Notre Dame High avoids punishment

There was no punishment, however. Instead of anything draconian, the officials determined to reiterate the behavior guidelines of the California Interscholastic Federation, the governing body for prep sports in the Golden State, as they relate to the treatment of young athletes by parents, fans and others at athletic contests, according to Terry Stogner, commissioner of the PAL.

The matter in question involved a disturbing autumn 2024 situation at a girls’ volleyball match between Notre Dame and Half Moon Bay High School. The Half Moon Bay team (a full-fledged PAL member) included a biological male who identifies as female. That teen was the object of verbal harassment.

The incident subsequently wound up being amplified on social media and later via TV and newspaper coverage. Aragon High School athletic director Steve Sell (it was on his campus where the tournament volleyball match was played) expressed deep concern about the incident and expressed his feelings to Notre Dame officials. There were ominous rumblings  that punishment from the PAL could be considered.

However, Notre Dame’s administration apologized shortly after the divisive parental actions occurred. The school made it clear that the behavior of the offending adults was not tolerated. They reportedly were banned from attending Notre Dame athletic contests going forward.

Within California, the rules are clear: The CIF adheres to an official stance that allows high school athletes to participate on sports teams based on how they identify as to gender regardless of biological realities.

By permitting biological males to compete against biological females, considerable controversy has been growing on all sides of a debate which has taken on significant political implications on a national scale. The 2024 presidential campaign included significant conservative attacks on liberal transgender policies.

Now, the U.S. Congress is in the midst of considering a law to ban such an option for athletes in schools that receive taxpayers’ dollars (in other words, most of them).

IT’S TUTU TIME FOR TODDLERS: Is there a future Rudolf Nureyev lurking out there somewhere among the toddler set at a nursery school or some other site for the wee ones? Here’s an opportunity to find out. Under the “Dance” listings in the San Mateo Parks and Recreation program guide a creative movement class is being offered, beginning this month. It is touted by noting that, “It’s never too early to get excited about dance, movement and music.” How early? Age 1. That is correct. The age range is set at 1-3. We have to assume that those custom mini-tutus will be equipped with proper Pampers.

COMCAST HAS DONE US A FAVOR: The timing couldn’t be better — or worse, depending on your point of view. Comcast’s Bay Area sports cable-TV setup ended access to its service for tens of thousands of subscribers last week, giving them the option to sign up for a more expensive package if they wanted to continue to receive the regional option. The company’s decision comes at the same time the area’s pro sports teams are struggling. They have become barely watchable in too many respects. We’ll spend our cash on more attractive, stimulating programming, thank you very much. Comcast has unwittingly done us a favor.

PRETEND YOU CAN’T SEE US: Not long ago, Redwood City police received a report from a resident that two men were acting suspiciously in a neighborhood on Bair Island Road. Both fellows seemed to be prowling in the area, perhaps looking for packages to filch from porches in broad daylight. They weren’t hard to spot. Both were said to be wearing masks; one of them was sporting an obvious blond wig and, oddly, was riding a tricycle. So much for trying to remain incognito in the quiet ‘burbs.

John Horgan has been writing about San Mateo County’s ins and outs, to the tune of an estimated 7 million words, since 1963, beginning at the defunct Burlingame Advance Star. He can be contacted by email at johnhorganmedia@gmail.com.