By Anderson Sullivan
Editor-In-Chief
[dropcap]F[/dropcap]emale athletes often pride themselves on their ability to “play like the boys.” They were not always given this chance. Title IX changed that.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Title IX, a law passed as a part of the Education Amendments of 1972, that created and continues to mandate equality for girls and boys in educational programs, according to TitleIX.info. Prior to Title IX, females did not have the same opportunities that males did in schools.
“I think Title IX was great for the athletes; for female athletes to get equality to the male athletes and to be able to play the same sports that the guys do,” athletic director Ray Scott said. “I think men and women sports are on an even playing field now.”
Title IX states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” This gives women the chance to play on any sports team that men can.
Assistant principal Caroline Pearce said she became aware of Title IX during her first years of teaching. She remembers mixed reactions toward the law between males and females.
“The females of course were delighted that they would have the opportunity to have more female team sports,” Pearce said. “And the guys had two reactions: One was how will (Title IX) affect us? Will there be fewer opportunities for us because they will be putting money into female teams? And the other reaction was, as you might suspect, that certain sports were not for females.”
Scott recalls his high school forming a girls’ soccer and tennis team with the installment of Title IX. Pearce remembers girls wanting to play on the football and wrestling teams.
“(The school I worked in) actually had girls that were interested in being on the wrestling team and the football team,” Pearce said. “When a female expressed interest in playing football it was generally as kicker on the specialty team.”
Que Tucker, deputy commissioner with the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, was a high school female athlete before Title IX was passed. She played basketball, the only sport available to females.
“There were very few opportunities for females when I was in high school in the late ‘60s. There was one sport for women to play and that was basketball. But the guys, they could play football, they had basketball, they had baseball, and they had golf,” Tucker said. “So obviously I am a living witness that the opportunities for females increased tremendously with Title IX, because a female being in this position might not have had that opportunity had Title IX not been passed and then increased awareness and opportunities.”
Pearce remembers it being hard to obtain funding for female teams that started after Title IX.
“The funds had to be primarily a big thing, because they would encumber funds that (schools) had put into teams that were all males,” Pearce said. “If you had a team in tennis for males then you had one for females.”
Although Title IX is known for its impact on sports, it changed many things about education. Title IX gave females equal learning environments, attention in all subject areas and the same chances as males in math and science classes, according to TitleIX.info.
“When I began teaching there were gender specific classes. Basically, I think the wording for classes changed (with Title IX). But almost without exception Home (Economics), for years was mostly girls, and shop (mostly) guys,” Pearce said. “(The school) did not have co-ed classes, when I first started teaching, even in PE. The girls had PE together and the guys had PE together.”
Title IX also mandated that standardized tests had to be made without gender bias and made it unlawful for pregnant students to be banned from school.
“The original Title IX really wasn’t about high school sports. It was about making sure there was no discrimination against females,” Pearce said.
Title IX still plays a major role in education and continues to affect the treatment of females in school. Pearce says that if there is enough support for a sport for males or females that is not currently available to them at the school, then a team will be put in place.
“Everything is predicated on interest. Once the interest is there, they fund the program,” Pearce said. “They fund the program because they have enough people for the team and they get a coach, and a qualified team. Then (the school) would find teams to play.”
Tucker thinks Title IX will be important in the future because of the economic situations schools are finding themselves.
“The law will make sure that the equality is there and that opportunities are being provided for males and females,” Tucker said. “Otherwise, in the economic situation we are in, there would be the tendency to perhaps drop (female) sports. If you have, let’s say, a female sport that is not bring in any money, the tendency might be to drop it, but now the law would not allow that, which is a good thing.”
Without Title IX, females would not be guaranteed the opportunities they now enjoy.
“I see that (Title IX) will continue to exist. It will continue to provide opportunities for young girls as they become more interested in sports,” Tucker said. “I think protection will be the key, and without Title IX, I’m not so sure the protection would be there.”
Pearce hopes that Title IX’s significance will be recognized and appreciated in the future.
Pearce said, “I am hopeful that when Title IX is brought up to (the current) generation, that they will at least know what Title IX represents, the men and the women.”
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