San Jose State University’s women’s volleyball team faces an unexpected hurdle in their quest for NCAA glory – their own teammate.
At a Glance
- SJSU women’s volleyball team aims for first NCAA tournament in 23 years
- Transgender athlete’s presence sparks controversy and team boycotts
- Assistant coach suspended after filing Title IX complaint
- Debate intensifies over fairness in women’s sports
Tipping Point in Transgender Debate
Sports has gotten a little out of hand recently, and that is best exemplified by the situation going on with the women’s volleyball team at San Jose State University. The school is seeking to qualify for the NCAA tournament for the first time in more than two decades, but the attention on the team is on another matter entirely. A transgender athlete on the team has prompted many teams to actually cancel their games against SJSU in protest of unfair practices.
Five schools thus far have refused to play SJSU, with UNLV stating plainly:
“We refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes.”
It might seem like common sense, but it’s stirred up quite the controversy around the country.
Coach Takes a Stand … and Pays Price
Assistant head Melissa Batie-Smoose took matters into her own hand recently, filing a Title IX complaint over the transgender player, Baden “Blaire” Fleming. But, instead of being rewarded for standing up for all female athletes, the coach was suspended quite swiftly.
“I just want to protect women’s sports and protect the members of our team,” Batie-Smoose said to Outkick, a sports website that is the opposite of woke.
Title IX was meant to protect women in sports, so there should be no issue with Batie-Smoose’s complaint or the issues she has. Yet, here we are — with the coach being punished rather than celebrated for sticking up for female athletes.
The Ripple Effect
The entire collegiate sports world is feeling the effects of this situation. In Idaho, the governor signed an executive order that would prevent any state school from competing against another team that has a transgender athlete. Wyoming first agreed to play San Jose State, only to back out later.
“I am in full support of the decision by @wyoathletics to forego playing its volleyball match against San Jose State. It is important we stand for integrity and fairness in female athletics,” Governor Mark Gordon tweeted.
As it often does, the NCAA is standing on the sidelines, counting money rather than taking action. And the Mountain West Conference, of which SJSU is a part, is only “reviewing the facts,” officials have said.
The “facts” are quite simple, though: Biological males maintain physical advantages over females and, as a result, have no place in women’s sports.
The Real Victims
The real victims here are the other female athletes who’ve trained and worked so hard for this time in their life. Their dreams are going up in smoke, as fair competition has been disrupted.
San Jose State’s co-captain Brooke Slusser has joined a lawsuit filed against the NCAA that alleges safety concerns and unfair advantage. It’s a big step for a teammate to do something like that, but one that should be commended.
Women’s sports are luckily alive and well throughout the country, despite the despicable controversy.