Coming soon to a softball field near you!

[Swim Coach]

What is the reasoning that the TG M to F can't just be assigned to the boys track or baseball team? Is the biological male at some sort of disadvantage competing against boys?

I can't buy that the TG gets to compete with the girls because that's how he identifies. Likely none of the girls identify with the TG. To quote a famous Vulcan, "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one". An entire team/district/state should not have every girl displaced or affected because one TG needs have their needs met. They are no more important than those of the competitors they are displacing or affecting, and despite any argument to the contrary, one TG can negatively impact dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of girls.

 

[Eric F]

This is a bit different. Renee Richards was a never was as a mens player who did not do much more in the womens game. Claim to fame was a novelty, not an athlete. What is happening today is much broader in scope, with the potential to wreak havoc on womens sports.

IMO, "wreak havoc" is a little much. How many transgender people do you personally know? I'm guessing zero. Maybe - just maybe - you might know one, but if it's more than one, I would be completely shocked. My point is that transgenders are a TINY percentage of the population, so there is very little chance that this will become a widespread phenomenon. It's an occasional anomaly at the most.

 

[riseball]

IMO, "wreak havoc" is a little much. How many transgender people do you personally know? I'm guessing zero. Maybe - just maybe - you might know one, but if it's more than one, I would be completely shocked. My point is that transgenders are a TINY percentage of the population, so there is very little chance that this will become a widespread phenomenon. It's an occasional anomaly at the most.

How many TG's do I personally know? I contracted for years at Disney World and Universal Studios, so what do you think? As long as they did their job I did not care. However, the body count is totally irrelevant. If you think that is about TG's you are missing the bigger picture. No longer will players be classified based on physical characteristics, but their mindset at given point of time. It will not be about who you are but what you say you are. You can be a black, female, Buddhist with a hispanic surname today and a white, male, Irish Catholic tomorrow. The day after you can identify as something completely different. Up to you based on how you feel and if someone has a problem with that they will be considered a small minded bigot and probably accused of a hate crime. In the workplace or the classroom it does not matter since physical abilities are not in play. In sports it is all about physical ability. As we are all well aware, unscrupulous coaches will go to exceptional lengths to win. Do you think that fielding a team with some guys under the guise of being TG's is beyond them?

 

[marriard]

In sports it is all about physical ability. As we are all well aware, unscrupulous coaches will go to exceptional lengths to win. Do you think that fielding a team with some guys under the guise of being TG's is beyond them?

The one thing I do know about young TG people - especially teenagers - is that they have a long medical history from psychiatrists, mental health professionals and so on as they and their parents learn to adjust and deal with this. I don't know any of them who have had it easy. I believe it is required as well if you want to go down this path. You can't just go "Oh I am a XXX" and away you go - the school system requires more than that.

With this sort of scrutiny and history I would be OK with whatever is best for the individual and I believe this would continue to make this the very rare exception rather than the rule.

Also this would help avoid your cheating scenario. Faking that level of medical history is too much work for cheaters who are looking for short cuts.

 

[riseball]

The one thing I do know about young TG people - especially teenagers - is that they have a long medical history from psychiatrists, mental health professionals and so on as they and their parents learn to adjust and deal with this. I don't know any of them who have had it easy. I believe it is required as well if you want to go down this path. You can't just go "Oh I am a XXX" and away you go - the school system requires more than that.

With this sort of scrutiny and history I would be OK with whatever is best for the individual and I believe this would continue to make this the very rare exception rather than the rule.

Also this would help avoid your cheating scenario. Faking that level of medical history is too much work for cheaters who are looking for short cuts.

I agree with you. However, the definition of TG is quickly changing. I would expect that at some point any scrutiny or requirement to provide documentation will be strictly prohibited.

 

[YOCOACH]

I can't buy that the TG gets to compete with the girls because that's how he identifies. Likely none of the girls identify with the TG. To quote a famous Vulcan, "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one". An entire team/district/state should not have every girl displaced or affected because one TG needs have their needs met. They are no more important than those of the competitors they are displacing or affecting, and despite any argument to the contrary, one TG can negatively impact dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of girls.

Unfortunately, in our extremely liberal society, in an effort to try to preserve the rights of a single individual, they are more than willing to trample those of the many.

 

[Jquick823]

The biggest issue I see with this is school sports. Schools tend to be very careful about discrimination. With respect to travel I don't think many coaches will take a TG player which is not illegal unless you say I didn't take you because you're TG.

I wonder how many colleges would offer a scholarship to a TG? Would be interesting, but I don't think many coaches want to be the "FIRST" but I could be wrong.

I think boys should be able to play softball similar to girls playing baseball until a certain age maybe 12? Otherwise the Little League World Series needs to change the rules on girls being able to play.

 

[YOCOACH]

The biggest issue I see with this is school sports. Schools tend to be very careful about discrimination. With respect to travel I don't think many coaches will take a TG player which is not illegal unless you say I didn't take you because you're TG.

I wonder how many colleges would offer a scholarship to a TG? Would be interesting, but I don't think many coaches want to be the "FIRST" but I could be wrong.I think boys should be able to play softball similar to girls playing baseball until a certain age maybe 12? Otherwise the Little League World Series needs to change the rules on girls being able to play.

Nobody wanted to be the first to let African-Americans in the MLB until the Brooklyn Dodgers Coach broke the color barrier in 1947 by starting one of the best players to ever play the game....Jackie Robinson.

I'm sure a coach will make that call at some time in the future if a player's good enough.

 

[Jquick823]

Nobody wanted to be the first to let African-Americans in the MLB until the Brooklyn Dodgers Coach broke the color barrier in 1947 by starting one of the best players to ever play the game....Jackie Robinson.

I'm sure a coach will make that call at some time in the future if a player's good enough.

I want to say this is very different but again I don't know if this is very different. I think like everything else there becomes some sort of legislation regarding this, but again there was a runner in a high level track event running against the opposite sex because of how they identified. Can't remember the details but remember hearing about it.

 

[klamath632]

How many TG's do I personally know? I contracted for years at Disney World and Universal Studios, so what do you think? As long as they did their job I did not care. However, the body count is totally irrelevant. If you think that is about TG's you are missing the bigger picture. No longer will players be classified based on physical characteristics, but their mindset at given point of time. It will not be about who you are but what you say you are. You can be a black, female, Buddhist with a hispanic surname today and a white, male, Irish Catholic tomorrow. The day after you can identify as something completely different. Up to you based on how you feel and if someone has a problem with that they will be considered a small minded bigot and probably accused of a hate crime. In the workplace or the classroom it does not matter since physical abilities are not in play. In sports it is all about physical ability. As we are all well aware, unscrupulous coaches will go to exceptional lengths to win. Do you think that fielding a team with some guys under the guise of being TG's is beyond them?

Forgive me, because you're one of the best posters here, but this might be one of the dumbest rants I've ever read.

In my opinion, a boy who is pretending to be TG has no business playing girl's sports. But a true TG, one who is female to the depths of her soul, who has gone through the effort of integrating herself, taking hormones, etc., and who currently does not have hormone levels consistent with males, should be allowed to participate with the rest of the girls- because she is also a girl.