Kye Allums doesn't play much basketball anymore, certainly not any organized and competitive games. The sport that earned Allums worldwide notoriety when, in 2010, he became the first openly transgender athlete to play NCAA basketball, on the George Washington University women's team, is now just a memory.
On-court concussions have driven him out of the action.
And yes, he "absolutely misses [the sport], but I don't want to risk my life, so I had to call it quits," he said.
Basketball is now replaced by tennis and soccer in Allums' sports cycle. He often watches tennis and tagged Serena William and Rafael Nadal as his favorites. Allums said Nadal is "an amazing player." Allums has never played competitive tennis. In fact, he said, "I am really bad at it, but am learning."
On the soccer front, Allums tagged Lionel Messi as his favorite player. Soccer actually was Allums' best sport. "I was better at soccer than basketball," said Allums, who was his high school soccer team's MVP. He played three years of varsity soccer in high school, but then decided to focus on basketball.
"Being on the soccer field, there's no feeling like it, no better feeling than scoring a goal. There's so much more to soccer that is exciting, too, [such as], an amazing tackle or connecting on a bicycle kick, or crossing the ball [from the sidelines into the middle of the field] and then someone heads the ball into the goal."
But no more basketball. "It's too hard to watch … watching basketball continues to remind me that I'm not playing anymore," Allums said.
Allums dropped soccer for basketball "because everyone told me that I look like a basketball player and that I should play, so I did."
The first time he played basketball was in the seventh-grade, and it wasn't until ninth-grade that he played organized hoops.
By the time he wore the buff and blue uniform at George Washington University, Allums was playing against such powers as Tennessee and Rutgers, among others.
Clearly, Allums was a trendsetter, a pioneer in high-tops, though reluctant to boast that he was the first. "I don't take [my basketball career] as anything special; I was just being myself, but I do hope by coming out that I made, or will make, someone else feel more comfortable in being who they are. That's my hope.
"When I came out, I wasn't thinking about the future, and the impact it would have. I came out because people in my circle were afraid to come out themselves, and the only reason why I told my story was, to get through to those few people in my circle, and lead by example, to show them that if I can come out to the world."
George Washington started the 2009-2010 season with back-to-back wins, but that actually was one of the main highlights of that season as the team finished 6-22 overall, 3-11 in conference games, and lost eight of its last nine games. Allums started 20 of the 26 games he played that season, averaging 7.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
Allums played only eight games the following season, starting one, and averaging 6.8 points per game.
In May 2011, Allums left the team.
But Allums had made his mark on the sporting community, well beyond the George Washington campus in Washington D.C.
"Being involved with sports has always been a comfort zone for me," said C.K., a transgender former Chicagoan who now lives in Oklahoma City. "Even if I wasn't comfortable with myself, I had sports and I had teammates who were also friends.
"As many athletes tend to do, I put more pressure on myself, more than my own coaches, to play my hardest and make sure the team ended up with a win. But after transitioning to male, I struggled with where I fit in with sports and my confidence was gone. I worried [that] I wouldn't be good enough to play with the other biological males and that they would treat me differently if they knew my trans status.
"I was honestly scared to play and I ended up holding myself back. What gave me the courage to finally jump in? It was seeing Kye and other trans athletes who not only play but compete at a high level. It was Kye, who helped me get back in my comfort zone with sports and even with teammates. I am so appreciative to have people like him that push boundaries and let others know they can do it."
C.K., who played in the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association (CMSA) while living here, said Allums deserves a big thank-you, "for helping to put sports back in my life."
Transgender sportswriter Christina Kahrl, of Chicago, added: "What's equally special about Kye is his commitment to working with and on behalf of transgender youth in sports. You'll be hearing about him and his good works for years to come."
Since leaving sports, Allums has transitioned into a successful role as advocate, public speaker and more. He regularly travels the country, speaking out on LGBT, particularly the T, issues. Allums also is filming a documentary.
Allums was in Chicago in July to participate in the inaugural YOU Belong Sports & Leadership Camp, which attracted about 35 inner-city LGBT youth.
"Life is busy, really busy," Allums said. "I now just want to create more and more understanding and visibility. I want non-LGBTQ people to see all of us as equal, and everything I do is toward that goal.
"I know first-hand that it is possible for people to change because I knew people who [in years past] viewed the LGBT community as something negative, something not right. But after they heard my experiences, they were able to see the LGBT community in a different light."
Allums said the trans community faces a wide variety of issues, starting with health care woes—and he's often speaking out to assist the trans community and the LGBT scene as a whole.
Ironically, Allums admits, "never in a million years" did he ever envision himself as being an advocate. Rather, he envisioned himself as an artist; he'd earn a Master's Degree in fine art and then make bowls, vases, build beds and more as an architect.
But, he added, "I love what I do."
So, who is the Kye Allums no one knows?
"In my free time, I like to be by myself. I also like to watch movies; I'm a movie fiend," Allums said. "I'm a pretty simple person."
And when asked if he's single or dating, Allums laughed, then replied, "That information is only [revealed] to people who want to date me."
