Legislative Update: The Values Sports Teach Our Kids
By Gov. Jim Pillen
March 8, 2025
When the Girls State Basketball Tournament tipped off in Lincoln, it was the official start of March Madness in Nebraska. It’s one of the best, buzzer-beating times of the year.
For all the champions that will be crowned this month, we know that those winners spent years practicing and competing for an opportunity to earn a trophy. We also know that many more
ended their season in defeat. But through it all (and this is why youth sports are awesome) our kids are learning life-long lessons.
Occasionally sports offer a chance to chase college scholarships. More often, they’re just a way to have some fun with friends or get healthy. But, almost always, sports create unity in our
schools and communities.
The truth is: sports matter – a ton – to us Nebraskans.
No, sports don’t feed the world or solve society’s problems – but they help create people who will.
Physically, participating in sports helps girls and boys build strength, endurance, and coordination while promoting overall health – reducing the risk of obesity, diabetes, and other health issues later in life. Mentally, sports boost self-esteem and confidence. When kids master new skills, drain a shot, or contribute to a team, they feel a sense of accomplishment that
carries over into other areas of life. It also teaches flexibility – learning to handle a loss or setback builds grit and valuable perspective.
Data show that youth sports are a gold mine for those that participate. Student athletes are more likely to excel academically and graduate at a higher rate than non-athletes. They learn teamwork, communication, and leadership skills that are hard to replicate in just about any classroom. They become more disciplined by juggling practices and schoolwork. They form friendships and find role models, like coaches, who can inspire.
Sports are Life 101.
Youth sports have especially benefited girls, who before the enactment of Title IX in the 1970s, had many fewer sports opportunities than boys. Now, those benefits are threatened by the rise of a movement to allow biological boys to participate in girls’ sports.
Just like most Nebraskans, I want to keep politics as far from the field as possible, but this conversation – taken over by a vocal minority – needs a dose of common sense and
straightforward policy. The reality is that this issue is NOT political – it’s simply about protecting our girls and standing up for our values.
Anyone watching our state basketball tournaments can see that letting boys compete against girls is a bad idea – both unfair and unsafe. The majority of people agree on this issue too. In a Gallup survey of adults conducted in May 2023, nearly 70 percent of respondents said that athletes should only compete on sports teams that correspond with their birth sex.
This is one reason why I testified in favor of the Stand With Women Act (LB89), introduced by Senator Kathleen Kauth at my request. It is also why I established the Nebraska Women’s Bill of Rights by executive order and proudly stood in the White House with President Trump when he signed his own, similar order into federal law.
The four focus areas of my administration are: Kids, Taxes, Agriculture, and Values. This legislation hits on two of those priorities – our Nebraska values and standing up for our kids.
It is necessary to inject normalcy into this area and protect sports for Nebraska girls and young women. We know the positive impact sports can have on an athlete’s life. We need to make sure every Nebraska girl has privacy in her locker room and has a safe and fair playing field. There is no better place to learn from the sting of a hard-fought loss or – even better – the thrill of a well-earned victory.
Best of luck to all the teams competing this March. Go get ‘em!
