I had a ball in my hand almost as soon as I could sit up. Sports run in my blood; my parents were athletic, and all my siblings played basketball. Now I’m starting high school and, with it, new seasons of basketball and volleyball at a more competitive level.
For practice, I shoot hoops with my brother outside, but even with my recent growth spurt, I can’t keep up with him. He’s faster and stronger and can jump higher, move around me quicker, and shoot better than I can. I’m good for a 14-year-old girl, but anyone can see the physical advantage he has over me when it comes to playing sports.
Amelia Ford is a freshman at Brookland Junior High School in Arkansas.
That’s why I was so surprised—and outraged—to hear that officials are allowing and even encouraging boys to play on girls’ sports teams. It’s so obviously wrong and unfair to force girls to compete against boys, yet it’s happening to track and field athletes in Connecticut and Idaho, swimmers in Pennsylvania, volleyball players in North Carolina, and to girls across the country.
And I can’t help but wonder: Do I have a future playing sports as a girl?
The federal government recently proposed new changes to Title IX that virtually erase girls’ sports and eliminate the opportunities for girls which that law was intended to protect. That means boys who identify as girls can join girls’ teams—and unfairly dominate the competition.
Every girl deserves the opportunity to compete—and the chance to win—on a safe and fair playing field against other girls.
I’ve seen how hard boys can hit the volleyball over the net and how much higher they can jump to block shots in basketball. In addition to safety concerns I have when it comes to competing against boys in power sports like basketball and volleyball, it’s not right or fair to force girls to do this. Every girl deserves the opportunity to compete—and the chance to win—on a safe and fair playing field against other girls.
Amelia Ford is a freshman at Brookland Junior High School in Arkansas.
I’m only 14, but I’ve given up a lot of other things so I can play sports. I practice every day, up to three hours a day if I have a game. I’m a hard worker, constantly improving my skills. Right now, I’m working on my ball handling so I can be more competitive on the court. Stealing the ball or having a good offense day gives me a high.
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Playing sports has been critical for me; you get to choose your attitude—and see how it impacts how you play. In addition to building awesome friendships, I’ve learned teamwork and social skills, like how to talk to adults. These are life skills that will benefit me the rest of my life. Every girl deserves this same opportunity.
That’s why I joined Alliance Defending Freedom’s legal effort to intervene in a lawsuit to protect girls’ sports. In our lawsuit, 20 state attorneys general are challenging the Biden administration’s reinterpretation of federal law that allows males to compete on female athletic teams.
I jumped at the chance to add my name to the growing list of female athletes taking a stand to protect the sports we love. It’s my dream to play at the collegiate level and earn an athletic scholarship. But what will the landscape of girls’ sports look like in a few years when I’m applying for college? Will I be able to get an athletic scholarship, or will a boy get it because he has a better record than I have?
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We have to fight for justice together. It will take all of us standing up for girls. If we fight hard enough, what’s right and true will be recognized in state and federal laws and help female athletes across the country.
You can’t ignore common sense forever. Let’s just hope those in the federal government realize that sooner rather than later so we can protect the future of all girls who have big dreams to advance in sports.
