Sports

Poll

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 […]

Published

2 months ago

April 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

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

Croatia star Bojan Bogdanovic announces retirement

The official Women’s EuroBasket app Download Now ZAGREB (Croatia) – Bojan Bogdanovic has announced his retirement from basketball at the age of 36. Having made his senior team debut in 2010, he represented Croatia on the international level at two FIBA Basketball World Cups and five FIBA EuroBasket tournaments, as well as playing at the […]

Published

5 minutes ago

June 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The official Women’s EuroBasket app

ZAGREB (Croatia) – Bojan Bogdanovic has announced his retirement from basketball at the age of 36.

Having made his senior team debut in 2010, he represented Croatia on the international level at two FIBA Basketball World Cups and five FIBA EuroBasket tournaments, as well as playing at the Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament in 2016.

“

Above all, I had the honor of wearing the Croatian crest on my chest.

Bojan Bogdanovic

He was named to the FIBA EuroBasket 2013 All-Star Five, having led Croatia to the Semi-Finals of the competition.

During his NBA career, he played for the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons and, most recently, New York Knicks.

Bojan Bogdanovic shared the following message on his social media channels:

Sometimes in life, you don’t choose the moment. The moment chooses you.

After 14 months of battling a foot injury, two surgeries, and countless efforts to get back on the court, the time has come to close a chapter.

After more than two decades in the game, the moment has arrived to say goodbye to basketball. Not just as a sport, but as a part of who I am.

It’s hard to put into words everything this game has given me. It shaped me as an athlete, but even more as a person.

From my childhood in Mostar and my early steps in football and water polo, this journey has been anything but ordinary.

I’ve had the privilege of playing for clubs that left their mark on both European and NBA basketball.

From Mostar and Zrinjski, to Real Madrid and Murcia, then to Cibona and Fenerbahçe, I wore every jersey with pride.

The NBA brought a whole new level of challenge and experience. I had the honor of wearing the jerseys of the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons and finally the New York Knicks.

Every stop left a mark. Every jersey carried its own weight.

Above all, I had the honor of wearing the Croatian crest on my chest.

Playing for the national team was never just a responsibility. It was pride, emotion and identity.

Representing my country from youth levels all the way to the senior team was the greatest honor of my career.

Thank you to all the coaches, teammates, medical staff, fans and clubs who were part of this journey in any way.

A special thank you to my family. You were the foundation through every high and every doubt.

I’m closing this chapter, but my love for the game remains.

I didn’t reach the end. I’ve reached the other side of the beginning…

FIBA

Link

Sports

Vermillion County-based volleyball team wins national championship in Florida

A Vermillion County volleyball team is national champions. Stateline Pride, an AAU 17 program, traveled down to Florida, and took home first place. “Those girls are a tremendous group of girls that made history for Vermillion County and really just themselves,” said head coach Emily Franklin. Despite being in Orlando, Florida, this was a business […]

Published

17 minutes ago

June 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

A Vermillion County volleyball team is national champions.

Stateline Pride, an AAU 17 program, traveled down to Florida, and took home first place.

“Those girls are a tremendous group of girls that made history for Vermillion County and really just themselves,” said head coach Emily Franklin.

Despite being in Orlando, Florida, this was a business trip for the volleyball program.

“The girls do long hours in the gym, even if they’re in the afternoon wave, they will only probably get a little bit of time out in the sun before they got to come in and they got to get rest and get acclimated to the gym and preparing,” said Franklin.

The team was loaded with talent.

Franklin said, “We had three all Americans named which is a big accomplishment for nationals in your volleyball career, and those would be Gwendolyn Bennett, she’s from Westville, Illinois. Madeline Doggett, she’s from Westville, Illinois, and Reese McFarland was the tournament MVP.”

But the talent isn’t top heavy — it’s loaded top to bottom.

And they could be even better next season if there’s retention.

“I hope all of them return. They’re all 17 or younger. We have a couple 16 year olds on the team,” said Franklin. “

“You know, when an NFL team wins a Super Bowl, they say, ‘We’re going to Disney World!” I said. “Is that going to happen for your volleyball team?”

Coach said, “I think maybe some families are doing it, but I think some of the other families are deciding to either travel back or just relax, because it is a lot to commit to, and so I appreciate all the family’s commitment as well.”

Link

Sports

Agadir Police Arrest Two Interpol-Flagged British Men for Homicide, Parole Violations

Police in Agadir, in coordination with the Territorial Surveillance Agency (DGST), arrested two British nationals, on Saturday in the city’s Anza district on international arrest warrants issued by UK authorities, a security source reported. After verifying the Interpol database, police found that one of the men was wanted for suspected involvement in a homicide. The […]

Published

21 minutes ago

June 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

After verifying the Interpol database, police found that one of the men was wanted for suspected involvement in a homicide.

The second suspect was the subject of an Interpol Red Notice for allegedly failing to appear in court and violating parole conditions.

The Interpol Bureau in Rabat notified the relevant UK authorities of their detention before initiating extradition procedures.

Link

Sports

Collage-Volleyball.jpeg | APG State News

State AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces PacificArmed Forces EuropeNorthern Mariana IslandsMarshall IslandsAmerican SamoaFederated States of MicronesiaGuamPalauAlberta, CanadaBritish Columbia, CanadaManitoba, CanadaNew Brunswick, CanadaNewfoundland, CanadaNova Scotia, CanadaNorthwest Territories, CanadaNunavut, CanadaOntario, CanadaPrince Edward Island, CanadaQuebec, CanadaSaskatchewan, CanadaYukon Territory, Canada Zip Code Country United States of […]

Published

34 minutes ago

June 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

State

Zip Code

Country

Link

Sports

Grace Ann represented Mississippi grandly at the Distinguished Young Women National Finals in Mobile, Alabama.

MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) -Grace Ann represented Mississippi grandly at the Distinguished Young Women National Finals in Mobile, Alabama. She was named a Top 8 finalist and won preliminary awards in Self-Expression and Interview. The entire state of Mississippi is incredibly proud of Grace Ann, as she continues to accomplish great things representing the state. Click […]

Published

38 minutes ago

June 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) -Grace Ann represented Mississippi grandly at the Distinguished Young Women National Finals in Mobile, Alabama.

She was named a Top 8 finalist and won preliminary awards in Self-Expression and Interview.

The entire state of Mississippi is incredibly proud of Grace Ann, as she continues to accomplish great things representing the state.

Click here to subscribe to our daily newsletter!

Link

Sports

VAJK felicitates J&K volleyball team for historic gold at KIYG

Jammu, Jun 29: In a landmark moment for sports in Jammu and Kashmir, the Volleyball Association of J&K (VAJK) on Sunday felicitated the J&K boys volleyball team for securing a historic gold medal at the 7th Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) held in Patna, Bihar. As per a statement issued, this marks J&K’s first-ever gold […]

Published

57 minutes ago

June 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

As per a statement issued, this marks J&K’s first-ever gold medal in a team event at the national-level KIYG, a feat celebrated with pride and emotion at a special ceremony hosted at Lemon Tree Hotel, Jammu.

The felicitation ceremony was held in a grand yet emotionally charged environment, celebrating the dedication, discipline, and sheer willpower of the players who brought glory to the region.

The President of VAJK, Sidharth Daluja, led the function and honoured the players and officials with shawls and cash prizes amounting to Rs 72,000.

The J&K team’s journey in the KIYG tournament was filled with challenges and triumphs. After consecutive wins in the pool stage—first defeating Uttarakhand in a thrilling 3-2 match (18-25, 25-20, 16-25, 27-25, 15-09), followed by a smooth 3-0 win against Bihar (25-21, 25-19, 25-23)—the team lost to Uttar Pradesh 1-3 (25-14, 25-21, 18-25, 25-20) but maintained its momentum and reached the semi-finals for the first time, breaking all previous records.

In the semi-finals, the J&K team displayed flawless coordination and strategy, overpowering Manipur 3-0 (27-25, 25-21, 25-19), securing a historic berth in the finals. The grand finale saw a spirited rematch against Uttar Pradesh, and this time, the J&K boys turned the tables with a dominant 3-1 victory (35-33, 19-25, 25-17, 25-21), claiming the gold medal with resilience and excellence.

The winning squad included Sahib Kalear (Arnia), Akash Manhas (Pargwal), Ganik Sharma (Kathua), Sahil Shamim (Anantnag), Nasir Ajaz Sofi (Baramulla), Wani Mahir (Srinagar), Abid Gulzar (Ganderbal), Bilal Ahmed (Poonch), Karan Rajput (Reasi), Kunal Gorean (STC Jammu), Rehan Parvez (Poonch), Mohit (Samba), and Sandeep (Pallanwala). Subash Shastri served as the team manager, with Naresh Kumar as the head coach and Prateek Kumar and Shubham Sharma as assistant coaches.

Prior to the competition, the players underwent rigorous training and conditioning at MA Stadium, Jammu, under the expert guidance of the coaching panel of volleyball coaches Naresh Kumar, Prateek and Shubham Sharma.

The selection was carried out by a panel of experts nominated by the J&K Sports Council, and players drawn from different districts were groomed to enhance their skills, including advanced techniques, service, defence, and spikes.

Sidharth Daluja expressed heartfelt gratitude to Nuzhat Gul, Secretary of the J&K Sports Council, for her unwavering support and cooperation with the team for their excellent performance in the team-wise event in KIYG. Kuldip Magotra, CEO; H.S. Gill, Executive Vice President; Ramesh Sharma, Treasurer; and V.K. Magotra, General Secretary of the Volleyball Association of J&K, also lauded the team for its excellent performance and for bringing laurels to J&K UT and the Association, which was unprecedented in the history of J&K.

Sidharth Daluja honoured players & officials who added another star in the crown of J&K by breaking all previous records in the sports arena in the team-wise mega event Khelo India Youth Games held recently in Bihar.

During his address, Sidharth Daluja called upon the youth to utilise every opportunity to explore and sharpen their talents, both in sports and academics. He reiterated the association’s commitment to promote volleyball in every corner of Jammu and Kashmir and urged the younger generation to stay away from drugs and contribute to nation-building.

Raj Daluja, Patron-in-Chief of VAJK, graced the event as Chief Guest. He emphasised the transformative power of sports in shaping the future of the youth and encouraged all stakeholders to actively participate in team sports, especially volleyball, to strive for excellence at the national level.

He appreciated the joint efforts of the J&K Sports Council, Department of Youth Services and Sports (DYSS), and Sports Authority of India (SAI) in helping the team reach this milestone.

Among the dignitaries present were Manmeet Singh (Joint Secretary), Akbar Ali (Secretary, VAJK), Neelofar Habib (Secretary, Kulgam District Volleyball Association), and Veena Kumari (Executive Member, VAJK).

The event began with a two-minute silence in memory of Madan Lal Toofan, Vice President of VAJK, who passed away recently, paying homage to his contributions to the sport.

The function concluded with a call to continue the momentum and build upon this unprecedented success, aiming for even greater accomplishments in the future.

Link