For parents with children who compete at this level, one of the things that matter most to them is having a fair playing field. Our children train hard and compete intensely. Sometimes they win, and often they don’t, but readily accept the losses to players that win fairly.
This sense of fairness is deeply ingrained. One time my son qualified for the national tournament in one of his activities and was congratulated by everyone, but the next day was informed there was an initial scoring mistake in his favor, but after final review he would not be going (we reviewed as well, and they were correct). Having nationals be given and then taken away stung deeply, but after a day he recovered to the point that he congratulated the person (and also his good friend) who would go in his place. My son knew by then that he didn’t belong at nationals, and would not have felt right going.
No one is interested in creating swimming categories based on height rather than age (similar to boxing and weight), which would be fairer to all, ie., the scrawny 14 year old, who could compete with a similarly sized 12 year old, as well as girls (trans or not)?
I’ll say that this offers a good suggestion as an equitable approach, and represents a scenario for what we might have currently if the Equal Rights Amendment had passed.
Height does not present the degree of advantage that a Y chromosome does. If we can not agree on basic differences like using age ( in youth sports) or gender, there really is no purpose to the competitions. The entire group of men’s division one track teams can likely beat the women’s world running records. Should women stop running as a result? Or continue to compete but realize that at any time, regardless of performance, they might be bumped from victory by a Y chromosome person?
Ignoring basic biological differences isn’t promoting equality, it is a denial of reality.
I am coming at this from the angle of having a kid on a swim team. Keep in mind, swimming is unique in sports, that teams are co-ed, and kids’ changing bodies are on full display as they grow up and go through puberty together. It can be an impressively healthy community when everything is out there.
A few years back, at age 13, one of my kids’ friends on the team came out as a trans boy. He didn’t want to swim, but his mom made him. So he chose to swim with the boys. That creates certain wardrobe challenges when you have a teen female body. He gerry-rigged a suit to make it work for him.
What I saw was team members take it all in stride, and the team envelop him with support. There were probably parents who struggled with it, but not the kids. They intuitively saw the importance of his being able to participate and compete.
I realize that the situation is different because that was a trans boy not a girl. And that it was kids, not college students competing. My point is, I may not be able to see the solution here, but our kids will.
I really do not see this as the most likely outcome. I think we will see more and more biological men compete as women and smash the previous women records. Coaches will actively recruit them. Why wouldn’t they?
As others have said, most that compete do care about the records in their division.
I have been trying to stay out of this, but now I think I need clarification. Are you implying that there are boys and men who will suppress their testosterone for a year and live as women falsely to compete on women’s teams just to compete in sports? That is like the bathroom trope and is even more far fetched and terrifying. Or that there is some huge pool of transfemme athletes out there that are untapped that coaches are now going to start searching for to shatter women’s college and olympics records? also a laughable outcome
The kids saw the solution because it was an inherently uncompetitive swimmer in a recreational league.
It seems more common for the athlete given a choice to choose the weaker ( women’s) competition. Had it been a reverse case,I fully expect that the girls on that team and in meets would object.
Those girls are participating for the wrong reasons. Records, scholarships, etc are only secondary reasons for competing. At some point, every athlete gets their rear handed to them. It’s the nature of sport. These girls need some coping skills.
If we were having this conversation in the 1950’s and 1960’s when black men were being integrated into college basketball, would we be panicking and trying to maintain exclusion of black men because of their clear genetic advantage?
It really isn’t any of your business to tell these girls they are competing for the wrong reasons, why on earth don’t you say that to the trans athlete instead? Why do they get to compete to win, but not girls. It is incredibly offensive to tell biological women they should just be engaging in sports for fun-do you say that to the men?
Probably. I am not disputing that. I think it important to recognize that there are competing interests here, all valid. My point is, I have faith we can figure this out.
Not sure of these students financial circumstances but participating for a scholarship seems like a very good reason. If a student athlete has spent countless hours training and preparing in the hopes of being able to subsidize their education I think that is laudable.
Everyone should be competing for sport for fun, everything else should be for secondary benefit. The possibility that someone better can come along is always possible. These women and girls are playing by the rules outlined by the NCAA and their states so when they lose and there is a lawsuit then you wonder where their motivation lies.