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Section One: The Fundamentals
A) Keywords
Exercise 1:
Briefly (in 100 words or less) define one of the keywords in the padlet (including one that you. may have added yourself).
| Colorblindness is the idea that we should ignore race and treat everyone the same, assuming that’s the best way to stop racism. I think this idea can be harmful because it overlooks the real challenges that people from different racial backgrounds face. By pretending race doesn’t matter, we miss the chance to address inequality and make real change.
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B) Representing Race
Exercise 2: Notebook Prompt
In about 50-70 words, consider Joel Bervell’s question: why do we feel the need to extrapolate the athleticism of one Black athlete to all Black people when we do not do the same for white athletes?
Try to think of examples when this happens, making sure to reflect on your own positionality.
| Joel Bervell’s question makes me think about how people often assume all Black people are athletic based on the success of a few Black athletes. Growing up as a brown girl from a Guyanese background, I’ve seen how similar stereotypes affect people of color. For example, people often assume that all Caribbean people are good at sports, but no one makes the same assumptions about white athletes. It shows how race shapes expectations and how harmful it can be to generalize traits based on someone’s background.
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C) Gender, Race & Sport
Exercise 3: Notebook Prompt
What are some strategies for resistance that Rajack and Joseph identify in their article as a means of pushing back against and resisting misogynoir?
| Support: Building strong support systems among Black women and their allies to stand up against oppression.
Being Heard: Making sure Black women’s voices and stories are heard to challenge harmful stereotypes in media and society. Activism: Getting involved in movements and actions that fight both racism and sexism and calling out misogynoir when it happens in public or online. These strategies help Black women resist unfair treatment and promote empowerment.
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Section Two: Making Connections
A) Athlete Activism
Exercise 3: Padlet Prompt
Do athletes have a responsibility to use their platform for social change? Why or why not? Please remember to record your response in both the padlet below and in your Notebook.
B) Athlete Activism & Feminism
Exercise 4: Complete the activities
Exercise 5: Notebook Prompt
What do the authors of the article call for as a way of challenging how mainstream sports journalism privileges neoliberal feminist concerns? (100 words max.)
| In the article, Cheryl Cooky and Dunja Antunovic argue that mainstream sports media often focuses on individual success and market-driven views of feminism, which doesn’t address broader feminist issues. They suggest that to challenge this, sports journalism should include more stories about solidarity and collective action. This would help highlight the diverse experiences of women athletes, especially women of color, and give a fuller, more inclusive view of feminism in sports.
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C) Corporate social justice
Exercise 6: Padlet Poll
| Conversations about movements like Black Lives Matter (BLM) and other social issues are greatly influenced by sports leagues like the NFL and NBA. Social justice efforts can have a greater or lesser impact depending on their support or lack of it. The NFL initially faced challenges and criticism for its handling of athlete activism, especially during Colin Kaepernick’s demonstration against racial inequality. The league’s caution to fully embrace athlete activism was evident in its delayed recognition of the problem. But as time went on, the NFL started to promote social justice issues more. The NBA, on the other hand, has always taken a more pro-athlete advocacy position. Without facing serious consequences, the league has permitted players to voice their opinions on social justice causes, such as BLM. Players have become empowered to use their platforms for activism because of the supportive environment that has been created. Sports leagues have an obligation to assist its athletes in promoting social change because of their major platforms and impact. Leagues may mirror the ideals of equality and inclusivity and improve society as a whole by supporting movements like BLM. Not doing so could be interpreted as a sign of indifference or resistance to resolving inequality in society.
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Section Three: Taking a shot
Module Assignment (submit as part of notebook and separately through Blackboard mini assignment #1 portal)
Module Assignment: Ideal Trans-Inclusive Sports League.
Youth sports have long been viewed as a positive force, teaching teamwork, discipline, and resilience. However, as Katie Barnes notes in Fair Play, sports are also “coded, laden with allusions to gender and sexuality in ways that are fundamental to our collective understanding of both athletics and gender” (Barnes, 2023, p. 4). In other words, youth sports are not neutral. They reinforce cultural assumptions about gender, shaping how young people view themselves and each other. In imagining an ideal trans-inclusive sports league, we are presented with an opportunity to reconsider the very foundations of how youth sports are organized. By interrogating the gendered assumptions underlying current models and exploring alternatives, we can build a system centred on inclusion, fairness, and joy for all athletes.
My ideal trans-inclusive league would be called “Open Play,” a model that organizes players based on skill level and age rather than gender. In Open Play, sports would be stripped of heavy gender coding. As Barnes describes, the delineations between “boys’ sports” and “girls’ sports” are culturally constructed rather than purely biological (Barnes, 2023, p. 5). In many traditional leagues, football is viewed as masculine and dance as feminine, reinforcing gender binaries from a young age. Open Play would actively resist this coding. Marketing materials, uniforms, team names, and league structures would be intentionally inclusive and gender-neutral. Facilities like locker rooms would be designed for privacy and accessibility for all, avoiding practices that single out trans and nonbinary athletes.
Controversies surrounding trans athletes in youth sports, as discussed by Barnes and in various opinion pieces from the module, present a crucial opportunity to reevaluate the very purpose of youth sports. Instead of framing trans participation as a problem to be solved, we can ask more profound questions: Why is sport so deeply tied to gender categories? What values are youth sports promoting? Barnes suggests that “sports reinforce what we believe to be true about gender and vice versa” (Barnes, 2023, p. 5). Recognizing this allows us to see that debates about fairness often mask anxieties about maintaining traditional gender norms. Rather than focusing narrowly on hormone levels or “competitive advantage,” we can broaden the conversation to ask how sports can serve the development of all young people—physically, emotionally, and socially.
One key question this reimagining raises is whether youth sports should be segregated by gender at all. I argue that they should not. Gender segregation assumes vast, essential biological differences between boys and girls that do not hold up under close scrutiny, particularly among young athletes. Skill level, training, and individual ability often outweigh any generalizable physical differences. Instead of rigid gender categories, youth sports could adopt more nuanced systems that account for fairness without reinforcing binary divisions. As Barnes highlights, the delineations we maintain are often more about cultural assumptions than about meaningful biological distinctions (Barnes, 2023, p. 5).
Barnes’ suggestions for policy reform are thoughtful and essential. She critiques invasive “eligibility” rules based on hormone levels or sex verification, emphasizing the harm they cause to all athletes, not just trans youth (Barnes, 2023). Her call to center athlete experience over category protection is a vital step forward. However, I believe we can go even further by reimagining the structure itself. Instead of modifying a system built around exclusion, we should build a new system from the ground up.
Alternative approaches could include Skill-based leagues, where athletes are grouped by skill level and experience, much like martial arts use coloured belts to signify progress. Universal access policies: Any child, regardless of gender identity, can play in any sport division, provided they meet the required skill or age level. Rotational team assignments: Especially for younger players, teams could change regularly to emphasize collaboration and minimize hyper-competitive pressure. Education and community building: Participation in Open Play would include workshops on gender diversity, inclusion, and respect to foster a positive team culture. These alternatives align with the arguments presented in one of the linked videos in the module, which emphasize that youth sports should prioritize development—physical, social, and emotional—over competition and the production of elite athletes. When sports prioritize inclusion and skill development, they create lifelong benefits, including better mental health, stronger social bonds, and more sustainable physical activity habits.
Another crucial component of a trans-inclusive model is to interrogate the role of sports as gatekeepers of the gender binary. As Barnes points out, “whether we realize it or not,” our current structures teach young people that their bodies dictate their opportunities (Barnes, 2023, p. 4). By building a system that recognizes all athletes as individuals, rather than categorizing them by gender, we open the door to a future where sports can genuinely be for everyone. In Open Play, a trans girl could be a star goalie, a nonbinary child could sprint without fear of being misgendered, and a cisgender boy could join the dance team without stigma. Sports would succeed not by excluding those who do not fit rigid categories, but by celebrating the rich diversity of all athletes. As Barnes rightly argues, “if sports reinforce what we believe to be true about gender and vice versa” (Barnes, 2023, p. 5), then transforming youth sports can transform broader societal understandings of gender.
In conclusion, the current controversies around trans participation in youth sports are not simply challenges to be managed; they are invitations to imagine a better world. A truly trans-inclusive sports league would not merely adjust existing rules but would question the foundations of those rules altogether. By creating structures based on skill, inclusion, and development rather than gender policing, we can make youth sports a space where all young people can thrive. In doing so, we move closer to a society that values each individual not for fitting a category, but for the unique talents and spirit they bring to the game.
