They absolutely do not police peds on the youth level. Name me the last person that got caught in a regime where they don’t test. For example, I can tell you the problem is rife in the higher levels of boys high school football in Los Angeles and I suspect from having talked to families in that world nearly 1/5 is on peds. The studies have shown among boys all sports it could be as high as 10% by the time they graduate and girls 2%. Don’t talk to me about meritocracy until you sus out the cheaters
What even is a meritocracy in sports? My sons friend is a finer soccer player than most mls next players but was rejected by the teams because of his height and corresponding shooting power. That meritocratic? Freakonomics pointed out a majority of youth high level hockey players are January/February birthdays. That meritocratic that you are born in a month near the birth line? My kid was impaired early on by his adhd condition and coaches unwillingness to deal with it. Adhd kids mature slower than other boys and he’s near the age line anyway. That meritocratic he can’t play in the immediate year down? If he could he works hard enough and is skilled enough he’d likely be an academy player.
your argument basically amounts to it’s unfair because it feels that way to me. That just emotions it’s not logic. Facts don’t care about your feelings. The reasoned way to look at this is as a disability. The question we have to answer is are there accommodations we can give that are reasonable. Not the boys should play with boys and girls should play with girls because we are talking here about kids whose brains show physiological signs of the opposite gender…they are almost literally the opposite brain trapped in the wrong body.
for The youth level we don’t police peds and we don’t enforce a level meritocratic playing field. The answer is easy: let them play. As dad4 said, the hair bow is what is important, because they aren’t soccer robots. For the college level and higher the question is where can we put them: does treatment reduce at least a portion of athletes down so they can compete fairly with the women, is the change so slight they can compete with the men (this part has been answered already…for people moving in both directions the answer is generally no since being on testosterone is a ped) or is the difference between both so vast that you need to put them in separate leagues. For some individual sports like running wrestling and swimming the answer is we probably will need separate leagues but we aren’t there yet. The data isn’t fully in yet. For team sport the answer is likely the impact on a team (other than perhaps basketball) is so minimal that it doesn’t make a difference of performance is otherwise sufficiently reduced. The science will answer the question except for a few tough cases most notably women’s basketball, cycling and rowing.
I agree with you that there are youths that are taking PED’s, I agreed with that in an earlier post. I’m sure there are, and as I said there will be cheating in sports when W’s, $$$, Scholarships, and NIL is concerned. Coaches cheat, use ineligible players, parents lie, birth certificates, etc. People and kids get caught, and when they do there are consequences. We talk about the cost of youth sports, how much will a testing governance model add to the already ludicrous cost of youth sports. I don’t think it is feasible. Cheaters are going to cheat. They are going to find a way. Youth, HS, College, Pro Leagues I think try their best with the resources they have to prevent cheating (unless we believe the NFL is scripted). Most everyone wants a fair and even competition. In Biological Women’s Sports, allowing Biological Males participants with KNOWN physical advantages to participate is unfair to Biological Women. In team sports (soccer, BBall, Water Polo, LAX, etc.) I believe it could be unsafe.
it’s not because I believe or feel it unfair, it’s because it IS unfair to have a Biological Male to compete directly against a Biological Female. It’s not even a question up for debate is it?
if your argument is cheating occurs, creates advantages for the cheaters, there is no oversight in youth sports, and what is the difference if a Biological Male is playing in a Biological Female League since the frequency is low, I can sort of see that. The difference to me is that we don’t knowingly allow competitors with unfair advantages to compete. Many a HS and college program with games and championship wins vacated due to cheating and improprieties.
You made my point when discussing you son’s friend who is not tall enough and does not shoot hard enough. He does not fit the criteria the coach is looking. It sucks, but not everyone makes the team. Yes, in my mind it is a meritocracy because the coaching staff is looking for the best players to help the team to get the best results at this moment in time. Unfortunately that young person did not make the cut for that team and was not what the coach was looking for. Even MJ got cut from his HS BBall team.
I disagree with saying at the youth level let them just play. At the very young ages, where coed leagues exist than fine. But at a point there is a distinct physical advantage that emerges for Biological Young Males that creates and unfair advantage towards Young Biological Women. That point is not the same for all when dealing with Puberty. How do you manage that?
I also think it is a very dangerous and a slippery slope when young people, kids, who are not fully developed in any way physically, mentally, or emotionally are allowed to make life altering, life changing and irreversible decisions to alter their bodies. I personally do not believe young people have the capacity to fully understand the long term and permanent consequences or outcomes.
Why don’t we let kids vote in elections? Why don’t we let elementary school kids drive? Why do we have age limits on entering the military, drinking ages, smoking, getting tattoos, etc.
These rules are in place because young people typically do not make the best decisions. They need to mature to make the best long term and correct decisions for themselves.
Kids and young adults change ALOT…Its hard to be a kid or young adult today with social media, tik toks, influencers, cyber bullying, all the BS kids have to deal with today. I don’t think kids and young adults should be making lifetime decisions too early.
