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Isaac Vaccaro is a Maine high school math teacher and head coach of cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. His views are his own and do not represent those of any group with which he is affiliated.
I have coached high school cross country and track for five years. I have seen adults publicly humiliate and harass trans athletes at meets. I have seen adults cyberbully trans athletes, facilitated by the posts of news outlets and state representatives. Student athletes do not deserve to be treated this way.
It’s not all about winning, right? The Maine Principals’ Association, governing body of Maine high school sports, has a mission to “ensure a quality education for all students.” High school sports are an opportunity for young people to learn how to be part of a team, treat others with sportsmanship, and practice discipline. I teach my athletes to love running and the running community. There is no place for hatred in running.
In cross country, the top 30 individuals at the regional meet qualify for the state meet. The girl in 31st place does not blame the 30 girls ahead of her for running too fast; she takes personal accountability for not reaching the qualifying mark. We win with grace, and we lose with a desire to work harder and congratulate our opponents, that is sportsmanship.
There are real issues facing girls sports in Maine. Participation in girls running sports is plummeting. At the northern Maine Class C regional cross country meet, there was only one girls team with a full 10 athlete roster, compared to 12 boys teams with full rosters. Eating disorders are a massive issue for girls’ running, causing poor development, amenorrhea and countless stress fractures. Athletes are assaulted by male coaching staff. If we care about the integrity of girls sports, these are the problems to address, not attacking trans girls.
Trans girls are girls and deserve to compete with girls. They do not, in my experience, threaten cis women athletes. If you want to support girls’ high school sports in Maine, attend competitions, volunteer to coach your local program, promote solutions for the real issues threatening girls sports, and most importantly, treat athletes with kindness and respect.
