Last year, our town was considering changing from one high school athletic league to another. I didn’t play any sports in high school and don’t follow any teams (outside of baseball, of course). But when I heard that the league change might cause up to three of the girl’s high school teams to consolidate seasons, dissolve, or play in less formal and competitive leagues, I got involved.
I attended a meeting to discuss the proposed change and I asked the town officials how the move would impact Title IX, which caused several people in town to assume I was a lawyer. But I wasn’t watching out for a potential costly lawsuit. I was watching out for gender parity.
Research has shown that girls benefit from playing sports. According to the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), “Female athletes have higher levels of self-esteem, a lower incidence of depression and a more positive body image than non-athletes. Female athletes are also more likely to participate in traditionally male-dominated occupations, which are typically higher paying. In addition, more than four out of five executive businesswomen played sports growing up, and the vast majority reported that the lessons they learned on the playing field contributed to their success in business.”
Without formal research, I can see the benefits. I saw it at the town meetings I attended. Several of the female players that would have been affected by the league change spoke to the large crowd about why they wanted to stay in their current league. They were poised, confident and articulate. They also published well-written, well-thought out letters to the local editors.
I see it with my own daughter when she takes the tiny soccer field with her first-grade friends. They get competitive on the field working together and giving out high-fives when they score. Then they shift on the sideline, hugging and picking dandelions and laughing. She and her friends are learning how to work together, enjoy besting the opponent, and then letting it all go when the game is over.
And I see it at the office. Male-dominated organizations operate like playing fields. Understanding how to compete, how to cooperate, and how to let it go at the end of the day, are all critical business, and life, skills.
But girls today still face discrimination and an uneven playing field. That’s why the NWLC launched the campaign Rally for Girls’ Sports: She’ll Win More Than a Game, and filed administrative complaints against twelve school districts across the country for failing to provide girls with equal opportunities to play sports, in violation of Title IX. Visit their website for more information. They’ve set up a national hot line, 1-855-HERGAME (or 1-855-437-4263), for reporting concerns or inequities and they offer a webinar to help school administrators and parents learn about Title IX’s requirements.
And for another great way to support women athletes, pledge to attend one women’s sports event this year.
