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In Minnesota, a 6-foot-tall biological man continues to dominate girls Softball.
As a sophomore last year, Marissa Rothenberger was selected as the first team All-State, the only underclassman in the 4A division, as she helped Champlin Park High School win the 14-Straight game heading into the playoffs. Now a junior, Rothenberger remains outstanding on the mound with a 6-1 record, 67 strikeouts and a 0.76 ERA in 46 innings. Minnesota Softball Hub.
But not everyone is rooting for it. Many parents and athletes wonder why male athletes are allowed to compete in girls’ sports in the first place, and why no one says anything about it.
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Players dominate the high school competition in Minnesota. (Getty Images via Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos)
Father of a South Dakota The club’s softball player who asked her to remain anonymous for her daughter’s privacy told Outkick that her daughter’s team played Rosenberger’s team twice in travel ball last year.
“Our girls played Marissa’s team twice. They’re good clubs. They’re top clubs,” he said. “But when you have kids that’s 3-3 and 2-2 and you have kids that throw two innings and hit five batters… Sometimes you notice something a little odd.”
His daughter plays on multiple Division I commits (veteran athletes are used to high-level competition, but no one was told to face biological men.
“None of us knew that the girl was a boy,” he said. “But when this came out… my 16 year old knew exactly who it was and she said, ‘Man, that doesn’t surprise me.’ ”
In Minnesota, residents can change the gender listed on their birth certificates. According to Documents obtained by ReduxxRothenberger’s mother, Heather, to apply to Henepin County District Court to make changes. [the athlete’s] A birth certificate just after his 9th birthday. The petition was approved and Rothenberger was issued a new birth certificate indicating that he was born “woman” and changed his name from “Charlie Dean” to “Marissa”. ”
Father has expressed safety concerns for transgender softball players
The player is described as 6 feet of “exceptional size and strength.” (NCAA photo via Jamie Schwabello/Getty Images)
For this father, the problem should not be political. It’s about safety, integrity and the protection of female athletes, especially in sports like softball where false pitches and brutal comebackers can lead to serious injuries.
“You’re talking about someone of extraordinary size and strength,” he said. “43 feet [from mound to plate] It’s not that far. Reaction Time – Balls from a 17-year-old man and a 17-year-old woman’s bat – it’s just… not.
“From a legal perspective, the safety of the children on the other side needs to be respected, and everyone is very concerned about appealing to these left-wing awakened groups.
The lack of transparency (and the false assumption that everyone on the field is female) hit him the most.
“There should be no disguise,” he said. “If you have boys on other teams, other teams should know that from a safety standpoint and just for open and transparent dialogue. Don’t hide players and present them as girls when they’re boys.”
He admitted that but Trans identification male It’s been a hot button issue recently, and he never imagined his family would be affected.
“No one thought this would hit you close to home,” he said. “You heard about this in Connecticut and Oregon and in Riley. [Gaines] When I’m swimming, I think, “Oh, that’s far away.” But when we found out, it hit us home. Everyone was shocked. ”
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Softball Dad: Leadership needs to step up to protect girls and women
The father also believes it is time for leadership to take accountability. He specifically pointed out those in charge of elite fast pitch softball clubs and organizations that are supposed to advocate for female athletes.
“These people make a lot of money,” he said. “If you want to be in leadership positions, you need to step up on behalf of these kids and do the right thing.”
He quoted the original intentions of Title IX and how confused we were from that.
“when Title IX As it was enacted in 1972, there was no one lawmaker, no one judge, no one in the country who didn’t know the difference between men and women,” he said. There was no ambiguity.
“For some reason, people don’t stand up to the right thing. There are actually three camps. People who think these kids can play wherever they want, people like me who say it’s wrong, sit in the middle and don’t do anything. Those people need to get up.”
President Donald Trump will sign an executive order preventing Washington women and girls from competing in sporting events in the White House East Room on Wednesday, February 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
He left the conversation with a pleading officer. He wants to implement strong policies not only for his own daughter’s rights, but for future athletes.
“It absolutely makes me sick – co-ill, bystander indifference,” he said. “It’s not even gay or trans. It’s coronavirus. And if you’re on that phone, you need to be called.”
Outkick is a girl’s softball (US Softball, Alliance FastPitch And the clubs that Premier Girls Fast Pitch, Midwest Speed, and Lothenberger played in the summer and fall of last year.
Other organizations were unable to respond, but Alliance told Outkick that the board approved the new athlete eligibility policy in January 2025.
“The eligibility conditions established in this policy are driven solely by the Alliance Fastpitch desire to ensure safety, maintain fairness and avoid unfair competitive advantages in women-only youth FastPitch competitions,” Alliance said in a statement to Autkick. “The Board is actively working to communicate this policy to all member leagues.”
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However, it is important to note that the Minnesota State High School League (and the governing bodies of all other states) are separate from Club Softball and operates on its own set of rules. Moreover, it is difficult to implement women-only policies in states like Minnesota. There, individuals can freely change the gender of their birth certificates simply.
As this South Dakota father said, girls and women will continue to be at risk until state lawmakers and athletics are willing to draw clear, uncompromising lines rooted in biology rather than ideology.
