Speaking out for women athletes, Title IX
What if the economy got so bad, our schools started cutting basketball? Or football? Or baseball?
Those are the premier sports in our schools and our society. For boys. What would happen if they had to be cut?
It is starting to happen. They nearly cut fencing at Maine West High School in Des Plaines until some students and parents got creative in battling to save it.
In Elgin Unit District 46, there no longer are freshman "B" teams for baseball and softball. Boys "B" volleyball is gone at Elgin, Larkin, South Elgin and Bartlett. Streamwood and Bartlett high schools no longer have track for freshman girls. At Wheaton College, golf is gone. Men's tennis and track are gone. And, oh yes, water polo, for women, also is gone.
Perhaps now we more fully appreciate how much these kinds of cuts hurt. Professional sports are an entertaining escape for most of us. We cheer the Cubs and bemoan the Bears. We either shake our heads or pump our fists at Tiger Woods.
Perhaps now we more fully appreciate the value of these sports as we see the cuts coming. Do we appreciate the value more because they are coming to both the boys and girls sports in our schools?
Considering all that has happened locally in recent months, we draw your attention today to what likely was little-noticed news we published this week: U.S. Department of Education officials Tuesday said they were repealing an earlier administration's policy that some people believed allowed schools to avoid obeying the federal law that provides equal opportunities for women in school sports.
The government now will require schools and colleges to provide stronger evidence that they do try to provide equal access to sports for girls and women under the Title IX gender equity law.
We don't appreciate or support women's sports programs nearly enough.
The Associated Press reported that U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said discrimination still exists in college athletics. You know it's true. Think of your college, or even your high school. Compare the men's facilities with the women's facilities. Think about attendance at the men's games compared to the women's games.
This re-enforcement of the Title IX provisions is not unduly burdensome. Schools have three ways to comply: Match the proportion of female athletes to the proportion of women at the school, show a history of increasing sports opportunities for women, or show the schools have responded to women's requests to play sports.
There are more women than men in our nation. Studies show they still often are paid less for doing the same work as men. And they have far fewer chances to play sports.
We all know sports teach teamwork, strategy, coordination, cooperation and leadership. They build confidence and help create positive self-images. They teach us to persevere when we fall short and provide us pure joy when we improve. Even if you're not much of an athlete yourself, if you've ever counseled a kid who clanked a shot or hugged one after her first big swing, you know what we mean.
Our daughters and granddaughters, our sisters, nieces and moms need access to sports, just as our sons and grandfathers, our brothers, nephews and dads do.
The loss of sports programs in the suburbs pains us. The move to reinforce and re-enforce Title IX is one we all should fully embrace.