Background

Rynn is a 12-year-old 7th grader who has spent the past five years playing on the Oyster River Youth Association (ORYA) boys lacrosse team. She is a dedicated, experienced, and respected player who simply wanted to continue playing the sport she loves for Oyster River Middle School (ORMS).

However, just two days before the season began, after the school had known since the fall that she planned to try out, we were informed that she would not be allowed to play on the ORMS boys team. While the decision was initially attributed to a state mandate (RSA 193:41), we later learned the district has discretion in this matter.

The district chose to say no.

We are asking: why?

This Is About Fairness and Equal Opportunity

Rynn is not asking for special treatment, only the opportunity to continue participating in a sport she has played for years and excels in.

Oyster River School District emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion. But equity requires more than offering options - it requires ensuring those options are truly comparable.

Denying Rynn this opportunity is not equitable.

Boys and Girls Lacrosse Are Not Equivalent

A key justification for this decision is that a girls lacrosse team exists.

But girls and boys lacrosse are fundamentally different sports with different rules, equipment, and levels of contact. Rynn has tried girls lacrosse and found it was not the right fit. She is passionate about, and excels in, the physical, fast-paced nature of boys lacrosse.

Offering a different sport and calling it equal is not equity.

Inconsistent Application of Policy

The district’s stance is also inconsistent.

The district allows girls to play football, a contact sport, when no girls team exists. Yet in this case, the existence of a girls lacrosse team is used to deny access, even though the sports are not comparable.

If the concern is safety or contact, why is it applied selectively and inconsistently?

If it is policy, what is the rationale behind that policy?

And if the district has discretion, why is it being used to exclude rather than include?

This Decision Has Real Impact

Rynn is a national champion weightlifter; she is strong, capable, and well-equipped to safely compete. She is often bigger and stronger than her peers on the team.

Her teammates support her. They see her as a valued member of the team and are frustrated that she is not allowed to play.

This decision sends a broader message about access, belonging, and who gets to participate.

What We Are Asking

We respectfully call on district leadership and the school board to:

1. Allow Rynn to play on the boys middle school lacrosse team this season.
2. Review and revise policies to allow girls to try out for boys teams when the sports are not equivalent and participation aligns with their experience and ability.
3. Provide transparency around the rationale for current policies and how they align with the district’s commitment to equity and inclusion.

Call to Action

If you believe in fairness, equal opportunity, and giving students the chance to participate where they can thrive, please sign and share.

Let Rynn play - and ensure future students have the same opportunity.