The Impact of Title IX
    

Title IX, the landmark law that has made possible incredible advancements in women's sports, is under review by a special Commission established by the U.S. Secretary  Department of Education.  Some people try to argue that Title IX deprives men of opportunities to play sports.  Where they miss the mark, however, is that girls and women routinely were denied athletic opportunities before Title IX passed 30 years ago.  Girls growing up today wouldn't even recognize the world before Title IX, when one out of every 27 high schools girls played varsity sports.  Today that figure is 1 in 2.5.  Now there are nearly five times more women participating in college sports than before Title IX.

Do we really want to reverse 30 years of progress, when we still haven't gone far enough to level the playing field?  Women and girls still aren't receiving equal treatment - their athletic budgets are lower and their facilities are inferior to men's.  The Commission could better spend its time examining the institutional choices of fund allocations to high profile sports.  This choice often means they elect to drop sports for both men and women rather than eliminate excessive expenditure in these "professional development" sports.  There are many young men and women interested in participating for their institutions but are not provided the opportunity because schools continue to spend millions of dollars on sports such as football and men's basketball.  This Commission should not consider weakening a policy that has done so much for gender equity.

Opponents of Title IX are operating from the stereotype that women are not as interested in playing sports as men - a belief that is blatantly untrue.  Would Teresa Weatherspoon, Mia Hamm, and Serena Williams believe them?  The fact that female participation in sports has skyrocketed since Title IX proves that interest follows opportunity.  Women are just as interested in playing sports as men and deserve an equal opportunity.  Contact your House and Senate Representatives and ask them to preserve Title IX and its compliance regulations.

Jennifer Alley
NACWAA Executive Director