high school sports

Missouri currently bans trans athletes through the collegiate level from playing on teams that align with their gender identity, but the law expires in 2027. Republicans want to make it permanent, but Democrats argue it could invite scrutiny of young girls' bodies.

Many Kansas students are getting excited about girls’ flag football, which was launched in the state with help and funding from the Kansas City Chiefs. Learn about the sport and its rising popularity.

Missouri law previously allowed school districts to choose if they wanted to allow homeschooled students to participate in school teams or other activities. Under a new law signed by Gov. Mike Kehoe, districts must allow athletes to try out without taking classes.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear two cases in the fall that test state laws banning transgender women and girls from participating in sports at publicly funded institutions. Both Missouri and Kansas have passed simii restrictions.

Missouri lawmakers banned transgender student athletes from playing on sports teams that align with their gender identity, and restricted transgender minors from accessing gender-affirming health care like hormone treatments. But the current laws expire in August 2027.

A Kansas City doctor is behind a report about the unique injury risks of cheerleading, and is calling for a series of changes to improve safety — including recognizing it as a sport. Plus: Researchers still know little about why concussions are increasing for female athletes.

A Kansas City doctor and the American Academy of Pediatrics have issued a report analyzing the unique injury risks in cheerleading and how to improve safety for the first time in over a decade. They’re calling for a series of changes, including broad recognition of cheerleading as a sport.

Ovet Gomez Regalado, a 15-year-old sophomore, is the fourth Shawnee Mission Northwest student to die in the past 14 months. A GoFundMe for his family has already raised more than $29,000.

Kansas City Public schools combined two football teams last year due to low participation. With growing enrollment and a middle school feeder program, Central has its own team again this year.

Kansas City native and former Seattle SuperSonics basketball player Dean Tolson made it to college without learning to read. Now, he holds an advanced degree, and is advocating for education with a new memoir, "Power Forward."

A new Kansas law bans transgender girls from playing sports on girls' teams in schools and colleges. Opponents say that discriminating against transgender children was a solution to a problem that didn't exist, and the law ignores real fairness problems that female athletes face in Kansas.

Neither the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education nor the Missouri State High School Activities Association could say how they will enforce the state's restrictions on transgender athletes — one of the most controversial new laws approved by Missouri legislators this year.