening all over the world and it’s only getting worse.
A youth sports club located in Northern Virginia, who has asked that their name stay anonymous, is a non-profit, volunteer travel basketball organization dedicated to providing a positive environment to create both a talented and hardworking athlete on the court, and a good human off the court. Their alumni hold an endless amount of gratitude and respect for the organization, saying the club made them the successful and well-liked person they are today. Last Saturday, during an open gym for fourth grade girls, the positive environment that the staff and players have worked so hard to create and maintain took quite the fall – because of one entitled parent. A dad demanded one of the girls not be allowed on the court, for she is taking a spot from someone who deserves it more. The staff was baffled, and couldn’t understand why a grown man with his own family, job, and life would have so much interest in and hate toward a 9 year old girl, and then it was made obvious – he’s just a bigot.
The player he was talking about, who’s identity will be kept anonymous, is transgender. She was born as a boy, but has identified as a girl for quite some time now. None of her fellow 9 year old friends have had any issues adjusting to the change. They’re nine. They’re brains have barely even begun developing. They have had zero issues respecting their friend’s identity. Apparently, that’s too much to ask from this man. He was arguing that she was a boy, and boys shouldn’t be allowed to take spots from girls. While my first instinct would be to rip every single hair out of his body one by one, the organization has an obligation to its governing body and state and county laws, and therefore had to go about the issue more calmly, cool, and collected.
The organization’s President, a 50 year old female with decades of experience in youth sports, had many comments on the event, stating “in our particular sport, the overseeing organization that certifies all events requires that all participants on a girls team be biologically female at birth and they must provide a birth certificate as verification. Our county and state do not have policies and instead leave it to the discretion of the organization. Youth sports experts encourage inclusion and provided research and studies that dispelled many of the myths surrounding the participation of transgender athletes. At the time of this blog post, our organization is still considering all factors and currently does not have a policy. We recognize that we must follow the requirements of our governing organization while balancing the concerns of our families and the needs of our athletes. We hope that as research progresses and organizations advocate for greater inclusion, the answer to this debate will not be so difficult”. In addition to her statement on behalf of the organization, Ms. President asked if she could also relay a personal statement. She says, “One of the greatest benefits of youth sports is creating a sense of belonging and space for young athletes. It’s necessary to the emotional and social growth and development of athletes to be inclusive. Exclusion only furthers the vulnerability of an already marginalized group of individuals. Additionally, my concern is that much of the fear isn’t based on actual concern for welfare of the athletes, but in outdated and archaic religious bigotry. If families do not wish to participate on a team with a transgender athlete, there are many more opportunities available to them that support their religious beliefs. Sadly there are very limited opportunities for transgender athletes”.
The issue of Transgender participation in sports has been the biggest silent bully of this generation. You don’t particularly hear about it unless you have a connection to youth sports. But the truth is organizations all over the world similar to this one are struggling to balance their tie to bureaucratic laws and the true well-being of their athletes. Advocacy for trans athletes and trans kids in general is not loud enough, aggressive enough, or funded enough. Kids these days are already dealing with so much, they shouldn’t have to worry about their safety or inclusion because of their identity. For more information, support, or ways to help, please visit transathlete.com.
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