In recent years, the debate on whether men should be in women’s sports has gained an uproar in the sports community. As someone who’s been in male-dominated sports all my life, I can testify to the real and scary struggles I and so many other women face.

It started when I was put into martial arts at the age of 5, and the ratio of male to female was 1 to 10. I didn’t notice anything different between the boys and me until I was 9 or 10. The same boys I used to easily beat up two years ago could suddenly pack a punch. This was the start of my journey as a woman in a male-dominated sport.

Growing up I was never given the opportunity for excuses – I had two brothers who never went easy on me for the excuse of me being a girl. I appreciated it when I was younger – I felt strong and included – but quickly things changed as I got older and there was a mutual unspoken agreement to be careful.

We can no longer continue to ignore the biological advantages that men have over women. Another example is when I started lacrosse in 2022; there was only one other girls’ team in Tucson, forcing us to practice and sometimes even compete with the men’s team. The first game I ever played was cut dramatically short because, in the first 15 minutes, an opposing male player took a shot on goal and missed, hitting me in the side of my neck, and causing me to blackout. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the last incident in the first half. From the short time I was on the sidelines, I watched my teammates one by one get picked off by the only two male players. There was nothing we could do but finish the game while my teammates feared for their safety. The game ended in the third quarter when we ran out of players. These stories are only the beginning of my decade-old struggles.

I’ve always grown up with the idea that girls can do anything boys can do, if not better. However, I believe men in women’s sports aren’t only physically harmful but also diminish all the amazing accomplishments made by women.