I remember at 5 years old I prayed to GOD for two things! A puppy and to make me a boy! Now at that tender age I did not know the difference in anatomy between a boy & a girl! But I saw boys playing baseball and football and tag. That’s what I wanted to do! But my mom made me play with the girls and they played with dolls or jumped rope uggh! Then we moved to a new neighborhood and there were only boys! Now my prayers were louder, as I played street rough touch football, stickball, baseball and kick the can. learned how to throw a football and baseball like a boy! I was pretty good too!
My poor Dad, I could hear him asking my Mom when I started changing into a woman, was it ok for me to play so rough? He would make me sit on our stoop and said I had to learn to act like a lady . That only lasted about a week. I guess I looked so sad, even he couldn’t take it, so back to the boys I went!

I was the classic TOMBOY!

On into junior high school, I still wanted to be a boy! Hated my Mary-Jane shoes, and dresses. I rejected that stupid bra and opted for my undershirt. BUT I liked boys… I had my crushes, I loved Rory Calhoun, then Joe Namath and then Tom Jones. I had a secret love in high school. Back then we had to wear skirts or dresses but I loved my knee socks and loafers. I was in my glory on gym days when I got to wear sneakers!

I remained in jeans and leisure clothes thru college. Much later in my career job, one day I went with my co-workers when they went shopping. I woke up! After that, I got my hair done, bought suits (very feminine) and dresses and the world changed, I wanted to be a WOMAN!

But I was still a TOMBOY! I remember going home from work and as I was walking past some guys, I heard one say, Wow she’s hot! But the other guy said Yeah now, wait till she comes back! I came back on my way to my softball game looking as rough as any MLB player and played just as rough!

I never lost my TOMBOY status as an adult I tried racing cars, bodybuilding and martial arts. I raised two boys, played steady quarterback in their neighborhood pickup football games. Coached them in various sports.

They are grown, but I am still a DIVA and a TOMBOY!

As far as Women’s sports, women are all are born with testosterone, some more than others! I was one of them! I was more muscular and still have a deeper voice. I’m often mistaken for a man on the phone! With that said, within women’s sports as we have all seen, some women out perform others! That is normal, natural and expected. Stop allowing biological men to compete in women’s sports on any level! It took years for women to get Title IX and achieve the elite status that women have achieved in various sports! Don’t let this be destroyed!

My message for schools…. mind your business. Get back to teaching the 3 R’s! To parents, let children find their own way! Let children be children! When they get to JHS and their interests as well as their bodies change, then they can speak with their peers and parents. Be there for them to have open conversation! By the time they get to HS graduation, they will know their path and can make a better decision. Forcing adult based ideas on children that are still figuring out, if Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy exist, is not fair to the child and is only an affirmation to the adult’s own choices.