Have though about this a lot as an underlying reason people are so blindly militant about trans kids in sports too! like... Maybe the core issue is just why the fuck are we obsessed with winning in youth sports? Also this attitude caused me as athlete to push through so many injuries that have me now pretty disabled. Just let kids play without pressure goddamn it
I’m so sorry to hear about your injuries! You’re not the only person I know who pushed themselves too hard as a kid. I believe the pressure placed on children often doesn’t equate to the payoff for most of them. Having been a child myself and also worked with kids, I can say they’re definitely not a monolith. I grew up with two boys who were best friends and shared the same first name. By the time we hit high school, they were over a foot apart in height. Same age, same grade, same team, same name. One had a clear advantage when it came to scoring baskets, but the shorter one was incredibly fast! Though I can’t speak for them directly, I always got the sense that they truly loved playing together.
I’m not a coach, but I believe that the unique competitive strengths in each child should be celebrated, while also thoughtfully guiding them to develop other skills. That way, they can grow into well-rounded athletes—and humans.
Have though about this a lot as an underlying reason people are so blindly militant about trans kids in sports too! like... Maybe the core issue is just why the fuck are we obsessed with winning in youth sports? Also this attitude caused me as athlete to push through so many injuries that have me now pretty disabled. Just let kids play without pressure goddamn it
I’m so sorry to hear about your injuries! You’re not the only person I know who pushed themselves too hard as a kid. I believe the pressure placed on children often doesn’t equate to the payoff for most of them. Having been a child myself and also worked with kids, I can say they’re definitely not a monolith. I grew up with two boys who were best friends and shared the same first name. By the time we hit high school, they were over a foot apart in height. Same age, same grade, same team, same name. One had a clear advantage when it came to scoring baskets, but the shorter one was incredibly fast! Though I can’t speak for them directly, I always got the sense that they truly loved playing together.
I’m not a coach, but I believe that the unique competitive strengths in each child should be celebrated, while also thoughtfully guiding them to develop other skills. That way, they can grow into well-rounded athletes—and humans.
Another excellent piece, Jasmine! 🩷