Title IX

Author’s Note:  This research piece is about the enactment of Title IX.  Title IX is best known for taking down and removing barriers for women and girls in athletics.  The overall objective of Title IX was to prohibit sex discrimination in education.  Regulation of Title IX revolved around key areas such as opening doors for females to pursue math and science, creating standardized testing, increasing opportunities for more female employment at colleges, changing the learning environment and much more.  My focus is on how Title IX impacted women in athletics to play competitive sports throughout the country.  Without Title IX women of all ages would not be offered the same opportunities as men.

“Your all just a bunch of wanna be’s! You’ll never be as good as us. Now get off our court, we are going to practice!” Imagine being screamed at by a boy who truly believes he is better than you.  Since this boy believed girls were not supposed to play sports, he felt he had the right to harass you?  Women were not allowed the same opportunities to play sports as men until 1972.  Women were discriminated against in more ways than one in sports and other areas surrounding education.  (Tite IX History )

Athletic programs for high schools and colleges must now offer an equal number of athletic programs for females and male students, and provide the same amount of money and time into both genders. Before Title IX, only 1 in 27 girls participated in high school athletics.  The main activities offered to women were cheerleading and square-dancing.  Today, 1 in 2.5 girls participate in high school sports.  Before this law was enforced, women were never given the same rights as men. (40th Anniversary of Title IX: The Next Generation, 2013)

Title IX fought an uphill climb through the courts and being enforced by the government in the 1980’s.  Title IX gained strength with the Supreme Court case in 1992 in Franklin vs. Gwinett County Public Schools.  The court rule victims could be awarded monetary damages in sex discrimination cases.  The ruling from the 1992 case scared colleges they could be sued by women filing lawsuits based on the rights of Title IX.  The ruling proved powerful as levels of participation by women and girls increased.  Before Title IX, young women were 7% of the students participating in high school sports.  By 2001, 41.5% of the students participating in high school sports were young women.  (Gender Equity in Athletics and Sports, 2013)

Girls were treated differently than boys through the changes of Title IX.  Girls were given charms for their athletic participation instead of the traditional letter jackets worn by the boys.  Girls wore pinnies while boys wore the full-blown jerseys for games.  Girls were shoved to the corner not being allowed to play on the main wood court, but rather given the sport court off to the side.  In Wisconsin, the first state basketball championship game was held in 1976.  Today, female high school athletes wear athletic jackets like the boys.  Girls wear true-team uniforms representing their high school and play on the main floor.  Today, the WIAA has five divisions for high school teams to participate in the state basketball tournament.  Participation in girl’s athletics has grown and programs offered have improved through the strength of women fighting for women under the guidelines and influence of Title IX.  (Source – Mrs. Muench)

Since 1972, Title IX has greatly influenced the changes in many areas of education for women.  Universities have enhanced their women’s sports programs and have increased funding for these programs.  While funding for women’s programs and opportunities for women coaching may not be equivalent, Title IX continues to chase equality and remove discrimination in athletics for women.  The rise of female participation in athletics and college classrooms has provided strength in numbers to ensure women will never endure living through the days prior to Title IX.

(This is an example of the small charm bracelets given to the women.)