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For 22-year-old Alex Ann, conversations about transgender women are black and white. “Trans women are women,” said Ann, who identifies as a nonbinary trans person. And when it comes to trans women competing in female sports — an issue that the Trump administration has made part of its policy agenda since Inauguration Day — Ann […]

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2 months ago

April 30, 2025

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For 22-year-old Alex Ann, conversations about transgender women are black and white.

“Trans women are women,” said Ann, who identifies as a nonbinary trans person.

And when it comes to trans women competing in female sports — an issue that the Trump administration has made part of its policy agenda since Inauguration Day — Ann said that trans women should have all the same rights as cisgender women.

“When you are talking about what a woman is, well now you’re talking about checking to see if you’re really a woman,” said Ann, a South Florida resident. “And the kind of violation that in and of itself poses” goes too far, Ann continued.

Ann represents the views of just over a third of Gen Z, or 36%, that trans women should be allowed to participate in female sports, according to the new NBC News Stay Tuned Poll, powered by SurveyMonkey. That level of support, from respondents ages 18-29, was the highest of any generation in the poll of 19,682 American adults.

Overall, 1 in 4 respondents, or 25%, said they supported trans women participating in female sports in a yes/no question. The other 75% of American adults said they do not believe trans women should be permitted to participate in female sports.

Cecilia Pogue, a 21-year-old college student from Virginia, said she believes that allowing trans women to compete in female sports comes at the expense of cisgender women.

“We want people to feel comfortable in their skin, and we want them to have opportunities, but we also need to make sure we’re not taking opportunities away from the majority to please the minority,” Pogue said.

Many Gen Zers who spoke with NBC News about the topic discussed the complexity and nuances around it, such as how going through male puberty or taking hormone suppressants could affect a trans woman’s physical development.

“A lot could be fixed by having a separate column for trans sports,” said Julian Miller, 22, from Texas. “Just like how we separate male and females, we should separate trans males and trans females to compete against each other. I know there might not be a lot of competition at first, but as the sport grows, so will the competition.”

The poll found a significant gender gap between young men and women on the issue. About 3 in 4 Gen Z men (72%) say transgender women should not be allowed to play female sports as compared to about half of young women (56%).

Advocates of trans women competing in female sports say that the marginal number of trans women competing at an elite level makes the topic a nonissue. In December, NCAA President Charlie Baker testified that he was aware of fewer than 10 transgender athletes out of more than 500,000 total NCAA college student-athletes, which would equal 0.002% of this college student-athlete population.

“This is really a distraction,” Ann said. “It matters, but it’s not what is most important right now.”

Jay Baca, a 26-year-old who identifies as nonbinary, noted that when trans men compete in men’s sports “nobody bats an eye about it.”

“It still comes down to patriarchy, sexism and transphobia,” the Colorado native said.

But despite the criticism and the relatively low numbers of people involved, it has undeniably become a hot-button political issue in recent years.

Critics of trans women in female sports say trans women have an unfair advantage past puberty due to their body composition. Differences in body mass, bone density and height that trans women may have, Pogue said, can create a “dangerous” environment.

“I don’t really want to play soccer against a 6-[foot]-2 person who already went through puberty and then changed late high school or in early college,” she said.

Vito Milino, 22, of California, said trans women should not compete in “full-contact or highly physical sports alongside cisgender women” but sees no problem in other sports.

San Jose State University’s women’s volleyball program became a flashpoint in the national conversation over trans women and women’s sports recently, as has swimming, a noncontact sport. In 2022, Lia Thomas made history when she became the first openly trans woman to win an NCAA championship while competing for the University of Pennsylvania women’s swim team. Thomas had spent the first two years of her collegiate career on Penn’s men’s team.

The NCAA in February changed its rules following an executive order from President Donald Trump, with the collegiate athletics organization instituting a new policy that “limits competition in women’s sports to student-athletes assigned female at birth only.”

Then, on Monday, the Trump administration said that Penn violated laws that guaranteed equal protections for women in sports by allowing a trans swimmer to compete on the school’s women’s team and into team facilities. The Education Department previously announced an investigation of San Jose State.

Still, some medical experts caution against misconceptions that fuel much of the dialogue around trans women in female sports.

“Trans women are people who want to participate in society as the gender they identify as being — women,” said Bradley Anawalt, an endocrinologist and professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, who rejects the notion that trans women are changing for athletic advantages.

“They are not undergoing gender-affirming hormone therapy to attempt to have greater success in sports,” he said. “Gender-affirming therapy, hormone therapy is not easy. It requires doctor visits, blood tests and frequent doses of medications that might include shots.”

When it comes to body composition, he added, “The competitive advantage of elite male athletes starts with puberty when blood testosterone concentrations increase to adult male levels.”

Alithia Zamantakis, an assistant professor at Northwestern University’s Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, sees the higher Gen Z poll numbers in support of trans women competing in female sports as compared with older demographics as an indicator of a shift in “society at large.”

“We can expect greater and greater support for transgender rights as the myths and anti-trans” rhetoric are demystified, she said.

Missing from the conversation is a “balancing of equities,” according to Lanae Erickson, senior vice president for social policy, education and politics at Third Way, a Democratic-aligned Washington, D.C., think tank.

“Sports are fabulous ways to learn all kinds of values — teamwork, persistence and healthy habits,” she said. “And just saying that an entire class of people can’t participate in any sport at any level, it really goes against those values and is a real detriment to that group of people.”

“We also do need rules about participation in sports,” Erickson added.

“But I think those rules should be made based on fairness and safety, not based on animus towards a certain group of people,” she continued.

This NBC News Stay Tuned poll was powered by SurveyMonkey, the fast, intuitive feedback management platform where 20 million questions are answered daily. It was conducted online April 11-20 among a national sample of 19,682 adults ages 18 and over. Reported percentages exclude item nonresponse and round to the nearest percentage point. The estimated margin of error for this survey among all adults is plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.

Sports

Mazda celebrates Singapore’s aquatic stars in grit-fuelled film

Mazda is putting the spotlight on grit and perseverance with its latest brand film “What drives you?”, launched in tandem with Singapore’s hosting of the World Aquatics Championships 2025. Done in collaboration with advertising agency 3-Sixty Brand Communications, the 60-second film opens with a voiceover asking, “What drives you to step out of your comfort zone?” […]

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11 minutes ago

July 14, 2025

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Mazda is putting the spotlight on grit and perseverance with its latest brand film “What drives you?”, launched in tandem with Singapore’s hosting of the World Aquatics Championships 2025.

Done in collaboration with advertising agency 3-Sixty Brand Communications, the 60-second film opens with a voiceover asking, “What drives you to step out of your comfort zone?” before showcasing five TeamSG aquatic athletes excelling in swimming, water polo, artistic swimming, and open water swimming.

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Orange Line wins Sports Research digital brief, expands US footprint

Independent digital agency Orange Line has landed a significant new client in the US, securing a full-funnel digital strategy mandate with leading health and wellness brand Sports Research. Based in Los Angeles, Sports Research produces more than 300 premium SKUs across nutritional supplements and workout products. The brand was founded in 1980 and remains family-owned. […]

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39 minutes ago

July 14, 2025

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Independent digital agency Orange Line has landed a significant new client in the US, securing a full-funnel digital strategy mandate with leading health and wellness brand Sports Research.

Based in Los Angeles, Sports Research produces more than 300 premium SKUs across nutritional supplements and workout products. The brand was founded in 1980 and remains family-owned.

The partnership will see Orange Line lead strategy across SEO, CRO, paid media, email, SMS, data, analytics and web development, with a remit to accelerate e-commerce performance in the competitive US wellness market.

“Partnering with Orange Line has been an exceptional experience. They bring stellar organization in their ways of working, clear communication, and a truly enjoyable team dynamic,” Marshall Spellmeyer, UI/UX Designer at Sports Research, said. “Their innovative, forward-thinking strategies consistently adapt to evolving market and technology trends, keeping our brand ahead of the curve.

“Every interaction with Orange Line reflects a commitment to excellence and insight, making collaboration both effective and genuinely fun to partner with such a great team. I’m confident we’ll see rapid success partnering with Orange Line and value their team tremendously.”

David Klein, co-founder at Orange Line, said the win underscores the agency’s growing presence in North America.

“We’re really excited to work alongside Sports Research during this important phase of growth. With our team members based in both Sydney and LA, we’re able to offer seamless, real-time support across time zones,” he said. “Combined with our data-driven approach and strong commercial focus, we’re well-placed to help accelerate their growth and deliver long-term impact.”

The win builds on Orange Line’s expanding US client base and bolsters its positioning as a digitally focused, performance-led agency working across global markets.

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Second day of men’s preliminary water polo matches

Preliminary Round Group Match Reports Match 9, Group C, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 16 BRAZIL 7 (6-1, 2-0, 4-3, 4-3) Olympic bronze medallist USA was always going to hard to beat, but Brazil took it up to the more illustrious opponent in this American confrontation. With junior world championship most valuable player Ryder Dodd in […]

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1 hour ago

July 14, 2025

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Preliminary Round Group Match Reports

Match 9, Group C, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 16 BRAZIL 7 (6-1, 2-0, 4-3, 4-3)

Olympic bronze medallist USA was always going to hard to beat, but Brazil took it up to the more illustrious opponent in this American confrontation. With junior world championship most valuable player Ryder Dodd in sparkling form — gaining player of the match today — USA was assured of an excellent start and this it did with the youngster scoring three of the first four goals before Lucas Farias responded for Brazil. Hannes Daube collected his second from the top left, followed by captain Max Irving from the other side of the pool. Dylan Woodhead snapped in a short cross pass to the right-post position on extra to start the second quarter and USA was 7-1 ahead. Brazil tightened its defence and restricted USA to only one other goal with Irving smashing in a shot from his favoured position on action at 4:22. Brazil made a few shots on target, one hitting the left upright, that had beaten the goalkeeper.

Brazil proved very competitive in the third period with three consecutive goals after USA had advanced the score to 11-1. Irving closed the scoring for a 12-4 margin. Irving scored twice while for Brazil, Farias claimed his second from the top. Brazilian captain Gustavo Guimaraes buried the second and third shots with the second needing VAR to get across the line. The final quarter was also relatively even with goals traded to 14-6 — Connor Ohl gaining his first goal at this level. USA had a penalty attempt saved and two timeouts for USA realised a penalty goal to Connor Ohl (with his brother playing alongside him and his parents in the stands). Farias landed a third from the top and Jake Ehrhardt converting extra from the deep left for 16-7 at 0:32. Brazil had a timeout and the subsequent shot rebounded off the bar and the last shot saved. It proved to be a 4-3 quarter and an 8-6 half.

Match Heroes
Ryder Dodd and Irving scored four each for USA and Farias three for Brazil. Joao Fernandes made 10 saves in the Brazilian goal.

Turning Point
At 11-1, there was no turning point, although Brazil’s second half was a compliment to its determination.

Stats Don’t Lie
USA rattled in seven of 10 on extra and defended three of four. USA missed one of the two penalty attempts on offer. USA made six steals to two and shot 34 to 26 overall.

Bottom Line
USA has that elusive Olympic bronze and Brazil needs a lot of work to become the best in the Americas.

What They Said

Progress Points

Group A: Serbia 3, Italy 3, Romania 0, South Africa 0.
Group B: Hungary 3, Spain 3, Japan 0, Australia 0.
Group C: United States of America 6, Brazil 3, Canada 0, Singapore 0.
Group D: Croatia 3, Montenegro 3, Greece, China 0.

Day 6 Schedule

Match 17. 09:00. Group C, Canada v Brazil
Match 18. 10:35. Group B, Australia v Japan
Match 19. 12:10. Group D, China v Montenegro
Match 20, 13:45, Group A, Italy v South Africa
Match 21. 16:00. Group A, Serbia v Romania
Match 22. 17:35. Group D, Greece v Croatia
Match 23. 19:10. Group C, Singapore v United States of America
Match 24. 20:45. Group B, Spain v Hungary

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U.S. Girls U19 National Team Takes Silver at 2025 World Championship

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 13, 2025) – The U.S. Girls U19 National Team earned the silver medal at the 2025 Girls U19 World Championship after falling in the final to Bulgaria, 3-1 (21-25, 25-16, 25-17, 29-27) on Sunday in Osijek, Croatia. The U.S. has medaled in the last four World Championships for the age group. […]

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2 hours ago

July 14, 2025

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 13, 2025) – The U.S. Girls U19 National Team earned the silver medal at the 2025 Girls U19 World Championship after falling in the final to Bulgaria, 3-1 (21-25, 25-16, 25-17, 29-27) on Sunday in Osijek, Croatia.

The U.S. has medaled in the last four World Championships for the age group. The 2023 World Championship, where the team won gold, was the first one contested as a U19 championship. Previously, FIVB held Worlds as a U18 event, and the U.S. won bronze in 2021 and gold in 2019.

The match was close statistically as the U.S. finished with a one-point advantage in kills (46-45) and blocks (11-10), while Bulgaria served eight aces compared to five for the U.S. The key statistic was Bulgaria committing 14 fewer errors (37-23).

Outside hitter Suli Davis, who was named Best Outside Hitter, led the U.S. in points (17), kills (13), aces (3), digs (16) and successful receptions (4). Libero Lily Hayes finished with 14 digs.

Outside Cari Spears totaled 12 points on 10 kills and two blocks, while middle blocker Jordan Taylor shared match-high honors with four blocks to go with seven kills for 11 points. Henley Anderson was named Best Opposite and had seven points on five kills and two blocks in the final.

The U.S. led the entire first set, jumping out to a 6-1 lead. A Davis kill extended the lead to six, 10-4. Spears and Davis provided back-to-back kills to make it 14-7 and force Bulgaria to use its final timeout. Bulgaria used a late 7-2 run to cut the margin to three points, 23-20, but kills by Anderson and Davis sealed the opening set.

Davis led all players in the with six points on four kills, a block and an ace. Taylor scored five points on three kills and two blocks. The U.S. doubled Bulgaria’s kill total in the set, 14-7.

Bulgaria scored seven consecutive points to break a 7-7 tie and take early control of the second set. The U.S. got no closer than five points. Davis and Spears each scored three points on kills.

Bulgaria never trailed in the third set, using a 5-0 run to take a 7-2 lead. After the U.S. closed the gap to four points, 13-9, Bulgaria scored the next seven points. Davis scored three points.

The U.S. fell behind 7-4 in the fourth set before using a 5-2 run to even the score at nine apiece on Kelly Kinney kill off hands. A Davis ace and a Taylor block gave the U.S. a three-point lead 13-10 but Bulgaria went on a 10-1 run. The U.S. responded with its own 10-3 run to earn set point on a block by Taylor.

Each team had two set points before Bulgaria converted on its third set point with a block to capture the gold medal. Davis scored five points on three kills and two aces, middle blocker Abbey Emch made some big plays in big moments to finish with four points on three kills and a block, and Spears also contributed three kills and a block.

2025 U19 National Team Roster for World Championship

(Name, Pos., Birth Year, Height, Hometown, School, Region)
3 Jordan Taylor (MB, 6-5, 2007, Houston, Texas, University of Minnesota, Lone Star)
5 Lily Hayes (L, 5-9, 2007, Tampa, Fla., Berkeley Prep HS, Florida)
6 Suli Davis (OH, 6-1, 2007, Euless, Texas, Brigham Young University, North Texas)
8 Abbey Emch (MB, 6-3, 2007, New Waterford, Ohio, University of Pittsburgh, Ohio Valley)
10 Isabelle Hoppe (S, 5-8, 2008, Gibsonia, Pa., Pine Richland HS, Ohio Valley)
11 Kelly Kinney (OH/OPP, 6-2, 2007, West Palm Beach, Fla., The Kings Academy, Florida)
12 Genevieve Harris (S, 5-11, 2007, Raleigh, N.C, Cardinal Gibbons HS, Carolina)
13 Gabrielle Nichols (MB, 6-3, 2007, Winston Salem, N.C., Penn State University, Carolina)
16 Cari Spears (OH, 6-3, 2007, Dallas, Texas, University of Texas, North Texas)
17 Lameen Mambu (OH, 6-0, 2007, Chantilly, Va., Georgia Tech, Chesapeake)
19 Henley Anderson (OPP/OH, 6-3, 2007, Dripping Springs, Texas, Dripping Springs HS, Lone Star)
20 Devyn Wiest (OH, 6-3, 2007, Peoria, Ariz., University of Utah, Arizona)

Alternates
1 Izzy Mogridge (S, 5-11, 2007, Lutz, Fla., Berkeley Prep HS, Florida)
2 Charlotte Vinson (OPP, 6-2, 2007, Muncie, Ind., Yorktown HS, Hoosier)
4 Kalyssa Blackshear (MB/OPP, 6-4, 2007, Torrance, Calif., University of Louisville, Southern California)
7 Ayanna Watson (OH/OPP, 6-3, 2007, Henderson, Nev., Bishop Gorman HS, Southern California)
9 Natalie Wardlow (MB/OPP, 6-5, 2007, Lincoln, Neb., Lincoln Southeast HS, Great Plains)
15 Logan Bell (L, 5-11, 2007, Beech Grove, Ind., Roncalli HS, Hoosier)
18 Aniya Warren (L, 5-8, 2007, Lockport, Ill., Benet Academy, Great Lakes)

Coaches
Head Coach: Keegan Cook (Minnesota)
Assistant Coach: Alyssa D’Errico (Utah)
Assistant Coach: April Sanchez (New Mexico)
Performance Analyst: Jon Wong (Florida State)
ATC: Cherryl Bueno (Coast to Coast AthletiCare)
Team Lead: Courtney Smith (NTDP)

2025 FIVB Girls U19 World Championship Schedule
July 2: USA def. Spain, 3-1 (22-25, 25-16, 25-12, 25-23)
July 3: USA def. Peru, 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-18)
July 4: Poland def. USA, 3-2 (25-23, 23-25, 25-17, 25-27, 16-14)
July 6: Bulgaria def. USA, 3-2 (25-15, 16-25, 27-25, 13-25, 15-5)
July 7: USA def. Türkiye, 3-1 (25-19, 20-25, 25-22, 25-23)
July 8: Round of 16: USA def. Germany, 3-2 (25-18, 26-28, 17-25, 25-15, 15-13)
July 11: Quarterfinals, USA def. Italy, 3-2 (31-29, 23-25, 20-25, 30-28, 15-8)
July 12: Semifinals, 12:15 p.m.: USA def. Poland, 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-19)
July 13: Final: Bulgaria def. USA, 3-1 (21-25, 25-16, 25-17, 29-27)

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Bodine Selected by Baltimore in First Round of MLB Draft

Story Links ATLANTA — Coastal Carolina University catcher Caden Bodine was selected by the Baltimore Orioles with the No. 30 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft. Bodine, one of the elite catches in college baseball, won the Johnny Bench and Buster Posey Awards, was an […]

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2 hours ago

July 14, 2025

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ATLANTA — Coastal Carolina University catcher Caden Bodine was selected by the Baltimore Orioles with the No. 30 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft.

Bodine, one of the elite catches in college baseball, won the Johnny Bench and Buster Posey Awards, was an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner at catcher and was a four-time All-American, earning spots on teams from the College Baseball Foundation (First), D1Baseball (First), Perfect Game (second) and NCBWA (third).

His selection marks 29 straight seasons with a Chanticleer being selected in the MLB draft, dating back to 1997. Bodine is only the second first-round choice in school history, joining Eric Brown in 2022 to the Milwaukee Brewers (No. 27 overall).

Coastal Carolina had a nation-leading and school record 56 wins, a Sun Belt Conference Championship, Sun Belt Tournament Championship, Conway Regional Championship, Auburn Super Regional Championship and a 3-0 run in Omaha to the Men’s College World Series Championship Final. Over the last quarter of the season, Coastal posted a 26-game winning streak, the fourth-longest winning streak in DI in the last five years.

Bodine turned in an outstanding all-around campaign in 2025. The First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection started 67 games for the Chanticleers — 66 behind the dish, one at DH — guiding a pitching staff that ranked No. 2 nationally in both ERA and WHIP. Offensively, he hit .318 with a team-best .454 on-base percentage, drawing 47 walks and being hit by 17 pitches. He added 24 extra-base hits, drove in 42 runs and slugged .461, serving as a consistent presence atop the lineup.

Behind the plate, Bodine was a defensive anchor. He threw out 19 would-be base stealers on 44 attempts — tied CCU’s career record with 46 runners caught stealing — and finished with a .998 fielding percentage. His leadership helped elevate Coastal to the Sun Belt Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championship, where he was named the Most Outstanding Player and also earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team. He followed that up with All-Tournament honors in the NCAA Conway Regional as the Chants advanced to the Super Regionals and Men’s College World Series for the first time since 2016.

2026 SEASON TICKET DEPOSITS
Missed the action at Springs Brooks Stadium this season? Fans can make a $25 deposit to secure season tickets for the 2026 Coastal Carolina baseball season. Reserve your seats today online!

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Stingers Defend Victory Against Italy

The Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers have continued their winning run at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships with a four goal victory over Italy. After matching up against them only days ago in the Tri Nations Test Match Series in Perth, the Stingers took some extra confidence in the game having claimed the earlier win on […]

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2 hours ago

July 14, 2025

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The Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers have continued their winning run at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships with a four goal victory over Italy.

After matching up against them only days ago in the Tri Nations Test Match Series in Perth, the Stingers took some extra confidence in the game having claimed the earlier win on home soil.

Team captain and New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder Bronte Halligan led from the front, scoring the first goal of the game to set up an early lead for the Stingers. It was a lead they managed to hold on to from start to finish, with fellow NSWIS athlete Hayley Ballesty scoring the last goal of the game to close it out, 19-15.

With five goals of her own, Abby Andrews was named Player of the Match.

“We’ve matched up a lot with Italy this year, and we know they’ve got really great shooters as well as a strong centre forward,” Andrews said. “They got some great shots, but I think we stamped the pressure really early on in the game and we were able to consistently build off that momentum.

“They came back a little bit but I think we held them out well in the end – we had great assists, great passing and some good execution,” she said.

The team includes multiple NSWIS scholarship holders such as Hayley Ballesty, Sienna Green, Bronte Halligan, Sienna Hearn, Dani Jackovich, Tilly Kearns, Alexie Lambert, Gen Longman, and Olivia Mitchell, as well as NSWIS staff – Senior Sports Physiotherapist Bernie Petzel and Sport Performance Analyst Joshua Dipple.

The Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers will now play trans tasman rivals New Zealand in their final pool match on Tuesday 15 July at 7:35pm AEST. Watch LIVE and FREE on 9Now.

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