RICHMOND, Va. (WAVY) — The governing bodies for both public and private high school athletics in Virginia said Monday they would follow President Donald Trump’s executive order to limit competition in girls’ sports to students assigned female at birth only.

The Virginia High School League, which governs public high school athletics, said its executive committee voted to comply with the executive order, “Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports,” effective immediately, and ban transgender girls from competing in sanctioned high school athletics.

Last week, a VHSL spokesperson said that it would maintain what had been its policy to allow transgender girls to participate on girls’ high school sports teams.

“The VHSL is an association comprising 318 member schools with more than 177,000 students participating yearly in sports and academic activities,” said Billy Haun, VHSL executive director. “The VHSL is the governing body, and our member schools look to and rely on the VHSL for police and guidance. To that end, the VHSL will comply with the executive order. The compliance with provide membership with clear and consistent direction.”

The VHSL’s executive committee also directed its staff to immediately propose policy changes — in the form of emergency legislation — to comply with the executive order. The VHSL said its staff would adjust the language in its handbook and policy manual “in the coming days.”

The Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association said it would also comply with the president’s executive order.

Specifically, the VISAA’s policy states that “if a member school maintains separate teams in the same sport for girls and boys during the school year, regardless of the sports season, girls may not compete on boys’ teams, and boys may not compete on girls’ teams. If a member school maintains only a boys’ team in a sport, girls may compete on the boys’ team. Boys may not participate on a girls team in any sport. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Board determines that boys’ opportunities for participation in athletics have been limited in the past, boys may participate on a girls’ team, unless the sport involved is a contact sport.

“To maintain competitive fairness in VISAA championship events, participation shall be determined by a student’s biological sex rather than gender or gender identity.”

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin hailed the announcements from the governing bodies for public and private high school athletics in Virginia.

“Common sense wins,” Youngkin said Monday in a statement posted on X. “Today, the governing bodies for Virginia’s public and private high school athletics announced they would follow President Trump’s EO to protect girls sports.”

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said “whether to stand with female student-athletes should have never been a question. VHSL has wisely chosen to follow President Trump’s executive order to keep men out of girls’ sports.”