#interscholastic sports

[coochiequeens]

It's not often that I post about men in a positive light but applause to this guy.

By Reduxx Team June 18, 2024

The head track and field coach at a high school in Oregon has been fired after writing letters to state officials expressing his concerns about allowing biological males to compete with girls.

John Parks, who had been employed at Lake Oswego High School since January of last year, says his contract was terminated shortly after he began speaking out against trans-identified males self-identifying into female races.

Parks explains that he first wrote the Oregon Student Activities Association with his concerns just before the controversial May 18 state championships where a trans-identified male student participated with the girls.

The student, Aayden Gallagher, had been the source of much outcry after dominating a number of races in the qualifying matches leading up to the state championships. In April, Gallagher won multiple awards in Girls Varsity races, but he finally secured his place at state on May 9 when he took two gold medals at the Portland Interscholastic League meet.

Gallagher ultimately seized first place in the Girls Varsity 200m at the championships, and was booed upon taking the winner’s podium.

Following the championships, Parks wrote another letter, this time to Oregon Senator Rob Wagner.

In the letter, Parks argued that current Oregon law, which allows males to self-identify into women’s sports, was creating an unfair playing field for female athletes.

“The OSAA competition rules need to be aligned with what the rest of the world competes under,” Parks wrote to Senator Wagner, referring to the hormone testing and restrictions enforced by the International Olympic Committee and other sporting bodies.

“My proposal to encourage transgender participation is to offer an open division that is so named so it doesn’t identify or discriminate but offers an opportunity to participate,” he continued in his letter. Parks says he does not oppose transgender students playing in school sports, but that separate categories were needed to ensure fairness for girls.

He also noted that mixed-sex competitions were becoming an issue for the trans athletes as well, pointing out that Gallagher had been ‘booed’ by the crowd during the state championships.

“I want them to be able to participate where they’re not ‘booed,'” Parks said, speaking to local KATU. He says he is now in the process of appealing his termination.

“I’m going to fight now because I got wronged,” he told KATU. “I … am fighting for girls, I’m fighting for female sports, and I’m fighting that it be fair for everybody.”

[dhart4214]

TUESDAY AFTERNOON LIGHTS: Revisiting A Respectable So Cal Rivalry

A young lady footballer from Santa Monica in action. Photo courtesy of maxpreps.com BEGINNING THIS BLOG’S HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS COVERAGE FOR THE YEAR WITH SOMETHING (relatively) NEW IN WHAT IS A TOP WESTSIDE RIVALRY I have noticed that with regards to high school football, Girls have begun getting a piece of the action that has been growing leaps and bounds, to the point where no less than 370 So…

[riilsports]

In historic first, RIIL to offer middle school sports opportunities beginning in the Fall of 2024 

February 7, 2024

The Rhode Island Interscholastic League is pleased to announce that, starting this fall, the RIIL will be offering school-based sports opportunities to middle schools that voluntarily wish to become RIIL member schools. This marks the first time in RIIL history that the league will offer middle school sports. 

  “I am thrilled to announce a significant development in our organization that will undoubtedly enhance the overall educational experience for middle school students in Rhode Island,” said RIIL Executive Director Michael P. Lunney. “This decision stems from discussions over the past few years between the current provider of Middle School sports (RIPCOA) and the RIIL. RIPCOA has made the decision to stop their offerings at the conclusion of the 2023-24 school year. I want to personally thank and commend everyone involved with RIPCOA, especially Executive Director Patti Aull, for her leadership and commitment to providing outstanding middle school sports in Rhode Island for so many years.” 

Educational school-based athletics provide student-athletes with the opportunity to engage in healthy competition, develop valuable life skills and build camaraderie with their peers. Middle School sports serve as an avenue for physical activity, a platform for personal growth and the reinforcement of essential values such as teamwork, sportsmanship and perseverance.   

“We believe that by extending our sports programs to the middle school level, we can contribute to the holistic development of students, both academically and athletically,” Lunney said. “The inclusion of middle school sports also aligns with our mission to create a supportive and inclusive environment that encourages participation, diversity and the pursuit of excellence.” 

The Rhode Island Interscholastic League is a voluntary organization of principals who pledge their schools and participants to follow the Rules and Regulations of the League. The RIIL is governed by the Principals’ Committee on Athletics. 

    At its January meeting, the PCOA unanimously approved the appointment of Patricia Aull to the PCOA Board. The PCOA also unanimously approved the appointment of Ted Quigley as Middle School Sport Director. 

As part of its extensive planning and preparation for the 2024-25 school year, the RIIL has invited all Rhode Island middle school administrators to participate in an online survey. This input will be instrumental in shaping the Middle School sports program to meet the unique needs of the middle school community. 

  In addition, the RIIL will host an Open House informational meeting at the RIIL Office on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, at 4 p.m. This meeting will provide an opportunity for middle school administrators to learn more about the RIIL Middle School sports initiative, ask questions, and engage in meaningful discussions with our team. 

    At its January meeting, the Principals’ Committee on Athletics, which serves as the governing body of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League, unanimously approved the appointment of Patricia Aull to the PCOA Board. The PCOA also unanimously approved the appointment of Ted Quigley as Middle School Sport Director. 

[reasonsforhope]

"Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) has vetoed a Republican-led ban on transgender high school athletes, saying that such legislation would needlessly harm the mental well-being of trans youth and make the state less safe for LGBTQ+ people. State Republicans reportedly lack the votes to override his veto.

“This type of legislation, and the harmful rhetoric we get by pursuing it, harms LGBTQ Wisconsinites’ and kids’ mental health, emboldens anti-LGBTQ harassment, bullying, and violence, and threatens the safety and dignity of LGBTQ Wisconsinites, especially our LGBTQ kids,” Evers wrote in his veto message.

“I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to codifying discrimination into state statute and the Wisconsin state legislature’s ongoing efforts to perpetuate hateful and discriminatory rhetoric and policies targeting LGBTQ Wisconsinites including our transgender and gender nonconforming kids…. I will veto any bill that makes Wisconsin a less safe, less inclusive, and less welcoming place for LGBTQ people and kids,” Evers added.

He vetoed the bill in a public ceremony while surrounded by trans advocates, Democratic lawmakers, the mayor of Madison and others, NBC News reported.

The bill would have required public, private, and independent charter schools to designate each team by the gender of its participants, and then require participants to play on teams matching the gender listed on their birth certificates.

The bill would have overruled current policies, established in 2015 by the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, that allowed trans students to play on sports teams matching their gender identity as long as they provided a personal letter; supporting documentation from parents, teachers, and medical professionals; and proof of any gender-affirming care...

Last September [in 2023], Evers vetoed a Republican-led bill that would’ve banned gender-affirming medical care for minors."

-via LGBTQ Nation, April 2, 2024

[lalalian]

aethergarde academy dr masterlist

everything other than the school program and the DR script template link goes here!

nodin ask

alemi, echreau, astreth

jean and mikhael

5th years & education

currency in this dr

etiquette tidbits

name suggestions (masc)

secret sneakpeak

what should I name my dragon

great dragon war

gilded dragon ask

miaene

settling in ask

upstaging mikhael

gov ask 1

gov ask 2

creature ask

straus

callisto

best aura to have

my aura (canon aura)

gildeds when they like their rider

why do dragons bond with riders in the first place?

teagan

asterias

masquerade ball

talonspyre day

to assume | aethergarde academy scenario

azelkariya + asmokariya

dragon names

aenaroth map

aethergarde interior part 1 (dorms)

things you should script if you're shifting to this dr

aethergarde interior part 2 (rest of the school)

anoa

rider and dragon lifespans/aging

why are elves extinct ask

ages of ppl (will be continuously updated)

entertainment + shows/movies

into the far lands of the celatum...

ce’ceri ask

interscholastic sports

dr interviews: my drself (aeris)

mermaid's impact on culture (fashion)

introduction of ppl so far

dragon riding equipment

[jadeleechisagoodboy]

I’ve never actually ranted on here before, but my thoughts on the ending of the Harveston event are… not good.

Rant under the cut.

They deserved to win.

Like, I get it, NRC sucks at teamwork, but their little ragtag group actually did work together and pulled through near-death experiences, only to not win???!! Excuse me??!!!

I mean, okay, they did it in their own, Night Raven College sort of way, but for NRC students it was really good!

It would have been such a nice full circle moment to have Epel win a small victory over RSA after losing at the VDC. If the writers just didn’t want to “ruin” the ongoing NRC vs RSA rivalry, well, the sledathon is no interscholastic sports tournament. It’s a small town event. It wouldn’t have ended a nearly 100 year long rivalry, so maybe just let them have a little victory??? They fucking earned it after, again, almost dying.

Also, while I’m on the topic of them almost dying. What the fuck, Epel?!! Calling your teammates worthless as they are following you off of a cliff??!!! I understand being upset and frustrated, but that particular level of anger felt like it came out of no where.

And literally everything after the race was just plain sad/uncomfortable. How are we, the readers, meant to feel any sort of satisfaction after that ending? Did the writers really think a sunrise would be enough to make everything all better???

Idk. I’m not happy with it, personally, so I’m gonna try my best to erase it from my memory and replace it with a better ending. 🙃

Anyone else feel the same way, or am I being overdramatic?

[laurelwen]

In case anyone was wondering how things are going in Louisiana. Happy fucking Pride.

Pronoun and Name Regulation Law

HB121 — Act XXX from the 2024 Regular Session (Effective Date: August 1, 2024)

How This Law Applies:

Prohibits school employees from addressing students by a name/pronoun other than their birth name/pronoun. 

DOES NOT allow for parents to request the use of their child’s chosen name/pronouns. Though the original bill did allow this, amendments stripped this piece, further restricting parental rights.

Applies to public and charter schools in Louisiana, excluding higher education institutions. Covers all public school employees, independent contractors, and students.

Defines "sex" based on the original birth certificate issued “at or near birth.”

Requires students to use the name given at birth regardless of any legal name change later on.

Schools cannot adopt policies that ask for pronouns or names other than those on birth certificates.

Respecting a trans* student’s name/pronouns is never required under this law. This law even protects employees and students from adverse actions for bullying trans/queer kids who ask for their chosen name/pronoun to be respected. 

Don't Say LGBTQ+ Law

HB122 — Act XXX from the 2024 Regular Session (Effective Date: August 1, 2024)

How This Law Applies:

Prohibits discussions about sexual orientation or gender identity in classroom instruction and extracurricular activities.

Applies to public elementary and secondary schools. Excludes charter & private schools.

Censures discussions about personal sexual orientation or gender identity by school employees, even outside school activities.

Covers teachers, school employees, and any "other presenter" at a public school.

Requires pre-approval by school authorities for any content discussing LGBTQ+ issues.

Students MAY seek guidance from teachers or licensed mental health professionals only outside classroom hours and with prior parental consent.

Sports Ban Against Trans Students

SB44 — Act 283 from 2022 Regular Session (Effective Date: August 1, 2022)

How This Law Applies:

Bans trans girls from participating in sports teams that correlate with their gender identity by requiring an athletic team or sporting event sponsored by an elementary, secondary, or postsecondary educational institution to be segregated based on the “biological sex” of team members. 

This law defines "biological sex" as what is found on the student's official birth certificate, issued at or near the time of the student's birth.

Allows for co-ed teams with mixed-gender participation to exist.

DOES NOT apply to any intramural athletic teams or sports

Any student can participate in any intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic teams or sports designated for boys or that are coed.

Schools can still form and maintain coed teams as long as they don’t disband the women’s team for the purpose of creating a coed team. 

Penalties and Implications:

DOES NOT allow for students who are trans femme to sue in state court any school, school board, school coach, school employee, school board member, postsecondary education management board, or postsecondary education board member for following this law. 

The only people who have a reason to sue according to this law are: 

Cisgender girls who feel deprived of athletic opportunities or who have suffered or are likely to suffer from any direct or indirect harm as a result of a violation of this law

Cisgender girls who are subjected to retaliation or other adverse action as a result of reporting a violation of this law.

Any school officials or board members who suffer any direct or indirect harm for following this law, which prohibits trans girls from participating in a girl’s athletic team or sporting event.

Gender Regulation and Bathroom Law

HB608 — Act 436 from the 2024 Regular Session (Effective Date: August 1, 2024)

How This Law Applies:

Applies rigid and discriminatory definitions of "sex" across Louisiana state law and agency rules. These definitions focus on reproductive organs at birth.

Explicitly names that the definitions will apply to:

Public & Charter School Restrooms, Changing Rooms,  Dormitories, and overnight sleeping quarters during school trips

Domestic violence shelters

Adult and Juvenile Correctional facilities

Though the law explicitly names the above facilities, it could apply to any place that receives public funding, depending on its implementation.

DOES NOT affect private establishments unless they receive funding from the state, which is not common. 

Allows single-occupancy restrooms, changing rooms, and sleeping quarters that are NOT designated by sex.

Exemptions for custodial, maintenance, medical, law enforcement services, natural disasters, declared emergencies, or threats to good order or safety, and young children who need assistance or anyone covered by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

[zhoniysahar]

She faced an impossible task — to survive. To survive at any cost and against all odds. Not to follow in the footsteps of her mother and father, to break off all contacts with the gang, the foundations of which had penetrated her skin, and it would be good not to leave after them all. To continue living, she had to go to school, albeit late, but she needed to finish and get a basic education. A new city, a new school, a new life, all with the same name. The principal accepted some kind of made-up story on her knee about why she had to return to school at that age, and enrolled her as a student. Of course, it was impossible to fulfill her little goal without problems. Classmates and guys from the parallel tried to waylay, come up with something, put it in place, just have fun with an unsociable girl, but a few explanations in understandable language on their fists turned out to be enough to get behind her. She earned her place in the gang not with pretty eyes, but with deeds.

It wasn't so easy to master the curriculum, but it wasn't too difficult either. The exact sciences were especially given.

And physical education. The teacher advised to contact the coaches from the sports clubs at school so that good physical fitness and a short temper would be directed towards a peaceful course. She agreed and really followed the advice. There were three clubs in the school — football, volleyball and exy — and she just had to choose the one to which her heart lay, or its likeness. Several days have passed and a dozen matches of various teams in these sports have been watched, and only one game has hooked her. The players impressed with their speed and intensity, the brightness of the game on the field, as if they were fighting for life and death, and an unconditional victory snatched from rivals without unnecessary effort.

Unbelievable.

This kind of game suits her.

Training day after day, interscholastic games that felt like survival games, victories torn from the throats of rivals, and heartbreaking defeats - all this was not in vain.

The last game of the school year, the last game at school, because it was already her senior year, a loss after which disappointment spread through her veins, the desire to run away with a wild howl from her throat, which hurt after shouting at teammates, an empty shower room where there was too much room just for her, the only one of the girls on the team, and a stranger in the women's locker room, who immediately stared at the girl who entered with a lifeless gaze.

— Is it worth killing yourself because of this?

A low, husky voice, dark eyes, a tattoo in the form of the Roman numeral "5" on the left cheekbone and blond hair.

She watched his whole team and him in particular because they were both goalkeepers, but now this... Humiliating. Where is he and where is she.

— Maybe shouldn't have done that. But it's too late to think about it.

Late. For her. As always.

— But if it wasn't, I wouldn't be here.

What does he mean by that? And what is he really doing here?

— What do you need?

— I need you. A player like you suits us.

— Are you laughing? After losing?

— Does it look like I'm laughing?

— Can you do that?

— Draw conclusions. Your coach has a contract. For you, training starts in a week, hurry up if you don't want to be late, Natalie Shields.

He got up from the bench and left, leaving behind a bittersweet feeling of anticipation that replaced the sour taste of losing.

Three days later, she enters Edgar Allan University, and a week later she starts training. Two months later, in her first game, in a black uniform, she enters the field to the left of Andrew Minyard, who chose her, with the Roman numeral "6" on her left cheekbone.

[pianostarinwonderland]

There are too many moments in twst that don’t feel real but are canon. Like I’m still not getting over that Jade and Azul wring out Floyd to the point he couldn’t move for a while, all for skin care. Like yea these characters are, for lack of a better word, mischievous, scheming little shits but they have moments where you go “who in the writer’s room thought of this?”. I’m pretty a lot of people going into test first thought, “the art is hella nice, the bg sounds ominous, and the characters are based on Disney villains. yea this is gonna be a majestic game!”. And then you get a teacher hunting students for sport, Octavinelle in general and the crazy part is that Crowley was tricked into green lighting Azul’s ambition, students attempting (mass) murder or world domination at least once a month. On the flip side, they also have really wholesome moments where they act their age, and it kinda reminds you that they’re still teenagers (except Leona, personally I would be embarrassed having beef with minors). Like when Jamil was really eager to hear about Silver’s stories in endless Halloween(when I first saw that I thought he was conversing with Silver to get the jump on the ghost, but I was surprised that he genuinely wanted to continue hearing Silver talk about his childhood), how the boys wanted to hear about Trien’s honeymoon, playing video games all together at the end of chapter 6. Like the duality is very surprising.

!!!!! YOU PUT IT SO WELL

Main story is especially filled with all the unrealistic moments. I'd say a huge part of it is because they have magic and we don't. But can you imagine someone going around saying off with your head and actually doing something that affects the person (without killing them)? Or someone tosses a group of 6 to a faraway desert? Or students getting taken by a secret facility headed by their schoolmate? And as you pointed out, Octavinelle being Um . Octavinelle. Like. Where do you begin with them? There's the eel toner, but then you have to consider that their plans tend to be major successes. How was Azul able to make a successful plan to get the mystery drink legally and get free advertisement thanks to Vil? How do they conduct such fishy business with contracts and shit like that and succeed?

Often, I end up forgetting that this is a cast of high school students and not traumatized adults.

But then .. yeah, you remember that they're taking classes. You have that moment in Glorious Masquerade where students like Jamil, Riddle, and Malleus were curious about Trein's love life. You have chapter 5 with an interscholastic dance competition. You have Azul and Riddle in chapter 6 high-fiving each other after defeating a Titan. You have them + Vil, Leona, Jamil, and Shroud brothers playing video games. And so many more moments.

It's such a good balance of fantasy and reality. Twst is so fantastical yet it still adds a sense of relatability. It's really yummy.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Wisconsin Governor has vetoed a bill that would have limited participation in female athletics in the Badger State to women and girls.

Gov. Evers vetoed the “Save Girls Sports” legislation (AB 377) on Tuesday Apr. 2. The bill would have required public schools, charter schools and certain private schools operating “interscholastic, intramural, or club athletic team[s] or sport[s] to designate the athletic team or sport as falling into one of three categories based on the sex of the participating pupils…

[coochiequeens]

The girls team with the boy was going to compete against girls who could not interact with him for religious reasons without any prior communication.

By Anna Slatz January 8, 2024

A girls basketball team from a Muslim high school in California may have canceled a game after the school’s board was made aware that the opposing team had a trans-identified male player.

On Thursday, January 4, Averroes High School was set to compete against San Francisco Waldorf in a girls varsity basketball event, but the event was abruptly canceled. While the school has not provided comment on the reason why the sudden forfeiture took place, the decision was reportedly the result of the institution being made aware that a male player was participating on the Waldorf girls’ team.

Averroes is an Islamic school in the Bay Area, and sources close to the matter speculate that the hesitancy to compete against Waldorf was due to religious objections regarding the Muslim girls risking physical contact with the male player.

While the name of the male student will not be released at the request of sources, Reduxx has reviewed past game footage featuring the boy on the Waldorf team. He is seen towering above his female counterparts, boasting an obvious height and limb length advantage. According to team rosters, the male student has also retained his “masculine” name.

SF Waldorf playing a match against another California high school in November.

Speaking to Reduxx, Julie Lane of Women Are Real, an independent, California-based women’s advocacy group, revealed that information on the Waldorf player was first brought to their attention by a concerned father in November of 2023. His daughter had played a game against Waldorf, and had been left “traumatized” by the experience. Following the tip, Lane scouted out a Waldorf event to see for herself.

“The boy had an obvious advantage,” she says. “[The girls] didn’t necessarily run their offense through him, probably because they didn’t want to be targeted. But he got most rebounds and was able to jump much higher than the girls.”

She continued by noting that the male player “was not particularly skilled,” but that he had a longer range of arm reach and could jump significantly higher.

“They were at a complete disadvantage,” Lane says. “I caught one scramble for the ball with another player and my heart stopped. She was more than a foot shorter than him and could have been seriously injured.”

According to the statistics tracked by MaxPreps, the Waldorf Wolverines Girls Varsity team has won all but one game it has participated in over the past year.

Determined to raise awareness of the Waldorf player, the team at Women Are Real looked into the school’s upcoming games. Learning about their scheduled appearance against Averroes, a religious school focused on Muslim youth, the group then contacted the school’s board to alert them to the presence of a male on the opposing team.

“I was hopeful and thought there was no way this board would let their female athletes participate with a boy,” Lane said, noting that she never received a response from Averroes.

On January 4, Lane and some members from the Women Are Real team arranged to attend the match between the Waldorf and Averroes teams. But upon arriving, Lane was unable to locate the girls’ event. Confused, Lane approached some parents for answers, and was directed to speak to a female Waldorf student who had been sitting on the bleachers watching the boys’ game.

But Averroes has avoided providing a concrete, official answer about their motivation for abruptly canceling the match, and did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Jean Berns, another representative with Women Are Real, believes the confusion and silence surrounding the cancelation suggests Waldorf’s male player was the cause.

“As the school hasn’t made an official statement we can’t say for sure why the game was canceled. However, none of the multiple reasons we have heard from various sources make sense. We heard from the school director that there were not enough athletes to field a team, yet they played a game two days later with more than enough players. We heard from others that the coach was ill, yet he was able to coach the boys team the same evening of the cancelation. All this mystery and secrecy leads me to believe that the true reason for the cancelation most likely involves the male athlete,” she said, adding that she was “relieved” when she learned the game had been called off.

“On one hand, I feel strongly that no girl’s safety should ever be compromised and that no girl should be competing against a boy unawares. On the other hand, I’m saddened that the result is girls quietly self-selecting out of sports,” she continued.

“Will girls’ sport die a silent death here in California? Seeing that the boys game went on made me angry. Nothing has happened to them. What message are we sending these young girls?”

Speaking with Reduxx, Marshi Smith of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports speculates that the confusion surrounding Averroes’ forfeiture may be the result of concerns about potential penalization from the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF).

“The CIF falsely claims that boys who say their ‘gender identity’ is ‘female’ have legal entitlements to girls’ opportunities and access to girls’ teams, dorms, locker rooms, scholarships, titles and records,” she explains. “Families and schools like Averroes are wrongly told they’ll be in violation of federal law if they don’t force their daughters to compete against or with males. Tragically, feeling powerless, teams will quietly forfeit more and more.”

But Smith says CIF’s threats are “false and unethical,” and calls on schools and families to push back against gender ideology-based policies.

“Families must boldly oppose this injustice against women and girls now. There are millions of Americans ready to champion them.”

UPDATE: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that SF Waldorf had won “every single” game it had competed in over the past year. This has been updated to reflect a single loss.

[dhart4214]

A SO CAL SPORTS CHRONICLES EDITORIAL: Why I Don't Have Any Basketball Posts (as of yet)

Looks like it rained on this outdoor basketball court… THE REASONS FOR NOT HAVING BASKETBALL POSTS ON THIS BLOG AS OF THIS MOMENT ARE FAIRLY SIMPLE ONES, THAT ARE TWOFOLD: I feel that November is too early to focus on basketball, both the pro and the college kind, right now as I’ve always felt that November – and especially October in the NBA’s case – is too early to start the basketball…

[halfsizehellboy]

it's so important for female-identifying athletes to be included, especially at interscholastic and beginner levels (because that's where the path to high-level and professional sports starts), but it's always been weird to me that nonbinary and gnc athletes get lumped in with the women's or girl's categories. there are gnc athletes who identify more masculine. i don't go to a lot of women's-only or predominantly female-identifying events because i feel more out of place there, even if i am afab. there's a bike shop in my city looking for female-identifying employees, which multiple people told me about in the context that i should apply--- which, awesome, thanks for thinking of me--- but i'm not female-identifying?? just because you can make assumptions of my femininity by your perception of my body (which, btw, my tits seem to block out the fact that i'm built like a fucking brick house) (and my traditionally masculine clothing choices and haircut) doesn't mean that you're right. i love that the cycling community i'm in is more inclusive and diverse than some others, but it's still not grasping that i'm not their assumption. it may have to do with the presence of the rest of my family, but it's still frustrating.

[ryttu3k]

Anyway speaking of height I was the first AFAB kid in sixth grade to have their growth spurt so for a while I was the tallest AFAB kid in the whole school.

And then I just.

Never got any taller.

(Granted, there were only about twenty kids in sixth grade, and only seven were AFAB. Tiny school problems, there were only 215 of us. I was also one of just three of us in the Under-12 Girls for sports! It was super fun, I was house captain so I went in all the sports for the points, came 3rd in all the athletics including cross country, 2nd in most of the swimming carnival because R had a broken arm and wasn't taking part, and 1st in butterfly because S didn't do that one and I was literally the only one in the race, which meant... I automatically qualified for Zones (district-wide interscholastic sports competitions). I proceeded to lose hilariously in every single race, including being lapped by the front-runners of the Under-12 Boys in the cross-country, one of whom was a classmate and waved as he ran past me, the cheeky shit. Anyway, my humiliation paid off, we still got the house cup that year!)

[lalalian]

does aethergarde have any school sports (interscholastic or not)? it feels like the kind of school to have like, competitive ballroom dancing (my dream school has it and it looks so much fun. most of the 'elite' schools here like yale and oxford have them). also, if you're up for it i'd love to hear about eudora's royal family ♥️ hope you're doing well.

hihi!

Aethergarde does have interscholastic sports! The main one is dragon riding, this can be found under some school events in the school section. Do note that dragon riding is only interscholastic between the bigger schools (Qaruiabrim, Helvengrim, Gaiangrove, and Empyrigate). I went back and skimmed through the tournaments, I’m a little unhappy with them (mostly bc they’re impractical) so this version below has been corrected. I will update the script with these too btw.

info travels around through seeing scryers and animated newspapers! more info abt this in my entertainment post

QEGHA Dragon Tournament: This tournament only accepts 2nd yrs and above, though, 1st yrs are invited to watch the tournament. QEGHA stands for Qaruiabrim Empyrigate Gaiangrove Helvengrim Aethergarde, which you may know by now are the most prestigious dragon rider schools in this DR. This tournament has two major competitions, dragon racing and dragon fighting. Riders do not fight with their dragon in this tournament, instead, this tournament is only between dragons. The winning dragons from each match fight each other, and one dragon arises as the winner. Rewards for winning include a good chunk of money and a trophy.

Name of the team: Iolanthe (Ay-oh-lan-the); members of the group are called the lanthes (plural) (oh-lan-these) or Ianthe (singular). Both the racing and fighting team are called Iolanthe.

Representatives: Each school will send one student's dragon to represent them in this tournament. All of the QEGHA schools have a dragon fighting sports team, but only one student will be chosen to participate in the annual QEGHA tournament. The representative is chosen by the head captain of the school's dragon fighting team (This person is the coach).

How it’ll go: The aim to render the other dragon unable to fight. Riders will be positioned on opposite sides of the ring; the herald will announce the name of the dragon + the rider’s name + the school the student attends. Sometimes the herald may comment on certain things, like events that the rider participated in that was reported on the press, rumors, things like that. Here’s an extremely beautiful rendition of what the area would kinda look like (drawn by yours truly💋💋):

How it’ll go (Dragon racing): You and your dragon will go through a series of obstacles and you'll race to the finish line.

QEGHA Rider Tournament: This tournament also only accepts 3rd yrs and above. This competition is a fight between riders. Students from schools other than Aethergarde often want to fight Aethergarde students to sully the grand reputation of the school, essentially wanting to prove their schools are better than Aethergarde. You don’t know who you’re up against until you’re in the ring. Rewards for winning include a good chunk of money, a trophy, and a rare weapon or artifact.

Name of the team: Edelweiss (Ay-dull-wai-s); team members are called the weiss' (wai-s). SIDE NOTE: I did change the pronunciation here from ay-dull-vise (how we pronounce it in the reality we're currently in) to ay-dull-wai-s so that the name of the members wouldn't sound like 'vice', which is commonly used to describe like general depravity, or like a sin, idk, but it's just not a good look.

Representatives: Each school will send one rider to represent the school in the tournament. All of the QEGHA schools have a rider sports team, but only one student will be chosen to participate in the annual QEGHA tournament. The representative is chosen by the head captain of the school's rider team (This person is the coach).

How it’ll go: The aim to render the other rider unable to fight. Riders will be positioned on opposite sides of the ring; the herald will announce the rider’s name and the school the student attends. Sometimes the herald may comment on certain things, like events that the rider participated in that was reported on the press, rumors, things like that.

BUT

There are other sports too! Sword fighting is one whole separate genre, but there is a genre that encompasses fighting as a whole.

Both are interscholastic; unlike the QEGHA tournaments, other non QEGHA schools often participate in tournaments.

Students are paired together randomly, but both parties have to be the same rank (or one rank higher than the other).

As for ballroom dancing...

Ballroom dancing is typically practiced with nobles, non-noble born riders tend to focus more on fighting unless they're really trying to get into the noble scene (usually for marriage or other opportunities). Asterias and Miaene both practice competitive ballroom dancing.

Ballroom dancing is definitely not as popular as the fighting competitions, but, it's one of those things that are great to have on your resume.

It is still important to know how to dance in a ballroom because even if you aren't participating in the sport competitively, you are expected to attend banquets and interact with the attendees as the average noble would, including dancing with others.

Other sports/competitions would include:

Art competitions: Paintings would be displayed and voted on by professional art people (idk wtf they're called)

Acrobatics: Self explanatory

Writing competitions: Includes poetry and short stories.

Fashion competitions: A bit different than the others; similar to lolita tea party gatherings, people will adhere to a certain theme, and sit + eat together. Nobles who are especially into fashion may commission a fashion designer to display their clothing at the gathering with models, very similar to runway modeling. Nobles may also just make the clothing themselves. The more money the host of the gathering has, the more opulent and immersive the event will be.

Tinkering: Making magical things, displaying them in competitions

Royal Family

Eudora's royal family has a reputation of being 'riderless'-- meaning that they haven't had a rider in the family for many many decades.

Not only has Eudora never had a rider in the family, they've never married into a rider family who's had a strong history of high ranking riders. It's not uncommon for a royal to marry a non-rider or a D or E ranked rider.

There's a lot of rumors as to why the royal family has this no-rider complex-- but the most accurate is associated with Eudora's history with riders. Riders are born to serve as knights and protectors, not serve as the head of the empire. A high ranking rider could easily threaten a royal with their strength.

"But then why does the royal family have legions of extremely high ranking dragon riders?" Because they need these knights to protect them; these riders also take oaths to never hurt (seriously injure or murder) another royal, breaking this oath will only reflect the wounds the rider intended to injure the royal onto themselves. Oh and that rider would of course be serving a lifetime prison sentence.

wanna know more about my aethergarde academy dr? here's a masterlist with everything I've posted about it!

Sorry for any grammar mistakes, I'm super tired rn cuz for some reason, I just can't sleep :<

[riilsports]

RIIL and RI State Police teaming up on traffic safety campaign

     WARWICK, R.I. – [November 13, 2024] – The Rhode Island Interscholastic League is pleased to announce its continued partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation and is eager to embark on its seventh year of supporting RIDOT with its mission to bring roadway deaths and serious injuries TO ZERO. 

     The RIIL plans to do its part through the “Traffic Safety Is A Team Sport” initiative, a multi-media sports marketing campaign that will focus on several areas of emphasis, including Distracted Driving, Occupant Protection, Impaired Driving and Young Drivers.

     New this year, the RIIL is excited to announce it will be collaborating with the Rhode Island State Police on its traffic safety campaign. The RIIL will be teaming up with its fellow Traffic Safety Coalition member to create traffic safety videos, public service announcements and other messaging on the RIIL’s social media platforms to positively influence safe driving behavior. 

      In addition, the RIIL also looks forward to having the R.I. State Police participate in select RIIL Championships throughout the year. 

    "This partnership with the Rhode Island Interscholastic League allows us to reach young drivers directly, encouraging them to develop responsible habits that will serve them throughout their lives,” said Colonel Darnell S. Weaver, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Director of the Department of Public Safety. “By working together, we aim to build a culture of safety on our roads, helping teens understand the importance of making smart choices behind the wheel in order to protect themselves, their passengers, and everyone sharing the road." 

        The RIIL will continue to encourage new young drivers to make smart decisions when they get behind the wheel through an online traffic safety pledge. The league also provides resources for its member schools through an online Traffic Safety Toolkit. Both can be accessed at: https://www.riil.org/page/3744. 

    “We look forward to this new collaboration with the Rhode Island State Police on our traffic safety campaign,” said Mike Lunney, Executive Director of the RIIL. “State troopers play a key role in the ongoing efforts to make our roads safer. In addition, many of them were once RIIL student-athletes themselves and some continue to be involved as high school coaches or parents of current athletes. So the R.I. State Police are part of our far-reaching RIIL community, and we look forward to teaming up with them this year.”