Who is today’s Guest Writer?
Frank Field was my older son’s track coach in six and seventh grade. Having inspired hundreds of kids in our community, Frank is an outstanding coach. He’s also an accomplished distance runner, a former journalist and a thoughtful writer. He’s been a kind, steady presence in our community, pushing kids to be their best while providing an affirming environment.
We both urge you to vote no on the ban on trans kids.
Today’s guest post comes from him. While these are his words and his arguments, I agree with his stance wholeheartedly—vote no on the trans-ban. It targets some of our most vulnerable kids, and it is premised on the straightforward lie that trans kids regularly compete in sports and get an advantage by doing so. It will require invasive genital checks for girls sports, and it totally undermines the goal of sports by turning them from friendly (or fierce) competition into a political football.
Vote no on I-638. - Ron Davis
Coach Field’s Guest Post:
As Washington voters fill out their ballots, Initiative 638, which would require sex verification for female school sports, deserves careful reflection. Much of the discussion around I-638 is around political commentary, but I have a perspective based in experience: I’ve actually coached a trans athlete.
I’ve been coaching middle and high school track and field off and on since 2007. Over the years, I’ve coached every kind of runner, from state and conference champions in high school to middle schoolers finishing last, and from future Division 1 athletes to kids who only joined because their parents made them pick a sport.
When I started coaching, I led with my desire to help kids get better passing along the things I’d learned over a lifetime of distance running. But I figured out long ago that helping student athletes reach their goals has less to do with workouts and race strategy than creating a team culture in which kids feel supported. When kids feel supported, they build the confidence needed to tackle hard goals. They learn to support one another and contribute to the culture of the team. That’s the stuff kids take with them in life, work and relationships long after school sports are in their past.
I-638 turns the coach’s job into the antithesis of belonging and teamwork. It turns sports into a political battleground, rather than a place to celebrate growth and achievement.
A few years ago, when a parent asked me to be aware that her child was transgender, I politely said, ok, thanks and checked with the athlete to see which division they preferred to run in and to make sure I used the right name and pronoun. Beyond that, nothing else changed. That child did the same workouts, chased the same stopwatch times and carried the same expectations to contribute to the team culture like everyone else.
Every child deserves a coach who sees what they want to achieve, who’s honest about what it will take to do it, and supports them along the way. And that job doesn’t require a doctor’s note proclaiming what genitalia or hormone levels they have. It requires building trust.
In reality, this initiative creates problems where none exist. The governing body of school sports in Washington estimates there are only 10 trans athletes in the whole state. All I-638 does is create cover for hateful people to attack other people. That’s not in keeping with our state’s values of equity, freedom and belonging. And it’s not my mission as a coach for all kids.
For the sake of student-athletes and team culture across Washington state, I urge a NO vote on I-638.
Thanks for the opportunity to add another perspective to the discussion, Ron.