Who decides whether a trans person can join a team? Is it just the school administration and governing body? That is too much pressure on them, because they could be sued if they don’t side with personal freedom and allow the person to compete.
Let’s help them out and establish statewide panels that can consider each case on a personal basis. The panel can determine if the athlete has a significant advantage because of their hormones and development, or if they need to maintain hormone levels so be eligible.
Either they qualify or they don't, and nobody will have a problem with it. There could be other categories, such as allow them to compete in individual sports but in a separate trans category. Or allow them to compete on a team but not in playoffs for state. That will satisfy their right to compete, and also impose competitive fairness.
Instead of screaming against trans athletes, find a solution. Banning them is not a solution. Forcing them to play on male teams is also not a solution, because they don’t belong there, either. Figure out how to be fair and inclusive.
A ball traveling 70mph is not "lobbed" in my book.
Yeah, this was predictable and going to happen at some point. Although I have played a lot of co-ed volleyball where the same thing can happen.
kinda interesting that there's been no rallying cry to end co-ed sports.....you know....'for the safety of the women'
Almost if that's not even an issue at all....
But co-ed or mixed-sex sports for adolescents and adults are played under their own set of distinct rules that are different to the regular rules for same-sex play. For fairness and for the physical safety of the women and girls who play.
Ross Tucker of Science of Sport has explained on Twitter and elsewhere that volleyball in particular is a sport where men's and adolescent boys' much greater overall strength and speed, better jumping ability, greater explosiveness, additional height, different body mechanics, and ability to spike, hit, wallop the ball with 160% more punching power than girls/women all come together to give adolescent boys and grown men an enormous advantage over teen girls and women.
The rules for girls' and women's volleyball, and for co-ed volleyball, have been written with care to mitigate the risk of injury faced by female players, particularly head and neck injuries. Due distinct anatomical features of female anatomy, girls and women are especially vulnerable to head and neck injuries such as concussion, TBI, whiplash, skull fractures and broken facial bones. A guy who gets hit in the face or head with a volleyball that has been sent flying through the air by another guy is at a much lower risk of being seriously injured from it than a girl or women is.
When co-ed volleyball is played with the net at the height customarily used in women's volleyball - 7 feet, 4 ⅛ inches or 2.24 m - rather than the height that's standard in men's play - 7 feet, 11 ⅝ inches or 2.43 m - it's known as "reverse co-ed" volleyball.
In reverse co-ed volleyball, there is a different emphasis put on adjusting the rules to accommodate the play between male and female players.
men are not allowed to block at any point and aren’t allowed to attack from above the height of the net in the front zone at any point. So even when they are playing the front row, men are not allowed to attack from in front of the attack line, if the ball is above the net when they make the contact.
This puts a greater emphasis on the female players, relying on them to mount the attacks for the team. Men may hit from above the height of the net as long as it’s behind the attack line.
If you’ve been around volleyball very long, you’ve probably noticed that the formal structure of our school and club volleyball leagues is always separated between…
Insuring the physical safety of women and girls in sports definitely is an issue - a very big issue - whether the sport is being played under female-only or mixed-sex rules.
i have less of an issue with trans athletes at the professional/NCAA level because there are strict rules regarding the level of testosterone and hormones and we've yet to see anyone truly dominate post transition (outside of Lia Thomas, who has the advantage of being massively taller/longer in the pool than her competitors). At the high school level, it's still the wild west, kids don't even have to be on hormone suppressing drugs...just tell your school you're trans now and they have no choice but to let you blast people in the face with a volleyball. of course you should be mad if your daughter gets a concussion and neck injury after getting drilled by a biological male with full testosterone.
A ball traveling 70mph is not "lobbed" in my book.
Yeah, this was predictable and going to happen at some point. Although I have played a lot of co-ed volleyball where the same thing can happen.
kinda interesting that there's been no rallying cry to end co-ed sports.....you know....'for the safety of the women'
Almost if that's not even an issue at all....
Silly comparison. Co-ed sports are generally rec league games or intramurals where no one really cares about the outcome and people are just out to have fun. People aren't generally playing with enough intensity for there to be a concern of men injuring women, and no one really cares enough about the outcome for the fairness issue to matter.
A dude playing co-ed soccer probably isn't going around aggressively slide tackling females and knocking people around while going for headers full-tilt. And the males on a rec league soccer team aren't denying females a chance to compete at the highest level, since that's already off the table simply by virtue of the fact that they're playing rec league soccer.
You're comparing sports that people take seriously to a leisure activity. This is a bit like using arguments against greyhound racing to argue that dogs shouldn't be allowed to run around at a dog park for fun. Completely different activities with completely different purposes and completely different consequences.
kinda interesting that there's been no rallying cry to end co-ed sports.....you know....'for the safety of the women'
Almost if that's not even an issue at all....
Silly comparison. Co-ed sports are generally rec league games or intramurals where no one really cares about the outcome and people are just out to have fun. People aren't generally playing with enough intensity for there to be a concern of men injuring women, and no one really cares enough about the outcome for the fairness issue to matter.
A dude playing co-ed soccer probably isn't going around aggressively slide tackling females and knocking people around while going for headers full-tilt. And the males on a rec league soccer team aren't denying females a chance to compete at the highest level, since that's already off the table simply by virtue of the fact that they're playing rec league soccer.
You're comparing sports that people take seriously to a leisure activity. This is a bit like using arguments against greyhound racing to argue that dogs shouldn't be allowed to run around at a dog park for fun. Completely different activities with completely different purposes and completely different consequences.
Nope
We had co-Ed volleyball at our most recent company team building
Everybody cared. We all gave it 100%. Whether we had played competitive volleyball in the past or not
I was not aware of the special co-Ed rules mentioned by one of the posters above. We did not abide by these rules.
kinda interesting that there's been no rallying cry to end co-ed sports.....you know....'for the safety of the women'
Almost if that's not even an issue at all....
Silly comparison. Co-ed sports are generally rec league games or intramurals where no one really cares about the outcome and people are just out to have fun. People aren't generally playing with enough intensity for there to be a concern of men injuring women, and no one really cares enough about the outcome for the fairness issue to matter.
A dude playing co-ed soccer probably isn't going around aggressively slide tackling females and knocking people around while going for headers full-tilt. And the males on a rec league soccer team aren't denying females a chance to compete at the highest level, since that's already off the table simply by virtue of the fact that they're playing rec league soccer.
You're comparing sports that people take seriously to a leisure activity. This is a bit like using arguments against greyhound racing to argue that dogs shouldn't be allowed to run around at a dog park for fun. Completely different activities with completely different purposes and completely different consequences.
"where no one really cares about the outcome and people are just out to have fun." is exactly what every non-professional sport should be in high school or college. This toxic competitive culture where we put the same kind of honest on sport as we do on life or death needs to stop. It's just a game with no real value in society.
A few proven tough woman joining a men’s league is very different than one strong boy joint a female league where not all the girls are tough.
It’s just different than a question of whether girls can choose to play violent sports.
Yes. This underscores why they should eliminate boys/girls/men/women/non-binary divisions and have an open division and a restricted division. Open will wind up being mostly biological males but any biological female can do it if they so choose, and in some cases it would make sense for them to do it. Restricted is biological females only. No more gender, labels, identity issues, unfair advantages, or having people who think of themselves as girls competing in a division called boys.
I am not certain why marathons and local road races are adding non-binary divisions instead of simply changing the names of the divisions.
Silly comparison. Co-ed sports are generally rec league games or intramurals where no one really cares about the outcome and people are just out to have fun. People aren't generally playing with enough intensity for there to be a concern of men injuring women, and no one really cares enough about the outcome for the fairness issue to matter.
A dude playing co-ed soccer probably isn't going around aggressively slide tackling females and knocking people around while going for headers full-tilt. And the males on a rec league soccer team aren't denying females a chance to compete at the highest level, since that's already off the table simply by virtue of the fact that they're playing rec league soccer.
You're comparing sports that people take seriously to a leisure activity. This is a bit like using arguments against greyhound racing to argue that dogs shouldn't be allowed to run around at a dog park for fun. Completely different activities with completely different purposes and completely different consequences.
Nope
We had co-Ed volleyball at our most recent company team building
Everybody cared. We all gave it 100%. Whether we had played competitive volleyball in the past or not
I was not aware of the special co-Ed rules mentioned by one of the posters above. We did not abide by these rules.
Are there special rules in mixed double tennis?
I suspect the company could get into legal trouble - and would be in breach of the terms of its liability insurance - for holding a team-building exercise that puts female employees at disproportionate risk of sustaining a serious physical injury like concussion, whiplash, skull fracture or a broken facial bone.
My understanding is that the US federal government and many (most?) state governments have ruled that employers are duty-bound to abide by standard workplace health and safety regulations even when holding team-building events and other company activities off-site.
There was a case about 15 years ago where an employee got injured whilst go-kart racing during a company outing at an off-site facility, and OSHA ruled that the injuries had to be regarded and recorded as work-related.
There have also been multiple noteworthy lawsuits in numerous states - some successful, some not - brought by employees who got injured participating in a host of different kinds of physical activities at during team-building exercises, company picnics, field days, corporate retreats and so on. Some employees have been awarded damages even in cases where there was drinking at the company event and they were clearly inebriated at the time they got injured.
When Fun 'n Games at Work Take a Bad Turn Phyllis Young and her co-worker and friend, Sarah Bales, won the hula-hoop contest and the balloon toss, making
With all the attention given to the prevalence and grave, often lifelong consequences of concussion and TBIs in sports and the media in recent years - and all the information known about girls and women being at much greater risk due to our different head and neck anatomy - I think it's imprudent as well as unfair for a company to hold a team-building activity that exposes female employees to such a big risk, but doesn't expose male employees to anywhere near the same level of risk. Seems like blatant discrimination that disadvantages female employees but favors male employees based on their sex.
You might want to have a word with whomever in the company planned and approved this team-building exercise. And tell him/her to check with the company's insurance agent/provider and the laws in your particular state.
Who decides whether a trans person can join a team? Is it just the school administration and governing body? That is too much pressure on them, because they could be sued if they don’t side with personal freedom and allow the person to compete.
Let’s help them out and establish statewide panels that can consider each case on a personal basis. The panel can determine if the athlete has a significant advantage because of their hormones and development, or if they need to maintain hormone levels so be eligible.
Either they qualify or they don't, and nobody will have a problem with it. There could be other categories, such as allow them to compete in individual sports but in a separate trans category. Or allow them to compete on a team but not in playoffs for state. That will satisfy their right to compete, and also impose competitive fairness.
Instead of screaming against trans athletes, find a solution. Banning them is not a solution. Forcing them to play on male teams is also not a solution, because they don’t belong there, either. Figure out how to be fair and inclusive.
Find a solution? If this issue is solved, Rightwing Cultural Warriors will have to find the next thing to be outraged about. GOP politicians will have to find they next issue to mobilize the voters.
It turns out that NCHSAA already has a policy, although it is not a good one. All they need to do is to update their policy. But that would be too boring for the outrage porn addicts.
NOTE:: Parents and guardians are to work in conjunction with the school administration to complete the necessary paperwork. Packets submitted by anyone other than school administrators will not be considered for review.
Silly comparison. Co-ed sports are generally rec league games or intramurals where no one really cares about the outcome and people are just out to have fun. People aren't generally playing with enough intensity for there to be a concern of men injuring women, and no one really cares enough about the outcome for the fairness issue to matter.
A dude playing co-ed soccer probably isn't going around aggressively slide tackling females and knocking people around while going for headers full-tilt. And the males on a rec league soccer team aren't denying females a chance to compete at the highest level, since that's already off the table simply by virtue of the fact that they're playing rec league soccer.
You're comparing sports that people take seriously to a leisure activity. This is a bit like using arguments against greyhound racing to argue that dogs shouldn't be allowed to run around at a dog park for fun. Completely different activities with completely different purposes and completely different consequences.
Nope
We had co-Ed volleyball at our most recent company team building
Everybody cared. We all gave it 100%. Whether we had played competitive volleyball in the past or not
I was not aware of the special co-Ed rules mentioned by one of the posters above. We did not abide by these rules.
Are there special rules in mixed double tennis?
Most people here played recreational coed sports. I’m guessing most here also used discretion.
Are you the “athlete” that would spike it 100 mph at the smallest girl on the opposing team? What a hero you are lol.
Competitors like you end up getting a good old fashioned *** kicking post game.
We had co-Ed volleyball at our most recent company team building
Everybody cared. We all gave it 100%. Whether we had played competitive volleyball in the past or not
I was not aware of the special co-Ed rules mentioned by one of the posters above. We did not abide by these rules.
Are there special rules in mixed double tennis?
I suspect the company could get into legal trouble - and would be in breach of the terms of its liability insurance - for holding a team-building exercise that puts female employees at disproportionate risk of sustaining a serious physical injury like concussion, whiplash, skull fracture or a broken facial bone.
My understanding is that the US federal government and many (most?) state governments have ruled that employers are duty-bound to abide by standard workplace health and safety regulations even when holding team-building events and other company activities off-site.
There was a case about 15 years ago where an employee got injured whilst go-kart racing during a company outing at an off-site facility, and OSHA ruled that the injuries had to be regarded and recorded as work-related.
There have also been multiple noteworthy lawsuits in numerous states - some successful, some not - brought by employees who got injured participating in a host of different kinds of physical activities at during team-building exercises, company picnics, field days, corporate retreats and so on. Some employees have been awarded damages even in cases where there was drinking at the company event and they were clearly inebriated at the time they got injured.
With all the attention given to the prevalence and grave, often lifelong consequences of concussion and TBIs in sports and the media in recent years - and all the information known about girls and women being at much greater risk due to our different head and neck anatomy - I think it's imprudent as well as unfair for a company to hold a team-building activity that exposes female employees to such a big risk, but doesn't expose male employees to anywhere near the same level of risk. Seems like blatant discrimination that disadvantages female employees but favors male employees based on their sex.
You might want to have a word with whomever in the company planned and approved this team-building exercise. And tell him/her to check with the company's insurance agent/provider and the laws in your particular state.
Thank you for the post. I was not aware of the great risk that we inadvertently put on our female co-workers. I will be sure to advise the HR department on Monday.
I have to leave now unfortunately as my 14 y.o. son has a football game that I gave to attend.
kinda interesting that there's been no rallying cry to end co-ed sports.....you know....'for the safety of the women'
Almost if that's not even an issue at all....
Silly comparison. Co-ed sports are generally rec league games or intramurals where no one really cares about the outcome and people are just out to have fun. People aren't generally playing with enough intensity for there to be a concern of men injuring women, and no one really cares enough about the outcome for the fairness issue to matter.
A dude playing co-ed soccer probably isn't going around aggressively slide tackling females and knocking people around while going for headers full-tilt. And the males on a rec league soccer team aren't denying females a chance to compete at the highest level, since that's already off the table simply by virtue of the fact that they're playing rec league soccer.
You're comparing sports that people take seriously to a leisure activity. This is a bit like using arguments against greyhound racing to argue that dogs shouldn't be allowed to run around at a dog park for fun. Completely different activities with completely different purposes and completely different consequences.
I don't think you can safely assume that all males playing sports against women are such decent chaps that none of them are or will be "going around aggressively slide tackling females and knocking people around whilst for headers full-tilt." A lot of guys really hate women, and quite a few men and teenage boys have no compunction about being physically aggressive and violent towards us. Beating up, pushing around and roughing up women is something many guys do and very much enjoy. Some guys get turned on by it.
One of the problems with the incursion of males who say they "identify as" women and girls into female sports and "safe spaces" like locker rooms, communal toilets, rape refuges and shelters for women escaping male domestic and intimate partner violence is that males with gender identity issues and claims are unfortunately just as likely to be aggressive, violent and inappropriate to girls and women as any other guys.
MMA fighter Fallon Fox has boasted on social media about how much Fox "loves smacking up" women. Quite a few trans-identified adult males have histories of "wife beating" and other crimes of violence against women, such as rape, assault and murder.
Just read newscaster Katy Tur's and journalist Susan Faludi's hair-raising accounts of how extremely violent and abusive their fathers were to them, to their mothers and to women and girls generally both before and after their fathers "transitioned."
Or read up on the case of California trans activist Dana Rivers, whose trial for the extremely violent and grisly triple murder of two (female) lesbians and their young-adult son in Oakland in 2016 is to start soon. Jury selection apparently starts tomorrow.
Teenage and young adult males who say they "identify as" girls/women threaten women like me and JK Rowling with rape, death and all sorts of other grotesque violence all the time online and IRL. It's trans activists' stock in trade.
Also, you might want to look at what's happened with roller derby in the US, Canada, UK and Australia since roller derby leagues began allowing males claiming opposite-sex gender identities to enter - which they've done in significant numbers. Many of the males in roller derby are extremely aggressive and violent to the female skaters - which is why so many women have dropped out or decided not to take up roller derby in the first place.
Roller derby is the canary in the coal mine when it comes to male intrusion - oops, I meant inclusion - in women's and girls' sports.