Sports

After making history, Bianca Smith has moved on from the Red Sox

Published

2 years ago

February 8, 2024

After making history, Bianca Smith has moved on from the Red Sox

Bianca Smith made headlines when she was hired in January 2021 as the first Black woman coach in professional baseball’s history. CNN, BBC and People Magazine were among the outlets that ran stories about the newest Boston Red Sox minor league coach.

Two years later, Smith left the Red Sox organization to much less fanfare – leaving a multi-year offer on the table because she says she didn’t feel challenged.

“They wanted to send me back to rookie ball and I had no desire to be there, so I decided to take my chance,” Smith said in a phone interview with The Athletic. “Everyone I know who stays at rookie ball (for a long period of time) does so because they have families and they like the lifestyle. I was ready to travel more. My passion is (game) strategy and rookie ball is almost entirely player development.”

Smith isn’t giving up on getting back to MLB. She’s pivoting. The 31-year-old moved to Japan last summer and is coaching elementary and middle school baseball through the JET (Japanese Exchange and Teaching) program, which she called a “bucket list” item. Smith also recently accepted a job with the Great Britain women’s national baseball team and the 23 and under Great Britain baseball team.

Smith’s goal for this part of her coaching career is to be a sponge, soaking up as much information and different experiences as possible. Defensive strategies and baserunning are Smith’s passion, a style of baseball that’s more popular in Japan.

By the end of this year, she will have coached in five countries on three continents. In addition to learning Japanese, Smith is working on learning Chinese and Korean.

“Everyone (in MLB) speaks Spanish now, it almost feels like a requirement,” she said. “But how many coaches do we have who speak those languages? There are so many players coming from here, and more on the way, and all the Asian players typically have is their translators. There’s a huge focus on baserunning in Japan and I want to bring that over. It’s the idea of getting different experience and adding tools MLB doesn’t have.”

Smith made her decision to leave the Red Sox in late fall of 2022, which meant that most other teams had limited openings for the following season. Smith wasn’t surprised that she didn’t immediately land another job: The rookie-level positions are often the last ones open.

This offseason, though, was another story. Smith applied to several open positions and says she didn’t get an interview.

“That was surprising,” said Smith, who was open when she was hired by Boston that she had bigger goals: To be the first Black woman coaching in the Major Leagues.

A graduate of Dartmouth, where she was the only woman on the club softball team, Smith has two graduate degrees — one in sports business, the other in sports law. She interned with the Cincinnati Reds, Texas Rangers and Major League Baseball and served as the assistant coach and hitting coordinator at Carroll University in Wisconsin before the Red Sox hired her.

“I don’t want to say anything bad about the Red Sox, I loved my time there, but there’s a part of me that believes if I had come in as any ethnic male I would have advanced,” Smith said. “I don’t like the attention, I try to be modest but I do realize that my resume is crazy. I had to go through a lot just to get that rookie ball job, and that’s why I was surprised that I didn’t get a team interested in talking about a position after everything I’ve done.

“Looking back, I do believe I would have had more of a chance to advance if I wasn’t a woman in the game. There could have been stuff behind the scenes that I didn’t know about. But every industry has politics to deal with. As far as on the field, I didn’t have any issues.”

The Red Sox declined to comment on specifics of Smith’s contract offer, but Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham said, “Bianca ultimately decided to pursue other opportunities within baseball which we respect and (we) certainly wish her the best. During her time with the Red Sox it was exciting to see her continually grow as a staff member. She was a pleasure to work alongside.”

Even if Smith doesn’t get an offer from a pro team, she has a contract in Japan until August 2026 that affords her the opportunity to be picky about what to do next.

Smith says she no longer has dreams of being a big-league manager, and in a perfect world would prefer to be a base coach. Less attention, more strategy. Smith shied away from the blitz of media that accompanied her historic hire, and went a month and a half before making it public that she had left the Red Sox. She says she now has some regrets about that.

“I didn’t appreciate the opportunity of that attention,” said Smith, who started a blog called Go Be The First to document her adventures abroad. “I grew up with the belief that coaches should be behind the scenes, but now I do wish I had done more with (the attention) and used it as a platform. It’s not just about me not being in pro ball, it’s the fact that I was the only Black woman. And now there’s no one for Black girls to look at.

“I’ve had a chance to step back and think about what I’ve done. I kept telling people when I got the job, ‘I’m not done yet, let’s talk about it later.’ Obviously, I’m still not done, but I have done something that nobody has done before. I’ve had a couple of interviews here in Japan with different papers, that not only was I the first Black woman in MLB, but now I am in Japan coaching here. Now it’s hit me that, ‘OK, I’ve done something that’s pretty amazing.’ I can see that and still want to do more.”

Smith said she misses the players she coached and that she’s still in touch with many of them, as well as her former co-workers.

“Most of them understood and supported my decision. They know what my goals are, how ambitious I can be. Maybe (I’m) a little impatient, but I don’t have any ill will,” she said. “It’s harder to get back into pro ball than I thought it would be. But I don’t regret my decision (to leave). I think I’d be more upset in a job I was unhappy in where I’m not growing.”

(Top photo of Smith in 2021: Billie Weiss / Boston Red Sox via Getty Images)

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Sports

USA Rugby to introduce ‘open’ gender category for trans athletes

Published

6 hours ago

February 27, 2026

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USA Rugby, the nation’s governing body for the sport of rugby, announced Friday it will be introducing a new “open” gender division to accommodate trans athletes.

The new rule comes more than a year after President Donald Trump’s “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order and nearly seven months after the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s (USOPC) new requirement for all governing bodies to comply with it.

“USA Rugby will now have three competition categories; Men’s Division, Women’s Division and Open Division. The Open Division will permit any athlete, regardless of gender assigned at birth and gender identity, to compete in USA Rugby-sanctioned events, whether full contact or non-contact,” the organization said in a statement.

Cassidy Bargell of the United States passes the ball during a women’s rugby World Cup 2025 match against Samoa at LNER Community Stadium in Monks Cross, York, Sept. 6, 2025. (Michael Driver/MI News/NurPhoto)

The organization’s policy also seemingly allows any hopeful competitors to simply select their gender when registering, with potential vetting by officials.

“Division status will be determined during the membership application and registration process, when an athlete selects the ‘gender’ option in Rugby Xplorer. When applying for membership or registering as ‘Female’ or registering for an event in the Women’s Division, an athlete represents and warrants to USA Rugby that they are Female.”

“This representation creates a rebuttable presumption that the individual’s sex identified at birth was female,” the organization’s member policy states.

Gabriella Cantorna, Ilona Maher and Emily Henrich of the U.S. before a women’s rugby World Cup 2025 match against Samoa at York Community Stadium Sept. 6, 2025, in York, England. (Molly Darlington/World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

“The determination of whether an individual is Female may be established through records from authoritative sources. Only USA Rugby shall have the right to contest the individual’s Women’s Division status or challenge the presumption of an athlete registered as ‘Female.’”

In July, the USOPC updated its athlete safety policy to indicate compliance with Trump’s “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order.

However, Trump has also pushed for mandatory genetic testing of athletes to protect the women’s category at the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Olympics amid concerns over forged birth certificates allowing biological males to gain access to women’s sports.

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The USA Rugby goal line flag before a match between the United States and Scotland at Audi Field July 12, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images for Scottish Rugby)

USOPC Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Finnoff said at the USOPC media summit in October the SRY gene tests being used by World Athletics and World Boxing are “not common” in the U.S. but suggested the USOPC is exploring options to employ sex testing options for its own teams and that he expects other world governing bodies to “follow suit.”

“It’s not necessarily very common to get this specific test in the United States, and, so, our goal in that was helping to identify labs and options for the athletes to be able to get that testing. And (it was) based on that experience and knowing that some other international federations likely will be following suit,” Finnoff said.

Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.

Sports

Growing forfeits in soccer because of ineligible players could spur change to CIF bylaw

Published

7 hours ago

February 27, 2026

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Growing forfeits in soccer because of ineligible players could spur change to CIF bylaw

Forfeits by high school boys’ soccer teams in the City Section and Southern Section playoffs continued Friday as both sections try to deal with violations of CIF Bylaw 600, which prohibits players from participating in outside leagues during their sports season.

Calabasas pulled out of the Southern Section Division 3 championship because of an ineligible player. Chavez became the sixth City Section school eliminated from the playoffs for using an ineligible player and was replaced by Chatsworth for the City Division I final.

There’s also an allegation about another Southern Section team that could result in another forfeit in the final.

Some high schools thought they had found a solution by not allowing players to play until after their club seasons ended in early December. Cathedral had several players miss its first three games because of several big club tournaments in November and early December.

“You communicate to students and parents,” Cathedral coach Arturo Lopez said. “Unfortunately, there’s more and more academies now.”

Ron Nocetti, the executive director of the CIF, said, “I think we have to have conversations with our sections.”

CIF membership repeatedly has rejected the proposal of getting rid of Bylaw 600. Schools don’t want to have their coaches battling it out weekly with club coaches, which also would place additional pressure on athletes dealing with school work and then having to do double workouts.

The balancing act for students already is tough enough, with the amount of club teams growing in a lot of sports because it’s a lucrative business. The CIF briefly suspended the rule during the pandemic in 2020 but quickly reinstated it.

The problem is club soccer programs are holding competitions in the middle of the high school season, and players, knowing the rule that you can’t play high school and club at the same time, apparently have decided to try to do both with the hope of not getting caught.

This year, they are getting caught. Emails alleging violations started arriving to City Section commissioner Vicky Lagos before the semifinals. If a player is found to have played club, the high school team has to forfeit, and if it happens during the playoffs, the team is eliminated.

Usually the pressure is on schools to make sure rules are not violated, but for Bylaw 600, schools can do everything right and still be punished for a player violating the rule on their own.

Several leagues are expected to present proposals to get rid of Bylaw 600. Nocetti said membership might be open to adopting changes.

“Maybe this is a tipping point for schools saying maybe it’s time to make a big change with the rule,” he said.

Sports

Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones

Published

18 hours ago

February 27, 2026

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Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones

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Anthony Richardson Sr.’s future in Indianapolis faces more uncertainty than ever.

The Indianapolis Colts granted Anthony Richardson, the team that used the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on the quarterback, permission to explore a trade. His agent, Deiric Jackson, confirmed the latest development in the 23-year-old’s tumultuous career to ESPN on Thursday.

Veteran quarterback Daniel Jones beat out Richardson in a preseason competition for the starting job. Jones made the most of another opportunity as an NFL starter, helping the Colts win eight of their first 10 games of the 2025 regular season.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson heads off the field after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

However, his season was ultimately derailed by an Achilles injury. The setback came two years after he tore an ACL with the New York Giants. The Colts appear ready to move forward with Jones, clouding Richardson’s future in Indianapolis.

Jones is set to become a free agent in March, meaning the Colts must either use the franchise tag or sign him to a new deal. Richardson has started just 15 games in three seasons with the Colts, his tenure largely shaped by injuries.

A shoulder surgery limited Richardson to four games during his rookie campaign, while a series of setbacks cost him four games in 2024.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks for an open receiver during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)

Richardson suffered what was described as a “freak pregame incident” during warmups last season, landing him on injured reserve after attempting just two passes in two games in 2025. He has thrown 11 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in his NFL career.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Tuesday that the vision problems stemming from Richardson’s orbital fracture last October are “trending in the right direction.” He added that Richardson has been “cleared to play.”

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates his touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)

Riley Leonard, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is expected to return to the Colts next season.

When asked about Richardson’s standing with the Colts moving ahead, Ballard replied, “I still believe in Anthony.”

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