Depictions of Transgender Youth-Athletes and Their Relationships With Coaches in Contemporary Sports-Related Young Adult Literature

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Three
  In Roundtable Session: Analyzing Literature for Missing and Misrepresented Stories (Table 9)

Abstract

This study examines representations of transgender youth-athletes and their relationships with athletic coaches in two distinguished sports-related young adult novels–Shane Woods and Coach Tom in The Other Boy (Hennessey, 2016) and Spencer Harris and Coach Schilling in The Passing Playbook (Fitzsimons, 2021). Our analysis explores multiple themes related to being transgender boys, playing sports, and building relationships between coaches and athletes. We address the messages these themes communicate to readers, including how sports can support transgender boys by not only providing room for engaging in physical activity but also offering opportunities for developing productive relationships with peers and adults. We conclude by addressing the significance of how the featured novels represent transgender lives inside and outside sports.

Authors

• Mark A. Lewis, James Madison University
  Presenting Author

• Luke Rodesiler, Purdue University - Fort Wayne
  Presenting Author