University of Oregon Softball sports announcer finds their voice — KATU

EUGENE, Ore. — PJ Rees feels right at home in this press box. It overlooks the softball field of the University of Oregon’s Jane Sanders Stadium, giving them the best view of the field as they make announcements and introduce players.

“I love being their voice,” Rees said. “I love being the person that’s representing softball in the neighborhood [and] on the campus.”

Public address announcing at The Jane (as the stadium is called by students and faculty) shows how far PJ has come.

They played softball on this very field in the 70s, though it was called Howe Field at that time.

“You had to love what you were doing then because there was no other reason to play,” they said.

In college, PJ was what’s called a “three-sport athlete.” They played volleyball, basketball, and softball, but the latter was their true love. They played on the first UO Women’s Softball Team that went to the Women’s College World Series in 1976.

“One of the advantages about sport is that it can give you a place of belonging and identity, and I felt more myself being a part of a team than anything else that I had done,” PJ said.

Reflecting on this experience, PJ recognizes they were hiding behind their identity as a dedicated athlete to conceal their internal struggle with their sexuality.

“In my day, nobody talked about identity,” they said. “Nobody talked about sexuality, but you had a sense that being gay or lesbian was so unacceptable.”

PJ hid their sexuality through college and into their professional years. After graduating from UO with a teaching degree, they coached high school sports for five years.

Then, they jumped back into the Duck pond to get their master’s degree in teaching. As a graduate teaching fellow, they landed a job as Assistant Volleyball Coach.

That’s when PJ’s façade started to crumble. It was the 80s and even though UO took an official gay-friendly stance, PJ says the head volleyball coach was homophobic and made remarks that had them fearing the worst.

“We had a very good working relationship, and I cared a lot about him,” they reminisced. “And I felt he’d fire me in a heartbeat if he found out who I was.”

In 1993, they decided enough was enough. They quit coaching without knowing what would come next.

“It was like stepping off a cliff and realizing that you can fall, or you can fly.”

For eight years, PJ worked part-time in TV as a color analyst, covering sports in Oregon.

Then, they returned to UO, this time on the academic side. They moved to the Physical Education and Recreation Department, first as a part-time teacher. Over the next few years, they climbed from part-time teacher to full-time, then from teacher to department head.

This time, they were out to their students and colleagues.

After putting in more than 20 good years as department head, PJ partially retired. You can still find them at The Jane and sometimes in the classroom, teaching Women’s Sports History.

In these roles, PJ can watch female athletes have experiences they never did.

“It’s what my generation longed for and worked for,” they said. “To see it happen is so fulfilling.”

Retirement also brought new surprises PJ’s way. Even in their 60s, they’re still learning who they are.

“I’m neither feminine nor masculine, I’m non-binary,” they said. “I’m in my late 60s, and I’m happy to have the language that rings true for me.”

Last year, PJ joined a group of LGBT faculty and students at UO, providing an opportunity to build community and share experiences.

This is where they heard the term non-binary for the very first time. “It was as if my life came into focus like it never had before, and I realized that was the phrase that most clearly described me.”

PJ says they have felt loved and accepted since coming out as non-binary. They hope to have more conversations about their identity with colleagues, friends, and loved ones.

It took time and stepping away from what they loved, but PJ has found their voice and it’s as loud as the one soaring through the sky at The Jane.

KATU and the Women's Foundation of Oregon are proud to support SHE FLIES by sharing the stories of influential girls and women in sports throughout 2024.

The Women's Foundation of Oregon is harnessing the power of teamwork to champion girls in sports. We're a group of people who work together to support and promote gender justice. We believe in being free and fair, working as a team, finding happiness, growing, being honest, showing bravery, and making things right.