Nicole Prussman: How unfair policies are hurting Pennsylvania’s girls

Across Pennsylvania, girls wake up before sunrise to train. They run in the cold, give up weekends, and devote years to their sport because they believe in something fundamental: that hard work leads to opportunity. That the playing field is fair. That their effort matters. 

For decades, Title IX protected that promise. It created stable, predictable environments where girls developed confidence, resilience, and a strong sense of identity. But today, many young female athletes are carrying an emotional burden no one prepared them for — the burden of competing in situations where biology creates unavoidable disadvantages. 

This is not a political issue. It is a human one. More than 80 percent of Pennsylvanians believe girls’ sports should remain fair and safe. That support crosses every demographic, every region, and every political line. Fairness is not partisan. Mental health is not partisan. 

As an educator and the mother of daughters who are growing in athletics, I’ve watched girls who once raced with joy now step into competition with anxiety and hesitation. One young athlete trained all year for a major meet only to learn she’d be racing against a biological male. She said she felt “defeated before the race even started.” Not because she lacked determination, but because she knew biology—not effort—would decide the outcome. 

Moments like this leave lasting emotional marks. 

When fairness disappears, the emotional impact on girls is immediate and long-lasting. Many experience rising anxiety before competitions and a loss of motivation because their effort no longer feels connected to the outcome. Others describe a persistent sense of stress or fear, especially in private spaces where they no longer feel secure. Their self-esteem begins to erode as their concerns are minimized or dismissed, creating confusion at a time when their identities are still forming. Some girls withdraw from sports entirely, abandoning one of the strongest protective factors they have against depression, anxiety, and risky behaviors. These aren’t hypothetical concerns — they are the lived reality of young women across our state. 

Families across Pennsylvania have tried to raise these concerns. They have reached out to the Office of the Governor, the Office of the House Majority Leader, and various members of the General Assembly. They have asked for fair and reasonable protections so their daughters can compete without fear or emotional distress. 

But many of these concerns have been brushed aside. 

In one conversation with the Office of the House Majority Leader, the issue was described as “not a problem in Pennsylvania.” For girls who have felt the emotional fallout directly, that dismissal is more than frustrating — it is painful. It sends a message no child should ever hear: Your feelings don’t matter. 

When girls internalize that message, the damage can last far beyond one season or one race.

Three bills — Senate Bill 9, House Bill 158, and House Bill 1849 — would provide simple, commonsense protections. They do not target anyone. They ensure fairness in girls’ sports, safeguard privacy, and remove the emotional chaos female athletes are currently facing. 

These protections reflect the values of the overwhelming majority of Pennsylvanians. They reflect compassion, reality, and the basic responsibility adults have to protect children. 

Girls who sacrifice everything for their sport should never be placed in situations where they feel unsafe, disadvantaged, or silenced. They should never have to question whether their work matters or whether anyone will stand up for them. 

Fairness is not political. Safety is not political. 

And protecting the mental health of young women should never be political. It is simply the right thing to do.

Nicole Prussman is an educational advocate and the Moms for Liberty PA Legislative Chair.