Hey, I'm Adrien. I'm transgender (ftm) and I run high school cross country and track.

I've been in a dilemma as of late. I don't like running on the girl's team, and having to compete in girls races. I also feel uncomfortable telling the team that I'm a guy only to go and run the girl's team. (I'm out of the closet but my coach doesn't know that I'm trans)

In the state I live in, it is legal for a ftm transgender to run on the boys team with or without transitioning. However, my dad won't let me transition, so I won't be able to take testosterone until I'm 18. In cross country and track there is a huge gap between the girls and boys teams, so pre transitioning I won't have any chance of competing if I'm running on the boys team.

I feel like I have to fake my identity to compete, or run and not stand a chance. (Not to mention i'd get a lot of weird looks)

To be honest, I'd be fine just running on my own instead of doing school sports. Nonetheless, my dad and his family are really interested in me doing well in sports and continuing to pursue them. I'm the best runner on the girl's team and because I'm good at running, it feels like my dad thinks I'm stagnating talent for "my gender problem". It feels like he thinks that being transgender is repressing the "real me" or making me quit the things I love. I think it's my choice to say what I love and what I don't.

I'm really just looking for advice more than anything. I'm not sure what do.

In my opinion you should run on the girl's team and excel.  It is not in any way a reflection of your gender identity but rather simply a fact of your current hormonal status.  It would be a mistake to waste your talent and not compete at all.  You will gain a lot of experience and training that will simply roll over later once you do start T.


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  Hey, Adrien , I see that you are new here. So please let me say, Welcome To Susan's Place! Come on in and take a good look around.  Perhaps I can even get you to hop on over to the Introductions Thread and  create a post to tell us a little bit more about yourself so we can get to know you a little better and greet you properly.

  Also I'll add some links and information below that can help you get more out of our site. Please take time to become familiar with them especially the RED one as we are always getting questions that are answered there.

Laurie
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I think Deborah has the best advice.

Maybe you can still go on blockers though. If there's a planned parenthood clinic near you who does trans care; they can give your dad much needed information on the positives of this option.

Quote from: Deborah on October 05, 2017, 05:43:17 PM
In my opinion you should run on the girl's team and excel.  It is not in any way a reflection of your gender identity but rather simply a fact of your current hormonal status.  It would be a mistake to waste your talent and not compete at all.  You will gain a lot of experience and training that will simply roll over later once you do start T.


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yeah you are probably right. i feel a little bit selfish quitting over something like this. do you think i should let some people on the team know i am trans though? i've wanted to bring it up but i always felt like they would dismiss it because i'm on the girl's team. it wouldn't be a big deal but i do sports at a separate school, so it almost feels like i'm going undercover at one school and not at the other. 


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Quote from: Elis on October 06, 2017, 08:11:48 AM
I think Deborah has the best advice.

Maybe you can still go on blockers though. If there's a planned parenthood clinic near you who does trans care; they can give your dad much needed information on the positives of this option.

thanks for your reply!

is it worth going on blockers in high school ? my body is still developing so i suppose it would make sense.

i will talk to him about it but he's really against me taking anything at all. he doesn't want me take any meds, including stuff like anxiety medication.




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As far as telling people you are trans I think that's entirely separate from your running on the team.  You should do what makes you feel right on that.  You are also the only one here in a position to judge your environment and decide if this will make you feel right without causing a big problem.  I wouldn't worry though if the only problem is that some might not believe you.  You can be honest and up front but can't control what somebody else is going to do with it.

Also, good luck with the running.  I didn't get into it until a lot later because my one running experience in high school was like five minutes in hell.  I was 14 and the coach had me run the mile in my first race.  I wasn't trained for it but still ran as hard as I could dry heaving the entire last lap.  LOL.  I came in last place with a time of 5:46.  I spent the next three years throwing the discus and long jumping just to avoid having to run.  In hindsight that wasn't really such a bad time running untrained.   


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Quote from: Laurie on October 06, 2017, 04:55:04 AM
  Hey, Adrien , I see that you are new here. So please let me say, Welcome To Susan's Place! Come on in and take a good look around.  Perhaps I can even get you to hop on over to the Introductions Thread and  create a post to tell us a little bit more about yourself so we can get to know you a little better and greet you properly.

  Also I'll add some links and information below that can help you get more out of our site. Please take time to become familiar with them especially the RED one as we are always getting questions that are answered there.

Laurie
Global Moderator

thank you! just posted an introduction.


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Quote from: Deborah on October 05, 2017, 05:43:17 PM
In my opinion you should run on the girl's team and excel.  It is not in any way a reflection of your gender identity but rather simply a fact of your current hormonal status.  It would be a mistake to waste your talent and not compete at all.  You will gain a lot of experience and training that will simply roll over later once you do start T.


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ditto