#sports-participation

#sports-participation

A Maine initiative intended to limit transgender students' ability to participate in sports has been removed from the ballot because of invalid signatures, the secretary of state ruled Tuesday. The proposal from parents' group Protect Girls Sports in Maine was slated to go before voters in November. It would have asked voters if they wanted to require public schools to restrict access to bathrooms and sports based on the gender denoted on a child's birth certificate.

It would be difficult not to notice the rise of padel. What was once a relatively niche sport, played mainly in Spain and Latin America, now seems to be everywhere: luxury hotels are building permanent courts, fashion brands are hosting padel pop-ups, and private members' clubs are making space for matches.

Allegheny County Council President Patrick Catena (D) - who is running for a seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives - sent out mailers last week criticizing his opponent for being supported by an "extreme left group" that supports allowing trans people to participate in sports.

You have up to 30,000 females really rooting for each other. The sidelines are full of their loved ones cheering them on. It's one of those events that brings out the best in people.

Brad Stulberg took to Instagram to share that the country's approach to youth sports could be part of the reason why. Obviously Norway and winter sports kind of go hand-in-hand, but Stulberg points out that the country does things a lot differently than countries like America or Canada, where youth sports often feel more like minor league tryouts than kids learning sportsmanship, athleticism, and skills.

For decades in the US, table tennis has lived a double life: one of the most widely played sports in the country, yet still dismissed by many as a basement pursuit. Now, unexpectedly, it is having a cultural moment. The release of Marty Supreme, a film steeped in obsession and myth, and loosely based on postwar American table tennis champion Marty Reisman, has pushed ping-pong into the pop-culture mainstream just as US Major League Table Tennis sells out matches, clubs report growing interest, and younger players pick up paddles for the first time.

"The World Cup is going to raise the bar for women's rugby. I think it will be a really era-defining moment. It will shift from being a niche sport to mainstream, that will make a tremendous difference for girls the world over."

Tutu Atwell, a receiver for the Rams, expressed enthusiasm about possibly joining the 2028 U.S. Olympic flag football team, highlighting the new opportunities for NFL players.