One foot might not seem like a major difference – unless it’s on a basketball court. And unless it’s the three-point line you’re talking about.

Last year, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel decided to move the traditional women’s three-point arc before the start of the season.  In a (literal) step towards gender equity, the women’s three-point line now matches the men’s line at 20’9,” a full foot farther from the basket and the old women’s line of 19’9.” (Read my October 24 post about this.)

So did it matter?

Not surprisingly, the change did have an impact on shooters.  NCAA stats, just posted  last week, show Division I players shot 30.72% this season, down from 31.74% in 2010-11. (The 2010-2011 DI ‘s top 3-pointer shooter, Drexel’s Kamile Nacickaite saw her percentage fall from 47.8 to 32.6 this season.)

Concerned? Don’t be.

When the men’s line moved to 20’9” for the 2008-2009 season, stats show the shooting percentage from beyond the arc dropped from 35.23% in 2007-08 to 34.40%.  It hasn’t risen back to its 2007-08 level yet, but has increased slightly in the last two seasons.

The new line probably also impacted offenses in more subtle ways.  The number of attempted threes per game dropped from an all-time high of 16.60 in 2010-11 to 15.84 in 2011-12.  Teams also scored 1.3 fewer points per game this season. Players may have adjusted to struggles from the three by looking to score on drives to the basket or feeds to the post.

Will the women’s shooting percentage increase?

Almost certainly. It takes time to adjust and players need practice from the farther distance. On my Wellesley College team, we spent a lot of time shooting from the new line before, during, and after practice. (Our shooting percentage from the three actually went up this season!)

As new players move up through the ranks of women’s college basketball and gain experience, I’m betting the three-point shooting percentage will only go one way: Up.

Monique Howard, right tackle for Pershing High

By Laura Pappano

Thanksgiving football, of course, involves Detroit. And while the NFL will get plenty of attention today, there has been another Detroit football story out there this season.  Word that Monique Howard, 6-foot senior basketball player and track talent, tried out for – and made – the Pershing High School football team, was news this fall.

When Howard decided to try out for the team, her basketball coach and mentor, Shawn Hill, figured it was just Monique being Monique.

“At first I thought it was a joke,” he says, adding that, “I didn’t think she could do it.” Hill admits to being stunned when Howard not only made the team but became starting right tackle.

“It shocked me when she started. I was worried. I didn’t want her to get hurt. But I watched her play the first three games and then I thought, ‘She’s OK. She’s really holding it down.’”

Now that the season has ended, Howard talks about what the experience showed her – both about herself and about the beliefs people have about who can play football.

FGN: What made you decide to try out for the football team?

MH: My lineman coach saw me playing basketball and shot put for track and thought it would be a great idea. He said I was as tough as the boys.

FGN: Do you like playing football?

MH: I like tackling people, taking all the aggression out without getting in trouble for it!

FGN: Very few girls play football; and typically they are kickers. Reality is that you are matched up against guys who are a lot bigger. Was that scary?

MH: Before I started, everyone was saying, “You’ll get hurt!” Most teams’ players, they are bigger, but I was never nervous. My coach taught me different techniques – coming off the ball first, using my speed. As long as I come off the ball fast, it doesn’t matter how big and strong they are, football is all about timing.

FGN: You even pancaked an opposing player and they didn’t know it was by a female until you took off your helmet…

MH: They were jumping around saying, ‘That’s a girl you got pancaked by!!!!!”

FGN: Has playing football affected your hopes/plans to play basketball in college?

MH: Football helped me so much in basketball. My footwork got better. My timing has gotten better. (Shawn Hill agrees: “Now she’s used to being in a crowd. She has the patience to take her time with her layup.” )

FGN: What did you learn by playing?

MH: My whole mindset is that I can do anything I want to do if I put my mind to it. A lot of girls didn’t know that girls could play football. Really, boys and girls are basically equal when they work out and everything. Girls like a challenge. They can do what the boys can do.

By Laura Pappano

It may look like an excuse for college students to gather in a festival atmosphere. And on the surface, Quidditch, the Harry-Potter-inspired sport in which players ride on brooms (ok, run with them between their legs), is a reach.

But, then, basketball probably looked odd to those who first spotted boys at the YMCA in Springfield, MA in 1891 hoisting soccer balls into peach baskets.

Like basketball, Quidditch is not merely about the physical challenge of play and competition, but also reflects a social goal. Basketball, invented to occupy boys indoors during winter, embraced the late 1800’s belief in “Muscular Christianity.” Strengthen (men’s) bodies to insure they were vigorous, manly vessels for godly values.

Is Quidditch, then, a means for countering Voldemort? Well, no, it’s actually more reflective of 21^st Century sport values, including gender equity.

Aimee Howarth, outreach director and member of the board of directors of the International Quidditch Association, spoke with FGN about the rising popularity of this campus sport – and it’s co-ed, gender fair karma.

FGN: How is the Quidditch you play, which has 7 players per team (3 Chasers, 2 Beaters, 1 Keeper and 1 Seeker), different from the Harry Potter books?

AH: The main difference is that we run instead of fly and the snitch is a person – we call them a snitch runner – dressed in gold or yellow. The goal is to knock people off their brooms. If you get hit by a bludger (we use dodgeballs) if you get hit by one of those have to run back to your goal post and you have to drop the quaffle [if you have it] or another bludger. The game ends when the snitch is caught. You get 10 points for getting the quaffle through the opposite goal posts (the quaffle is usually a volleyball or soccer ball slightly deflated so you can grab it).

FGN: Isn’t it hard to run with a broom?

AH: You get used to it. The hardest thing about running on a broom is you only have one hand for catching and throwing. Most people don’t even really notice it.

FGN: Can you use any kind of broom?

AH: We are working on getting an official broom. For the World Cup, we use Alivan’s brooms.

FGN: Where is the World Cup? How big an event is it?

AH: This year it will be November 12-13 at Randall’s Island in NYC. Last year we had 40,000 viewers and 46 teams competing. This year, we are expecting 80 teams.

FGN: How is this sport categorized on college campuses?

AH: We are a club sport. It’s not NCAA or anything like that. We are trying not to go in that direction because some of the uniqueness of our sport could be taken away.

FGN: You mentioned to me that this sport supports gender fair play? How?

AH: As a league we are co-ed and require at least two players [excluding the Seeker] to be of another gender. It is one of the only sports I’ve seen that makes that a rule. We don’t have any rule where if a woman or girl scores its like 2 points that you see in some leagues. We are thinking of requiring each position to be coed.

FGN: Why is that?

AH: We typically see more women players in the Beater position [defense] and more male players in the Chaser position [offense]. From a feminist standpoint that goes along with the Chaser being a more valued position because they score. That is not always the case, but its is something that we kind of noticed. So we are thinking of having offense and defense mixed sex. The board as a whole is committed to this [gender fairness].

FGN: You say this is a competitive sport. Do you have injuries?

AH: It is super competitive. Even though it is seen as a kind of a joke to people on the outside, it is super physical. The most common injuries? We have a lot of broken collarbones. We have had concussions. We haven’t had serious, serious injuries. Most often it is the shoulders, arms.

FGN: And after competition?

AH: Yes, after the World Cup everyone goes to get Butterbeer, which is actually beer with butterscotch in it, I think.

Girls are playing basketball with a level of passion and skill – and in numbers — we couldn’t have imagined a few decades ago (and just think how many more will be inspired to play by UConn’s run on UCLA’s 1970s-era win streak!).

But a troubling fact remains: female athletes have an incidence of noncontact anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) injuries two to eight times higher than their male counterparts, according to American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM).

Girls and women who play in “pivoting” or “cutting” sports like basketball or soccer are particularly at risk. The problem is not just lost playing time, but long-term complications such as osteoarthritis at a younger than average age (think 30-40 with pain, difficulty walking stairs, etc.)

What can girls do?

Before the season starts, have a routine screening by a physical therapist (evaluations are covered by most insurance plans). Because girls are specializing in specific sports at younger ages they may not develop their muscles in a balanced way. A girl can appear athletic and strong but have neuromuscular imbalances. Screenings can pick up problems such as knee valgus (knock knee), core weakness, quadriceps or leg dominance – all of which may increase the risk of an ACL injury.

What can a screening show?

The screening should include the young athlete’s sports participation history, a comprehensive physical assessment of jumping and landing; strength, core/abdominal stability and strength, flexibility, speed, agility and endurance.

I do several general tests that involve jumping and hopping  — and I videotape them so I can break down movements. Jumping and landing tests are a quick, practical way to assess an athlete’s neuromuscular control, strength and alignment. Are they knock-kneed? Do they bend their knees? Are their knees over their toes? Does their trunk sway? Do they lose their balance? Do feet overpronate (roll in)?

In one test, for example, a girl jumps off a box to the ground and then jumps up again. I am looking for a “soft landing” and proper alignment. For a “soft landing,” girls should have a big hip and knee bend to absorb the forces and toe to heel rocking. For proper alignment, girls should be in an “athletic position” with feet under shoulders, and knees over toes, and weight evenly distributed.

This position is important because being in a vulnerable, non-athletic, position during play can cause a non-contact ACL injury. A girl vulnerable to ACL tears will land with the knee pointing inwards and almost straight and the foot pointing outwards with torso leaning forward.

What if there are problem areas?

The good news is that training programs (check out the PEP program) aimed at correcting neuromuscular imbalances can help prevent ACL injuries. Good training also increases body awareness, improves coordination and develops proprioception (that is, a better feel for how our body moves in space). The keys to prevention: focusing on good technique, proper alignment, and pre-positioning to help girls recognize and avoid vulnerable positions (see above).

There are specific exercises to strengthen hamstrings (single leg bridges, Russian hamstring), strengthen the core (planks, abdominal crunches, criss-cross sit-ups), and calf muscles (single leg toe raises). And in general, Pilates is a great rehab tool often used in treating athletes because it is a whole body, balanced, non-impact exercise program.

When should girls start?

It may be surprising, but studies show that starting training programs at an early age (10-11) before the onset of puberty leads to maximal benefit. However, I believe it is never too late to start. Not only can these programs possibly prevent an ACL injury, but they may lead to improved performance!

Wendy Farnen Price PT MS CPI STAR Certified Clinician has been a practicing physical therapist since 1994. Price, who specializes in orthopedics, oncology, women’s health and sports performance, is a training specialist and consultant for Oncology Rehab Partners and also has her own practice/pilates studio, Healthcore, in Woodbridge, CT. Wendy has presented at national conferences and been featured in magazines, newspapers and TV news programs. As a USTA tennis player and co-manager of her daughter’s travel soccer team, Wendy has a personal interest in preventing injuries in female athletes.

The countdown started long ago.

Most fans know that if the UConn Women’s Basketball team continues its unbeaten run that on Dec. 21 the team will surpass the 88-game winning streak set by John Wooden’s UCLA teams of the early 1970s.

As the date nears, the question becomes pointed: Who will acknowledge the record?

There is an annoying habit in male sports circles to belittle or render women’s athletic accomplishments invisible (or as one talk show host described it, watching women’s play is like supporting “your loser brother-in-law.”). The excuses began months ago – it’s girls playing girls! (Well in the 1970s it was 1970s-era guys playing 1970s-era guys).

Like the Billie Jean vs. Bobby Riggs tennis match in 1973, the UConn women’s quest to overtake Wooden’s record will resonate far beyond the court on which the deciding game is played.

If the UConn women earn this record, they will replace Wooden’s team in the top spot. Simple as that. That a women’s team may overtake a record held by a men’s team merely reflects the fact that athletic dominance doesn’t have a gender.

We expect whining from guys like ESPN’s Colin Cowherd, whose predictable rants bring an Archie Bunker sensibility to sports talk radio. Don’t expect him – or a host of like-minded men — to even notice UConn’s supreme athletic ability or their dominant and skilled play.

But a warning: Those who launch into a thousand excuses will reveal themselves as oldsters cemented in a past in which only men’s performances mattered.

The UConn women’s play – their tenacity and toughness – are symbolic of where female athletes in so many sports are today. Many know that. But we can now demonstrate progress with a number: 89.

By Laura Pappano

It’s nearly election day, an apt time to recognize that — yes — sports are political. Not blue state-red state stuff, but equity, status, economic power.

At the New York Athletic Club yesterday, the Wellesley Centers for Women lunch/discussion fed a conversation that energized a room of more than 200 and stirred frank discussion, thanks to panelists Donna Orender (president of the WNBA), Olympic silver medalist and VP of Element Financial Group Gail Marquis, Jill Smoller (head of sports/entertainment at William Morris — and Serena Williams’ agent), golf pro Susan Choi (now in Florida prepping for Q-school) and moderator CNN correspondent Alina Cho.

I was lucky enough to frame the discussion at the outset (my remarks here), but the panelists and audience ran away with the show. Among the points that stuck:

– I’m not sure if Gail Marquis actually wore her silver medal to her first job interview (she says she did!), but when she said that corporate American speaks the language of sports, she was making a point to athletes out there: Bring what you learn on the field or the court right into the workplace. The drive, the discipline, the determination.

– Jill Smoller says the challenge for female athletes and corporate sponsorships is that they are not competing against other athletes, but against celebrities. It may seem tough to face off against Hollywood glam for sponsor dollars, but sports do offer a platform to build a brand. To wit: Serena Williams is not just a tennis player, she’s a bona-fide celeb/star. Women’s sport, she argues, needs more stars.

– Donna Orender says the WNBA has benefitted from being affordable family entertainment in a down economy but says it’s a battle to get the airtime and sponsor dollars that are out there. Too many companies are spending their sports marketing money on male sports — even when women are the ones making spending decisions. Part of the problem: The mindset that “male” and “sports” go together. A baby boy born in Boston, she says, will get a Celtics rattle or a New England Patriots pillow. A baby girl will be given something pink and frilly.

Susan Choi — She’s 26 years old and heading to Florida for LPGA qualifying school. As a kid, Choi  was one of the rare girls learning golf and playing with her dad. When she became the number 1 player on her high school boy’s golf team, she says, her teammates “didn’t like it.” Over time, she earned their respect — and confidence in her game. Still, she says, the quiet assumption lingers: Golf is not a girl game.

The challenge for women’s sports and female athletes today isn’t anymore about Title IX (because Title IX was about access, not equity).  It’s about getting fair consideration, valuation, pay, recognition, airtime, coverage, and status.  This IS political.

When a girl looks and sees empty stands at her Wednesday afternoon high school basketball game — and knows that the boys game Friday night will be packed (and the snack bar open) — it speaks volumes about who matters more. Not just on the court, but in the cafeteria and the hallways and in all the quiet moments when kids internalize signals and sort out cues about social hierarchy.

The inequities aren’t hidden. They are common, in plain sight. It’s time to vote with our purses, our presence, and our clickers. Buy tickets, attend games, tune in and support women’s sports (not because it’s charity, but because it’s good).

Never mind. That was message in Tuesday’s “Dear Colleague” letter issued by the federal Office for Civil Rights.

Never mind about that 2005 policy saying it was OK for colleges to meet a Title IX compliance prong gauging female interest in sports by sending out internet spam – er, I mean, surveys.

With the announcement staged at George Washington University’s basketball arena, VP Joe Biden gushed about all the female athletes related to him (including a granddaughter who plays on a boy’s team).

For some, this was a feel-good event. For others, it was a relief. And yep, for some cranks who feel that sports is always a zero sum game in which what’s good for women is bad for men, it was deeply disappointing. Sorry.

But before those of us committed to gender equity in sports get all celebration-y, let’s understand a few things. First, Title IX is now not now well-enforced and changing the rules doesn’t necessarily change the federal effort. Second, if this policy change does signal a shift in federal enforcement and, if as Biden suggested “Making Title IX as strong as possible is a no-brainer,” then we need to have another conversation.

That conversation – always dangerous to propose given fringe opposition to the law – must be about what Title IX does – and does not – accomplish and whether we should change it to more accurately reflect the goal of gender equity in sport.

Title IX, after all, does not demand equality. There are realities in high school and college sports today that did not exist in 1972. Some of these keep women’s teams from enjoying the same level of institutional support as men’s teams.

Is it, for example, fair to schedule women’s basketball games on, say Monday or Wednesday, and keep Friday and Saturday nights for men’s games?

Is it in the spirit of Title IX to promote men’s basketball as worthy of luxury boxes, multi-tiered seating levels, and club memberships – when the same school’s women’s team is general admission only?

(Good thing the announcement was at GW and not Georgetown, where an under-promoted women’s basketball team plays in the old gym while the men’s team is the focus of campus hoopla when the Hoyas play at the NBA-like Verizon Center; dollars spent per athlete on the men’s team is $93,737; on the women’s team, it’s $28,013).

Good move repealing that survey allowance, Obama administration. But this is just the first half.

By Laura Pappano

This year we expect Connecticut to march all the way to San Antonio — and then some. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t water cooler-worthy debate to be had around match-ups all over the bracket (not to mentioned good basketball to be watched). Anyone remember last year when powerhouse Tennessee lost to Ball State? (Bet they do!)

A few hours after Selection Monday has named Connecticut, Tennessee, Nebraska, and Stanford as number one seeds in their regions, it’s time to e-mail friends, co-workers and family –  and organize a bracket contest (view bracket here).

The NCAA has made it free and easy to sign up (they walk you through the process and even score it for you!). Everyone has until games begin this weekend to register their picks.

I was reminded why this matters about 30 minutes ago while listening to local play-by-play of the Celtics-Pistons game on ESPN and the announcer bemoaned that UConn “didn’t make the tournament this year.”

What do you mean they didn’t make the tournament? Was he kidding??!!!?

Oh, the Men’s NCAA Tournament.

It’s time to disrupt the belief that March Madness is all about the men’s game, that UConn mean’s Jim Calhoun’s team — and that women (and guys, too) can’t talk up and hash over the women’s NCAA DI match ups.

It’s time to vote. Get that ballot — I mean bracket — and register your presence.

Obviously, the UConn Women’s Basketball team under coach Geno Auriemma isn’t merely good. They are dominant. Of 20 games played so far, they have won 14 of by more than 30 points (including four by more than 50 points). The closest game was a 12-point win over Stanford.

So what does this mean?

For one thing, grouchy (but observant) Connecticut message-boarders are saying that the games aren’t interesting.

“The first words that come out of people’s mouths are why watch a blowout or why watch when you already know the outcome,” writes one poster, worried about UConn attendance dropping because they’re too good. People are “still UConn fans, but they want to watch a good game, not just a game with a good team anymore.”

Such whiners, however, have a point. And it’s a legitimate point that gets lost when people vehemently argue that people prefer to see guys play (pick the sport) because they may jump higher or run faster that the females who may play that same sport. Not true. People come to see competition. That is why college football has a TV following (as long as the game is tight) when the skill level in the NFL is dramatically higher.

Competition drives the thrill of sport.

A decade (or two) ago, we might have looked at UConn’s dominance as a sign that women’s basketball simply wasn’t there yet. (The old when-will-we-have-parity? prayer). But we have had some years of “parity” (remember Maryland’s 2006 win? A 3-pointer at the buzzer by Kristi Toliver to send the game against Duke into OT?) Baylor took it the year before.

This time is different. There is parity outside of UConn and plenty of fast-paced, exciting play. (Heck, there’s even dunking). But maybe Auriemma’s team could use some different competition. Maybe it’s time to play men. Which division TBD, but in a comparison that (take a breath, guys) I know is not fair, consider how the Huskies – men and women — stack up against one another in stats so far this season:

–      Total points scored: Advantage women (1516 vs. 1247)
–      Field goal percentage: Advantage women (.526 vs. .472)
–     3-point field goals made per game: Advantage women (6.1 vs. 3.9)
–     Free throws made per game: Advantage men (16.5 vs. 12.6)
–      Turnovers per game: Slight advantage men (13.6 vs. 14.9)
–     Steals per game (think drama): Advantage women (11.6 vs. 6.5)
–      Rebounds per game: Small advantage women (42.6 vs. 39.8)

Interested yet? I am (and I bet those message board posters and a whole lot of other folks would tune in, too).

It bugs me. I drive by the fields in my town – and I only see men coaching the soccer teams.  Don’t get me wrong. It’s wonderful when dads share quality time with their daughters and sons. But where are the moms?

Even in the backyard, it’s dad shooting hoops and playing catch. How can we get moms outside to play?

Our daughters now have the opportunity to play a variety of sports, but we still have too few female role models to guide them.  Showing girls that they can be strong, active, and capable women starts at home, with mothers.

Dolly Ryan (photo), did play basketball in high school and college and now coordinates the 7th and 8th grade youth basketball program in her community. She’s working to creating a co-coaching model that includes at least one female and one male coach for each team. Ryan says she “hopes that through youth basketball more mothers will see they can contribute through youth sports.” Most coaches are dads, she says.

Having moms in coaching positions, says Ryan, brings a valuable balance to a program, helping to “reflect what town sports should be about, i.e. community, having fun, living a healthy lifestyle, challenging yourself, being respectful of refs and coaches – and representing the town in a positive light both on and off the court.”

Contrary to popular belief, you can coach even if you haven’t played the sport. And – truly – your participation matters.  Just in case you need the nudge, here are six reasons why it’s beneficial for your daughters to see you coach:

1.    Doing something together other than shopping at the mall is a fun and alternative way to bond.
2.    She will see you as a whole new person (not just the one upset by the messy room) including as a skilled sportsperson, something we value in our society.
3.    You will feel important and proud of yourself – particularly if it’s a new sport for you.  (Note: When you feel good, your daughter will notice!)
4.    You can share firsthand in your daughter’s accomplishments as an athlete, plus she’ll develop her own self-confidence by wanting to show off her skills!
5.    Learning about your daughter’s sport allows you to be an educated fan and cheerleader.  Dads need not have a monopoly on sports knowledge and when you can talk about the passing game or staying goal-side when defending, she’ll notice.  It will take you from mom role to mentor role.
6.    Mothers can make great mentors, especially when daughters pursue sports.  And the benefits can go both ways. Getting involved in your daughter’s sport may inspire you to ramp up your own activity level. It can be an opportunity to get back to something you love or to redefine yourself!

Emilie Liebhoff is a former co-captain of Dartmouth College women’s ice hockey, mother of two daughters, and founder of Moms as Mentors and the Director of Strategic Initiatives at the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools.