Why not?

A few weeks ago my husband sent me this article on Title IX, which is celebrating it's 40th birthday this spring. Side note: regularly sending me links to articles I may find interesting is just one those cute endearing things I've come to love about him.  When I opened the link, my first thought was, oh, another boring article on Title IX.  I started to skim it anyway and what I found was quite the opposite.   This article, focusing on the change and meaning, for some reason really forced me to reassess the role sport has had in my life and think about how different things would have been for me without this tiny little piece of legislation.

As a former college athlete and professional collegiate athletics administrator, I am very familiar with Title IX and am proud to be one of the millions whose life was forever changed as a daughter of this educational and athletic revolution.   I consider myself so fortunate to have never known a time where I felt like I couldn't express my competitive side by kicking someone's butt (in a organized and civilized fashion, of course).

This article made me think back to what it was like growing up with two brothers and wanting to do everything they could do, better. I remember a specific spring/summer that my father coached my older brother's t-ball team, the A's.  The little league organization had a separate softball league, providing opportunities for girls, but I knew a few female classmates who were playing t-ball on the "boys" teams and tried every angle to get my dad to let me play.  At a critical point in the season, the A's were short a player and I found myself almost in tears begging my dad to let me play.  Of course he said no, and I was crushed when another boy's younger brother who happened to be my age/in my class was asked to join the team and fill the spot.  Damn you Chris Kebler!! If there's ever a way to motivate me, tell me I can't do something...

I was definitely a "tomboy" (how did that word even originate?) running around the neighborhood with messy hair and legs covered with cuts and bruises from climbing trees, rolling down hills and playing countless hours of tag.  But thinking back on my earliest competitive opportunities (apart from not being able to play T-ball) the only restriction I felt was my own skill, ability or willingness to push myself to be the best.  It wasn't whether or not I was allowed and for that I feel fortunate.  I was able to be recruited by a Division I program, be on scholarship and have a college experience which forever changed me and the course of my life.  Athletics for me has always been a main outlet for self expression.

So, in recognition of the 40th anniversary of Title IX, a special thank you to the women whose determination helped pave the path for so many of us who have been forever changed by sport.  We still have a lot of work to do, but we wouldn't be where we are without the women who asked and continue to ask, "why not?".