Written by Ken

I’m deeply concerned about Bill 9, and not just for transgender youth, but for all kids in Alberta.

We’re talking about a bill that doesn’t just legislate exclusion. It legitimizes suspicion, normalizes doubt, and fuels a level of hate that doesn’t stay contained in the political arena but makes its way directly into gyms, classrooms, and locker rooms.

In the last year alone, through my work in youth sport, I’ve been approached more times than I can count with “concerns” about young female athletes being too masculine.

“Too big to be a girl. Too fast to be a girl. Too athletic to be a girl. And yes, too masculine.”

The five years before this? Never. Not once.

Every single one of these cases, EVERY SINGLE ONE, has been rooted in fear, misinformation, or someone projecting their own biases onto a child. All proven invalid. All based on physical appearance or stereotypes, and not facts.

And when adults start questioning the “gender legitimacy” of a 12- or 13-year-old girl because she plays hard, is muscular, has broad shoulders, or simply doesn’t conform to someone else’s idea of femininity…that’s not safety. That’s not fairness. That’s harm.

Bill 9 will amplifies these problems. It gives permission, political permission from our leaders, for people to look at kids and decide whether they “belong” based on how they look, how they act, or whether they fit someone’s outdated expectation of gender.

This should terrify us.

Because the moment we turn sport into a place where kids are scrutinized instead of celebrated, we lose everything that sport is supposed to stand for: belonging, confidence, growth, joy, identity, and community.

I’ve seen families hurt, confused, and blindsided and unfortunately I know I’ll see the ripple effect too: kids withdrawing, losing confidence, or feeling unsafe in their own teams.

This is bigger than politics and bigger than a bill. It’s even bigger than one group of kids.

This is about whether we are willing to let fear dictate how we treat all children.

Bill 9 opens a door we should never open that leads to policing bodies, judging children, and creating environments of quiet (and sometimes loud) hostility.

We can do better. We must do better.

For transgender youth.
For girls.
For every kid who just wants to show up, play, and be themselves without being interrogated.

If we care about safety, fairness, and humanity, then opposing Bill 9 is not a “political stance.”

It’s a moral one.

Is this the best title so far? Yes.

Am I excited about the signing and what it means for Bichette and maybe even Tucker? Also yes.

https://open.substack.com/pub/onebluejaysway/p/ross-atkins-wont-cease-to-amaze-anytime?r=qmgtv&utm_medium=ios

Ross Atkins won't Cease to amaze anytime soon If you thought the Jays’ rotation was already cooking, wait till you see what adding Dylan Cease does. This isn’t a splashy, headline-chasing gamble, it’s an engine-upgrade: cleaner, faster, louder. Vroom Vroom mfers.

There's a ton of Blue Jays fans out there with no idea that one of the biggest media conglomerates in Canadian history owns our team.

What does that mean in general?

Who is Rogers Communications?

And...most interesting..how will it impact their off season after a deep post season run??

The People Behind the Blue Jays: What Toronto’s Ownership Really Wants, And What It Means for the Off-Season If you really want to understand the Toronto Blue Jays (not the roster, not the payroll, not the analytics department, but the actual direction of the franchise) you need to stop staring at the dugout and start looking 15 floors up in a boardroom somewhere on Bloor Street.

I used to believe that more exposure means more opportunity. That the louder we shout, the more we’ll be heard. But over time I’ve watched something else unfold, especially in youth sport: the chase to be noticed starts to overshadow the real work and real growth.

In this piece I dive into how this obsession with “getting seen” is actually hurting athlete development and why we need to flip the script. Instead of chasing spotlights, what if we focused on purpose, passion, and progress?

If you’ve ever felt the pressure to be “on,” to be visible, to succeed on someone else’s timeline then you’re not alone. Let’s talk about what really matters.



🔗

Over Exposure: The Chase to be Noticed is Killing Basketball Development What you should know about youth basketball and learning that we’re actually looking at here is a slick marketing operation that borrows straight from the playbook of classic advertising and brand-building.

I launched something new and it’s not just about baseball. ⚾

It’s about thinking differently about how we talk about it.

Blue Jays Way is a new Substack I created for fans who are tired of the noise, the clickbait headlines, the surface-level analysis, the drama disguised as journalism.

It’s a space for real conversation about the Toronto Blue Jays, built on depth, humour, and data-driven storytelling. It’s baseball writing that respects your intelligence and your fandom.

I’ve spent years studying performance, leadership, and the psychology of sport and this project brings all of that into the Blue Jays world. From lineup construction to mental performance, from player development to culture-building we’ll dig into why things happen, not just that they did.

If you’re a Blue Jays fan who values context over chaos, this might be your new favourite corner of the internet.

👉 Subscribe here: https://onebluejaysway.substack.com/p/welcome-to-the-blue-jays-way

No fluff. No gimmicks.

Just Blue Jays the way they deserve to be talked about.

Welcome to the Blue Jays Way Baseball without the nonsense. ⚾Deep dives, real talk, and honest humor about the Toronto Blue Jays—because fandom deserves better than clickbait.

📚 “20 Books to Read Before 2025 Ends” and somehow… mine made the list.

Nestled between The Art of War, The Odyssey, and The Myth of Sisyphus are three modern masterpieces that your high school English teacher definitely didn’t assign (but probably should have):

🔥 Leading on the Edge – For the leaders who prefer cliff-edges over comfort zones and want an easy read that cuts right to the good stuff in point form and blunt learning.

🦖 The Sportasaurus Survival Guide – Because youth sports can be wilder than Jurassic Park and the adults need to learn lessons too.

💪 Elbows Up – A children’s story with more grit, teamwork, and heart than most adult non-fiction.

Are they as famous as Homer or Dostoevsky?
Not yet. But hey, every classic has to start somewhere.

👉 Grab them on Amazon before they end up on a future “required reading” list.

Why the Toronto Blue Jays are more than just a sports team for me.

I watched my first games ever with Grandma. We spent a lot of time together when I was little and she watched a LOT of Jays baseball. I don’t remember much about what we did or said in those early days, but I remember how they made me feel. The connection, asking questions, her patience explaining things over and over again. She was special, and those times were too.

I’ve sat in Skydome (now Rogers Centre) more times than I can count in spite of never living in downtown. Many of those times were with my dad. He took me there opening day after Grandma left us. 40,000 people singing the anthem, cheering, and waving their towels but it felt like there was just him, me, and her there.

I moved across the country in 2014 and have been to a game there every year since. These returns meant taking the games in with dad, my sister, my closest friends, and bringing people from Alberta to experience it too. The Jays became a place where I connected with them too.

When I found out I was going to be a dad, I brought my dad to sit behind home plate. They came back to beat the Yankees that day with a grand slam from Lourdes Gurriel on Father’s Day. I saw them do it again this past Canada Day when Springer did the same. When one of my closest friends was getting married and gave me the honour of being his best man I knew where we’d go. I sit with people I’m closest with now in Alberta and share great moments with them during many games, and espcially in these playoffs.

I’ve chatted with guys through the mesh, got game balls, met Jamie, Joe, Hazel, Buck and others who we watch and listen to all the time. I’ve been to Spring training multiple times, and met front office staff and on field psychology/coaching staff. I know way too many stats, feel way too close with many current/past players, and miss Roy Halladay a ton.

But last night was one of my favorite core memories. Putting my 3 year old son to bed, but sneaking the Blue Jays game on my phone out and watching it for a couple hours past his bed time. He was so excited and confused about what was happening because we never watch “shows” during bedtime. We laid there on our stomachs, in the dark, with the phone propped up lighting the room around us.

He asked a million questions and I was patient answering them every time. We laughed about Vladdy falling down when he fielded the ground ball before tossing it to first in the bottom of the 9th (even though I was super impressed with the play). It was hard to get him to sleep after (me too) but it was worth it. We were excited.

It was just me and him in a twin bed in the dark. Surrounded by stuffies, him in his pjs, dinosaur sheets, and a small nightlight from the screen. But at the same time Grandma was there and not gone, my dad was there and not across the country, my friends were there and not spread out as we all build our own lives.

I doubt my son will remember that night. But I hope he’ll remember how it made him feel.

PS. Plus it ALWAYS feels good when we beat the damn Yankees.

I’d love for you to share your connections and stories in the comments

📚 When people ask me where the ideas for my books came from (Leading on the Edge and The Sportasaurus Survival Guide) I often think back to a project I started years ago: my podcast, Real Learning with Real People https://open.spotify.com/episode/35YJlT9ZEbHAfd1iHYg4pF?si=f7ef183e16e64836

Though it’s been a while since I recorded those episodes, the conversations still hold up. They became a foundation for how I see performance, resilience, and growth today.

Matthew Galvez, LPC, CMPC, Mental Performance Coach for the Toronto Blue Jays ⚾, taught me about the psychology of thriving under pressure.

Suni Williams, NASA Astronaut 🚀, reminded me that preparation and resilience are universal, whether in space or everyday life (and she was recetly stuck there for a bit)

Claus Souza, NBA Strength & Conditioning Coach 🏀, showed how the physical and mental sides of performance can’t be separated.

Trevor Ragan, founder of The Learner Lab 📚, reframed learning as something messy, uncomfortable, and powerful when done right.

Those conversations sparked ideas that later shaped my direction with my company and the non-profit I serve.

Ultimately, the lessons found their way into my writing.

Looking back, the podcast wasn’t just a project, it was a catalyst. It connected me with brilliant people, challenged how I thought, and gave me raw material that I still draw on today.

🙏 If you haven’t heard those conversations yet, I’d encourage you to check them out. They were as transformative for me as I hope they’ll be for anyone who listens.

Values, Praise, and Performance with Matthew Galvez from the Toronto Blue Jays Real Learning with Real People · Episode