[lex24]

Why are we all of a sudden talking about High School sports?  The topic was allowed under the guise of discussion about college sports.

Getting into High School discussion is a purely political exercise because Republican controlled states are making it into one. That being said, and if we are going to discuss this, I have a very simple question for anyone who thinks government even getting involved in this issue makes any sense at all.

Do you think there are any born males who want to become females in part because doing so will make them better sports performers against those born as and participating as girls?

Personally, I can't even imagine the horror of having a body that contradicts what you feel you are. And I am dead certain that being able to play sports is a great psychological release that makes such kids feel some sense of peace in their lives. Character is displayed by how we treat the least among us.  That can be the poor, the disabled, the elderly, the mentally challenged, and it can mean the small number of trans people in society.

I agree 100% with dabivg13. There will always be someone bigger and faster.  And High School in particular is a place to encourage participating and development. It seems there should just be standards for what classifies as trans girl athlete. Like, if you are just a guy who wears dresses and makeup, that's not enough to participate in girls sports.  But, if you have started hormone treatment and have a doctor's certification, then I don't see the problem with allowing trans girl participation in High School sports.  I mean just this requirement of a doctor's confirmation would probably lend itself to assessing hormone level just like the NCAA.  And, each state can set a threshold for what minimum testosterone level qualifies a trans girl to participate in girls sports.

Again, politicians and governments have ZERO place in this matter and they are ONLY using it as a wedge issue to divide people. Disgusting.

If you think only Republicans politicize this issue, you are fooling yourself.  It’s a tough issue.  It’s also a very small percentage of the population.  There are arguments on both sides. One can certainly take the “biological” position and still have empathy for those very few that are chemically/hormonally transitioning. 

I don’t know the “solution”. But attacking one side is every bit as “divisive “ as the side you are attacking. I’ll end there as the Terry Rule looms. Although it didn’t stop your political comment....

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Reducing athletic performance to biological determinism completely ignores core values of athletics: resilience, perseverance, and discipline.  Athletics makes us better people because it instills in us those important values that we carry on to everyday life.  We are not better people just because we win at athletics.

And Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton. I do not believe that participating in athletics necessarily has much to do with the core values referenced by the OP. It can instill those values, but the behavior of many very successful athletes demonstrates that it often does not do so, specifically with respect to discipline. Undoubtedly the core values of many people benefit from participating in athletics, but it is equally obvious that many do not. The biological determinism of some great athletes is so overpowering that they just don't need to acquire resilience, perseverance, and discipline. They do just fine without them.

Ryan Leaf and Todd Marinovich say hi.

BC

As do athletes from the former Eastern bloc, Russia and China.....

[lex24]

Why are we all of a sudden talking about High School sports?  The topic was allowed under the guise of discussion about college sports.

Getting into High School discussion is a purely political exercise because Republican controlled states are making it into one. That being said, and if we are going to discuss this, I have a very simple question for anyone who thinks government even getting involved in this issue makes any sense at all.

Do you think there are any born males who want to become females in part because doing so will make them better sports performers against those born as and participating as girls?

Personally, I can't even imagine the horror of having a body that contradicts what you feel you are. And I am dead certain that being able to play sports is a great psychological release that makes such kids feel some sense of peace in their lives. Character is displayed by how we treat the least among us.  That can be the poor, the disabled, the elderly, the mentally challenged, and it can mean the small number of trans people in society.

I agree 100% with dabivg13. There will always be someone bigger and faster.  And High School in particular is a place to encourage participating and development. It seems there should just be standards for what classifies as trans girl athlete. Like, if you are just a guy who wears dresses and makeup, that's not enough to participate in girls sports.  But, if you have started hormone treatment and have a doctor's certification, then I don't see the problem with allowing trans girl participation in High School sports.  I mean just this requirement of a doctor's confirmation would probably lend itself to assessing hormone level just like the NCAA.  And, each state can set a threshold for what minimum testosterone level qualifies a trans girl to participate in girls sports.

Again, politicians and governments have ZERO place in this matter and they are ONLY using it as a wedge issue to divide people. Disgusting.

If you think only Republicans politicize this issue, you are fooling yourself.  It’s a tough issue.  It’s also a very small percentage of the population.  There are arguments on both sides. One can certainly take the “biological” position and still have empathy for those very few that are chemically/hormonally transitioning. 

I don’t know the “solution”. But attacking one side is every bit as “divisive “ as the side you are attacking. I’ll end there as the Terry Rule looms. Although it didn’t stop your political comment....

---

Reducing athletic performance to biological determinism completely ignores core values of athletics: resilience, perseverance, and discipline.  Athletics makes us better people because it instills in us those important values that we carry on to everyday life.  We are not better people just because we win at athletics.

And Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton. I do not believe that participating in athletics necessarily has much to do with the core values referenced by the OP. It can instill those values, but the behavior of many very successful athletes demonstrates that it often does not do so, specifically with respect to discipline. Undoubtedly the core values of many people benefit from participating in athletics, but it is equally obvious that many do not. The biological determinism of some great athletes is so overpowering that they just don't need to acquire resilience, perseverance, and discipline. They do just fine without them.

Ryan Leaf and Todd Marinovich say hi.

BC

As do athletes from the former Eastern bloc, Russia and China.....