Sport has shaped us and our teams should only consist of women

Aubrey and Avalon Simpson
| Especially for the Capital Journal

We are constantly in pain, bruised, injured, or both, but we wouldn’t have it any other way; Playing sports is a big part of our lives. We cannot imagine a future without them.

You could say sport is in our blood. Both of our parents grew up playing sports, and our mother went on to play golf and volleyball in college. Our father wrestled and played semi-professional soccer. We have been doing sports since we started running.

I, Aubrey, started playing volleyball with my mother and loved this sport the most. My first organized volleyball team was in the town’s recreational league when I was in third grade. I played volleyball in middle and high school and now I play collegiate level volleyball at MidAmerica Nazarene University on a scholarship.

I love the pace of volleyball – you’re constantly doing something: moving, shouting, touching the ball. I also love the teamwork, communication and leadership that this sport requires.

In my last year of high school I also took part in track and field competitions for the first time and quickly became successful. I started throwing javelin in March and became one of the top five javelin throwers in the state of Kansas. I am excited to also be competing on the MidAmerica track and field team.

I, Avalon, also dream of playing college sports, but for me it is softball. I’m in middle school now and play on the girls’ volleyball team, as well as playing club softball.

I have played girls travel softball most of my life, starting when I was four years old, and plan to join the softball team when I get to high school. I usually pitch or play in the outfield, but pitching is my favorite.

Playing sports requires sacrifices, including the physical toll on our bodies – broken ribs, pinched fingers, bruises from being hit by a ball. You may also be missing out on a lot of other things like school dances, soccer games, fewer family vacations, or even sleep from early morning workouts or traveling… but it’s all worth it.

Sports made us who we are and taught us life skills that we will use in high school, college and beyond.

But unfortunately, not all girls will be able to learn these life lessons through sports. Male athletes are allowed to compete against girls, which deprives them of medals and opportunities for advancement.

It’s frustrating that women are now forced to share their sports categories with men. No woman should have to give up her chance to become a champion in her own sport by being forced to compete against a male athlete.

It’s not just a matter of common sense and fairness; It’s also about protecting women’s safety and privacy. We already face a lot of injuries in our sports where we only compete against other girls; We can’t imagine what other injuries we could sustain if we were forced to compete against bigger, faster, stronger guys.

Importantly, we are also concerned about our privacy. We would feel helpless, uncomfortable and even afraid if male students were allowed to change in our locker rooms or use the girls’ restrooms or showers. Men and women are different and men do not belong in the ladies’ room or other private spaces.

But the Biden-Harris administration is allowing this. The administration recently attempted to rewrite Title IX — a federal law designed to provide equal opportunities for female students in education and athletics — to allow boys who identify as girls to enter the girls’ restroom and locker room with us and our teammates.

We don’t agree with that. We believe that people cannot change their gender, that men and women are different – and we never want to be forced to say something that contradicts our beliefs.

When the opportunity arose, we joined Female Athletes United, an organization that promotes fairness in women’s sports. FAU is fighting for women and girls in a lawsuit filed by Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys challenging the government’s unlawful changes to Title IX.

We are very grateful that we live in Kansas, where there is a women’s sports law to protect female athletes. But recent changes to Title IX threaten our state law, and we don’t want to have to worry about being forced to compete against men.

Each of us has grown so much through sport. We want no girl to miss out on the life-defining moments we experienced in sport: the pure joy of triumph; the hard work and perseverance; the teamwork, camaraderie and leadership; and the reward resulting from the sacrifice.

This gives us the courage to stand up to protect what we love – our future and that of all other girls who dream of playing competitive sports.

Aubrey Simpson is a freshman at MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe. Avalon Simpson is in eighth grade at Rossville Junior/Senior High School in Rossville.

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