Why do we think sports participation is good? Well, there are lots of reasons.
The President’s Council on Sports and Physical Fitness developed a fantastic information sheet on the many benefits of youth sports. You can read the entire 2-page report (4 pages with footnotes) here.
To quote from the introduction, “Research shows that participating in youth sports can lead to immediate and long-term benefits for youth, their families, and communities.”
It goes onto highlight many areas of proven benefit including:
- Mental, Emotional, and Social Health
- Physical Health
- Educational and Career Success
- Lifelong Participation
- Economic and Community Impact
Lowered stress, increased self-confidence, higher academic achievement, leadership development, teamwork and social skills, reduced risk of suicide, lower rates of anxiety and depression, and on and on the list goes.
One area that we don’t see is awards. There are no bullet points for trophies, medals, or championships. Because we as parents, educators, and communities know that it’s not really about winning. I cheer my kid on whether he wins or loses, and I know the benefits he gets from playing a sport are not connected to his W/L record. Fans of a college or professional sports team know this is true, too. I don’t root for the Red Wings only when they’re winning, because it’s not about the wins, it’s about the connection, the community, the history.
In fact, I think that if kids think that all their parents care about is them winning, then many of the benefits the report lists get undermined. Kids need to know that we’re rooting for them but that winning is not our primary consideration.
All this is to say that the logic of banning trans youth from youth sports is mind-boggling to me. One of the primary arguments is that trans girls are taking medals away from cis girls, stealing victories with their “superior athleticism.” Never mind that the very idea that trans girls are somehow inherently better at sports is wrong on its face; the idea that we need to make laws based on the understanding that winning is the thing we care about deeply undermines the entire value of youth sports.
Others can write better than I about the other issues – the statistics, real and appropriate barriers to entry after transition. What I can say is this: the point of youth sports isn’t winning, and the “debate” led by anti-transgender activists forgets this in their striving to harm these kids.
Because you know who could benefit from lowered stress, increased self-confidence, reduced risk of suicide, lower rates of anxiety and depression?
Trans youth, who are at profoundly increased risk for self-harm and unsafe living situations.
Let me end with a piece of good news: youth arts programs offer many or all of the benefits of youth sports, and some other benefits, too. And in my experience, the students, educators, and communities in the arts are overwhelmingly welcoming, supportive, and safe for all people.