Haverford’s Guidelines for Transgender Student-Athlete Participation

The Haverford College Athletic Department believes that all transgender student-athletes should be allowed to participate in any sports activity so long as that athlete’s use of hormone therapy, if any, is consistent with the NCAA existing policies on banned substances. Although not governed by the NCAA, squash and cricket will follow the same policies.  Specifically a transgender student-athlete should be allowed to participate in sports activities under the following conditions: 

Participation on Sex-Separated Sports

Transgender Student-Athletes Undergoing Hormone Treatment:

• A trans female (MTF) student-athlete who is taking medically prescribed hormone treatment related to gender transition may participate on a men’s team at any time but must complete one year of hormone treatment related to gender transition before competing on a women’s team.
• A trans male (FTM) student-athlete who is taking medically prescribed testosterone related to gender transition may not participate on a women’s team after beginning hormone treatment and must request a medical exception from the NCAA before competing on a men’s team because testosterone is a banned substance.
• A trans male(FTM) student-athlete who is taking medically prescribed testosterone for the purpose of gender transition may compete on a men’s team.
• In any case where a student-athlete is taking hormone treatment related to gender transition, that treatment must be monitored by a physician, and the NCAA must receive regular reports about the athlete’s eligibility.

Transgender Athletes NOT Undergoing Hormone Treatment:

• Any transgender student-athlete who is not taking hormone treatment related to gender transition may participate in sex-separated sports activities in accordance with his or her assigned birth gender.
• A trans male(FTM) student athlete who is not taking testosterone related to gender transition may participate on a men’s or women’s team.
• A trans female(MTF) student-athlete who is not taking testosterone related to gender transition may not compete on a women’s team.

 

Participation on Mixed Teams

• Transgender Student-Athletes Taking Hormones:
  • A trans male(FTM) student-athlete who has received a medical exception for treatment with testosterone for gender transition, for purposes of NCAA competition, may compete on a men’s team, but is no longer eligible to compete on a women’s team without changing that team status to a mixed team.
  • A trans female(MTF) student-athlete being treated with testosterone suppression medication for gender transition, for the purposes of NCAA competition, may continue to compete on a men’s team but may not compete on a women’s team without changing it to a mixed team status until completing one calendar year of testosterone suppression treatment.
• Transgender Student-Athletes Not Taking Hormones:
  • For purposes of mixed gender team classification, a female-to-male (FTM) transgender student-athlete who is not taking testosterone related to gender transition may be counted as either a male or female.
  • For purposes of mixed gender team classification, a female-to-male (FTM) transgender student-athlete who is not taking testosterone related to gender transition participating on a women’s team shall not make that team a mixed gender team.
  • For purposes of mixed gender team classification, a male-to-female (MTF) transgender student-athlete who is not taking hormone treatment related to gender transition shall count as a male.

 

Process to Participate in Intercollegiate Athletics

• The Student’s Responsibility
  1. In order to avoid challenges to a transgender student’s participation during a sport season, a student-athlete who has completed, plans to initiate, or is in the process of taking hormones as part of gender transition shall submit the request to participate on a sports team in writing to the Director of Athletics upon matriculation or when the decision to undergo hormonal treatment is made.
  2. The request shall include a letter from the student’s physician documenting the student-athlete’s intention to transition or the students’ transition status if the process has already been initiated.  This letter shall identify the prescribed hormonal treatment for the student’s transition and documentation of the student’s testosterone levels, if relevant.  NCAA Medical Exception Documentation Reporting Form
  3. The student is encouraged to meet with someone who can offer support and advice through the process, if desired.  Should the student want help in finding such a person, a list of people who might serve in that role is available from the Director of Athletics, the Senior Woman Administrator, the Dean’s Office or Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS).
• Athletic Department Staff Responsibilities
  1.  The Director of Athletics shall meet with the student-athlete to review eligibility requirements and procedure for approval of transgender participation.
     1. If hormone treatment is indicated as part of the student-athlete’s transition, the Director of Athletics will notify the NCAA and the Centennial Conference Office of the student-athlete’s request to participate.
  2. Once the Director of Athletics approves the student-athlete’s request to participate and the student-athlete is deemed eligible by the NCAA, then the student-athlete may participate on an intercollegiate team as indicated by the NCAA.
     
  3. The Director of Athletics and/or their designee will work closely with the student-athlete to provide support and address their needs to ensure the opportunity to participate fully in Haverford College Athletics. 

 NCAA Inclusion of Transgender Student-Athletes