April 18, 2012
My sister was one of the lucky ones. She received a scholarship to attend a girls’ independent school near where we grew up. So she went from being an eighth grader on the sidelines watching the boys play to being a ninth grade player herself. Field hockey in the fall, tennis in the spring…just the biophysical differences alone are life altering. From passive support to active participation – legs pumping, heart racing, friends and teammates cheering you on. And as for a sense of self worth, the change is night and day. Recognition for what you have accomplished, the challenges you have overcome, the spirit of cooperation you have demonstrated and the sheer beauty of your athleticism.
Title IX became law two years after my sister graduated from high school and one key outcome of this landmark civil rights legislation was a mushrooming of financial support for girls athletics at schools, colleges and universities. Girls were becoming players in much higher numbers and at younger ages. According to Jane Helmke, keynote speaker at this week’s Athena Awards ceremony, “in 1972, 7% of prep athletes were female and today it’s 40%.” Jane is KARE 11 News Director, but when she first went to a rival station’s news division in the 70s to apply for a job as a sports producer, she was laughed out of the office by the men around the table.
This week we watched a remarkable female athlete be recognized for her competitive spirit, for the tremendous power springing from her slight frame, for her cool under pressure and her special sense of style in play. MPA senior Amber Washington stood up to be recognized Wednesday along with 38 other amazing high school athletes from the east metro. The annual Saint Paul Athena Awards honor the top female athlete from high schools across the metro. MPA has been sending an athlete to the award ceremony since 1995. Amber made Minnesota history this year, winning her sixth individual state tennis championship.
To watch these young women make their way to the stage and to hear their many accomplishments in sports, arts, academics and service is to marvel at the change that a generation has brought for young women through sports. It is a fact of life that girls play, can play hard, play well and develop critical life skills through competition and teamwork. It’s the 40th anniversary of the passage of Title IX, a law that began with a focus on equity in employment and spread to include equity in the educational arena. Every girl who drives to the basket, or digs a volleyball out or dives to deflect a soccer goal with outstretched hands is a celebration of that victory for women, which is a victory for society.
No, I’m not running for office on a platform against a war on women. I’m just glad I can stand on the sidelines and cheer equally for girls and boys.
