NCAA softball player alleges person threatened to come to her school and kill her over women’s sports activism
Colorado Christian University softball player Kendall Kotzmacher says someone threatened to come to her school and kill her, amid abuse linked to her activism on women’s sports eligibility. She reported the threat to the university, and says the hostility has grown as her public profile has increased.
The 20-year-old says she has also received messages urging her to die, and that someone sought out information about teammates who supported her online. Her teammates declined her offer to remove their names from her posts. Kotzmacher’s advocacy followed a 2025 Minnesota high-school semifinal in which her team lost to a side that included a transgender pitcher; she has since spoken at a Capitol Hill event while balancing classes and softball.
- Kendall Kotzmacher says she reported a death threat to her university.
- She says online abuse has also targeted supportive teammates.
- Her women’s sports advocacy has taken her to Capitol Hill.
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The dispute centres on who is eligible to compete in women’s sport. Rules differ between sporting bodies and can be contested, particularly when they involve transgender athletes.
Kendall Kotzmacher is a student softball player at Colorado Christian University who has spoken publicly about women’s sports eligibility. Her activism followed a 2025 Minnesota high-school play-off match involving a transgender pitcher; she has since addressed the issue at a Capitol Hill event.
The issue matters to athletes, schools and sports organisations because eligibility policies affect who can compete and how competitions are organised. Public debate over those policies has also exposed some athletes and their supporters to hostile messages.