Kendall Kotzmacher, an NCAA softball player at Colorado Christian University, reported receiving threats after advocating against transgender athletes in female sports. The 20-year-old sophomore described alarming online hostility. This intensified as her public presence grew.
Kotzmacher recently received the Courage Wins Champion award from XX-XY Athletics. She recounted a specific threat of violence against her university.
“I had a person say they were gonna come to the school and kill me. That one was a little scary,” she shared.
She had informed campus authorities but reported no arrests. Over the summer, she documented numerous threatening messages.
“I’ve been getting a lot of people telling me to go kill myself or that I don’t deserve to be alive,” she said.
The threats extend to her teammates who support her, with outsiders scrutinizing their social media.
“I think I want to protect them as much as possible,” Kotzmacher emphasized. She offered to disassociate her teammates from her advocacy in social media posts. However, they opted to stand by her decision.
Kotzmacher’s advocacy began after her previous team, White Bear Lake High School, lost to a team with a transgender player in the 2025 Minnesota Class AAAA semifinals.
Public opposition to transgender athletes led her to transfer from Western Michigan, citing inadequate support from coaches.
Her college routine involves practice, studies, and advocacy participation which recently included traveling to Washington D.C. for a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on women in sports.
At the hearing, Democrat senators’ limited engagement frustrated her.
Kotzmacher said, “Even if they don’t agree with it, just sit in and listen.”
She supports Michele Tafoya, a Republican Senate candidate, who aligns with her views on transgender restrictions in sports.
Kotzmacher attended rallies in Minneapolis, facing vocal criticism.
The Courage Wins award, confirming her stand for female athletes, bears professional and social costs for Kotzmacher:
“It’s just good to be noticed,” she said, admitting lost friendships and challenging positions recently tested her resolve.
Her motivation to continue stems from younger female athletes potentially facing the same hurdles.
Kotzmacher stated, “I haven’t lost my voice yet. It’s really easy to get scared back into the cave.”
She believes using her platform is essential for change in contemporary times.
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