Coach wouldn't let a transgender student join the boys soccer team. Now Duval Schools is apologizing

When Zach moved from Washington State to Jacksonville to live with his dad last year, he looked forward to trying out for the Atlantic Coast High boys soccer team.

He's played soccer since he was 5 and says the sport has always served as an outlet for him.

Zach — whose last name is being withheld to protect his identity — is transgender. He was designated female at birth and began his transition about three years ago while in seventh grade.

The sophomore made it through several rounds of tryouts for the boys soccer team this school year when the head coach told him he would need to move to the girls team tryouts instead.

A recent law signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last year bars transgender girls from playing on the girls soccer team. But the law allows transgender boys to play on the boys team.

When Duval County School District leaders were told by a Times-Union reporter what happened to Zach, they acknowledged that things were handled the wrong way. Now they're apologizing.

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'It was all right' to play on the boys soccer team — until it wasn't

After Zach transitioned in middle school while in Washington, he says his coaches approached him to see if he wanted to switch from the girls team to the boys team. But things were still fresh, and Zach said he didn't quite feel comfortable switching then. The school district gave him a pass to stay on his existing team for the rest of that season.

He says the opposite happened in Duval County.

"During tryout season, I reached out to the head coach for the boy's varsity team who also happens to be my history teacher," Zach told the Times-Union. "I wanted to know since I just moved here if it was OK [to play on the boys team] or if I had to go to the girls. He said it was all right."

Zach made it through the first few rounds of cuts. But just before the final round, Zach says Atlantic Coast boys soccer coach Brian McCrary, who initially told Zach he could try out for the team, approached him and said he'd need to go to the girls team instead.

McCrary declined to be interviewed for this story. School district officials confirmed Zach was sent to the girls junior varsity team, where he played for a couple of weeks before bowing out.

"I had only positive experiences during my time on the girls team," Zach said. "But I ended up leaving for personal reasons — I overextended myself — and the feeling that I had invaded a women's space."

Zach, who has previously dealt with depression, said soccer serves as an outlet for his emotions. Transgender youth can be more likely to experience depression as they navigate identity and acceptance among family and peers.

"You hear about guys going to the gym for therapy — this is my sport," Zach said. "If I had built up anger at home because there was so much going on, I'd go to the field and just go at it."

Now, his outlet had been taken away without a clear explanation. Zach says he remembers McCrary citing the law put in place by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year barring transgender girls and women from playing on their respective teams.

"Narrative around that law may have contributed to the confusion," Duval Schools spokesman Tracy Pierce said when asked by the Times-Union.

The law recently came into public scrutiny again with DeSantis proclaiming that Sarasota native Emma Weyant was the "rightful winner" despite losing to Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, at the NCAA 500-yard women's freestyle swimming championship.

But Zach is trying to play on the boys team, not the girls — an element the law does not mention. The state law only excludes those designated male at birth from participating in girls athletics, not the other way around.

The error in application raises new concerns regarding how vague language within laws can be applied — and misapplied — in practice. LGBTQ advocates have expressed similar concerns when it comes to the recent Parental Rights in Education Law — known by critics as the "Don't Say Gay" bill — signed by DeSantis last month, which limits discussions about gender identity to being "age-appropriate," without detailing what that means.

Atlantic Coast soccer coach didn't follow updated gender identity guidance for school sports

School district officials say they weren't aware of this incident until the Times-Union asked about it. They say coach McCrary did not follow proper Florida High School Athletic Association guidance, which says that all eligible students should have the opportunity to play in a way that's consistent with their gender identity.

In cases like Zach's — where the teams are separated by gender — McCrary should have told Zach to submit for an eligibility review, which entails giving the school and the FHSAA notice and providing a set of documents that affirm his identity.

"School staff have been trained and informed on the current procedure," Pierce said. "In this case, I think the staff at the school just recalled the old policy and not the new when advising the student. To my knowledge, there was no interaction between the school and district staff on the question."

The FHSAA rules have been in place since 2020. It's unclear how the legislation and FHSAA guidance would impact a transgender woman attempting to play on a girls soccer team.

Sharing his story so other trans students don't miss out on opportunities

Joseph Rawlins is a teacher at Atlantic Coast High School and the adviser for the school's Gay-Straight Alliance, of which Zach is a member. He says he remembers Zach's excitement and "triumph" when he first made the boys team cuts, followed by his frustration when he was told he wouldn't be allowed to join the team.

"As the GSA sponsor, I did my best to listen, as I think that’s what my role best entails. To listen, and provide a safe, affirming space for our LGBTQIA students," Rawlins said. "There’s no doubt Zach was down in the fall surrounding this situation. Frustrated, angry and feeling like he was singled out just for existing as a human that didn’t fit the rules people had put in place."

Zach — who also participates in swimming, the school's fitness and wellness club, and band — has turned to other outlets to let out steam this school year.

"Since joining Stingray Strong [the fitness club], I’ve seen a really sharp uptick in Zach’s demeanor," Rawlins said. "He’s confident, happier and has really found a peer group that supports him. I couldn’t be happier for him as I listen to his story unfold when he runs up to check in between classes or at GSA meetings. He’s blossoming into a great young man."

'Tell your story': Transgender youth activist urges advocacy for JASMYN, LGBTQ community

It's unknown how many other transgender students in Duval County may have faced a similar situation to Zach's.

He says he wants to tell his story now to make sure other young people advocate for themselves.

"Honestly, adults can pretend that we're not here, but we’re going to find a way around all their laws and bans and come out stronger. Not being allowed to talk about who I am didn’t prevent me from figuring out who I am," he said. "[The law about transgender girl athletes] doesn't apply to me, but I didn't have the time to look into the details myself. I regret not pushing back, but I also know it could have ended badly."

He added, "It’s hard to deal with this — going through it, all I wanted to hear was that even if you can’t be on that team, you’ll still be who you are. It doesn’t change your athletic ability or who you are inside."

Now, following the Times-Union's questioning, the school district is apologizing.

"We are reaching out to the student and his family to apologize and ensure that the appropriate procedure is implemented in the future," Pierce said last week. "We will also remind all of our school athletic directors of the state procedure to follow for situations like this in the future."

Zach's mom received a call from the school district apologizing for how things played out on a Thursday evening. She texted him later, telling him he would be allowed to go out for the boys soccer team next year. He got the news on International Transgender Day of Visibility.

If you identify as part of the LGBTQ community or know someone who does and have questions, here are some resources:

JASMYN supports and empowers local LGBTQ youth by creating a safe space, providing health and wholeness services and offering youth development opportunities, while bringing people and resources together to promote equality and human rights. For more information, visit www.JASMYN.org or call (904) 389-3857.

The Trevor Project is a national nonprofit focused on suicide prevention for LGBTQ youth. A national 24-hour, toll free confidential suicide hotline for LGBTQ youth is available by calling 1-866-488-7386. For more information, visit www.thetrevorproject.org.

Emily Bloch is an education reporter for The Florida Times-Union. Follow her on Twitter or email her. Sign up for her newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Florida trans athlete banned from Atlantic Coast High boys soccer team