Friends and neighbors,
Today, June 23, is the 50th anniversary of one of the most important laws this country has ever passed.
I was part of the first class of girls who benefited from the passage of Title IX. So like many women reading this, I have firsthand experience with the transformative role that girls’ sports can play in a girl’s life.
The year before girls’ sports were offered at my high school, the junior high started a girls volleyball practice team to help prepare 9th-grade girls for the next year of competition. I was one of the fortunate 9th graders on that very first practice team, but I was incredibly shy and not very good at charging toward the ball. I was certainly not one of the top players, but I sure tried my hardest.
The following year, girls’ track was offered for high school girls in grades 10, 11, and 12. Because I was so shy, I did not even consider joining the team until the morning of the first practice, when I learned that two of my friends were also planning to attend. So at lunch, I walked to the principal’s office and asked if he thought it would be a good idea. He immediately stood up from his desk, reached into his pocket, and handed me his keys so I could borrow his car to go home and get tennis shoes and running clothes. This is the sort of encouragement that all children need – especially young girls in those days. (It’s probably worth mentioning that the principal was my dad!)
That first practice opened up a world of opportunity and passion within me. I worked hard at practices and on weekends. I ended up holding school records in the 880-yard run, the mile run, and the distance medley. (I admit, it’s pretty easy to hold school records when you’re on the very first team.)
At the conference meet in my junior year, our miler got sick and could not run. My coach told me to run the mile so we would at least have an entry. Not only had I already run 2 races that day – the 880-yard and the mile relay – but I also had never run the mile before. I was so scared that I stood on the starting line in tears, but when the gun went off I ran as hard as I could, crying my eyes out. I set a new school record.
Eventually, I even went to the state tournament and ran in the finals for the mile run.
The experience I had on that track team drew me out of my shyness and instilled in me a confidence that I never had before, but that I have carried with me throughout my life.
Participating in girls’ high school sports taught me many valuable life lessons. I learned the value of trying new things and how to build your skills from the ground up, step by step. I learned to tough it out even when you think you are not good enough or cannot do something. I learned how to overcome self-doubt, and I learned the joy of teamwork.
Participating in girls’ sports gave me the confidence to step out of my comfort zone and know that there are no limits. Title IX was a life changer.
I want our granddaughters to have the same opportunity I had. Recently, however, women’s sports have come under attack. Title IX was passed to increase opportunities for women and girls, but too often that law is being twisted to deny females equal opportunities in sports.
On this, the 50th anniversary of Title IX, let’s rally together to celebrate female athletes and protect single-sex athletic competition. It is critical that girls’ sports remain an option for every American girl.
Carla