Back in April, a NYTimes/CBS News poll found that – surprise! – men and women place nearly identical value on sports opportunities for girls in high school.

Asked how important sports were for girls, 68% of men and 74% of women answered “very.” Asked about relative opportunities for girls and boys, 47% of both sexes felt girls and boys had the “same” opportunity and slightly more women — 49% vs. 45% of men – believed girls had “less” opportunity.

Both sexes, in other words, see pretty much eye to eye. They value girls’ access and recognize that it may be short of where it needs to be. If this is so, why does Title IX remain such a battlefield?

1. It’s hard to legislate cultural change. Title IX was meant to combat sexism that kept females from access to equal educational opportunities, from science classes to sports teams. The regulations, however, created a complicated web of compliance rules that require experts to interpret, keeping the average citizen from engaging around the issue of gender equity in sports. Combating unfairness has become the work of lawyers, with compliance being more about paperwork manipulation than ensuring fair play. It allows for institutional obfuscation and game-playing.
2. Title IX has become code for “Feminist Aggression.” Title IX has been portrayed as an extremist feminist weapon, a tool for taking away boy’s sports teams (rather than blaming huge football budgets), and forcing an “unnatural” level of support for female athletes. Lawsuits – by the National Women’s Law Center in November and recently by the American Sports Council – have become a form of gamesmanship (the American Sports Council claims it has a novel new legal claim never before used to battle the proportionality rule!). Instead of seeking fairness, we’re seeking wins.
3. The Persistent Myth that Women Don’t Really Like Sports as Much as Men (and they aren’t as good anyhow, so why provide the same support?) At every level, from recreational to professional, there’s belief that women are less interested and less deserving. The pervasive negative messages feed girls’ self-doubt at young ages, spurring self-censorship, and the inclination to take themselves out of contention or participation in a sport before they can face imagined rejection. It is not enough to “allow” girls to play – whether it’s Little League Baseball or soccer at recess – they must be encouraged. The result of this perceptual imbalance? The sense that “interested” boys are being denied by “uninterested” girls. This feeds a false narrative that fairness is being “forced” where it doesn’t belong.

Unfortunately, Title IX is a rough tool for the task of changing hearts, minds, and attitudes. The Women’s World Cup made a potent dent in the perception of women’s athletics as “less than.” Many males sports fans were stunned to find themselves interested and entertained by a women’s sporting event (gasp!!).

The law– and labyrinthine regulations – guarantee a protracted battle. If only common sense and fairness could actually rule. But that would require seeing female and male athletes as equals.

Part of our job at FairGameNews is to point out inequities. Some (deaf to yammering from the other side) find posts too bold a punch. That’s fine. Debate is good.

There is, however, plenty to get lathered up about (media coverage, urban girls’ access to sports, salaries, scheduling of games/sport seasons, ticket price differences between men and women’s college sports, institutional support, broadcast schedules, etc…)

But it’s also important to recognize that we have a responsibility. It’s not enough to rage against the machine. Here are six things you can do this year:

1. Attend girl’s sporting events – and bring friends. Help build a culture in which girl’s teams receive the same attendance and support as boy’s teams.
2. Buy tickets to women’s professional sports like WPS (and tune into the draft next Fri. online!) and WNBA. Again, vote with your purse and your feet. Be a consumer of women’s sports.
3. Tune in to watch women’s sporting events on TV. Build ratings for women’s games – and interest to move them into prime time.
4. Be informed. Read and talk about sports. Women are a growing and increasingly significant share of the sports market – both for sports and sports-related consumer goods (hence espnW). Help build that power.
5. Get out and play. Participating matters, not just for your own fitness, but also for the example it sets for others (including kids!).
6. If you need to buy a baby gift this year, a birthday gift for a child, donate toys, or otherwise make a choice for a child, challenge yourself to defy gender stereotypes. (My solution in an Xmas toy drive: pink sports equipment. While I’m not a fan of the pink movement, it did guarantee that the softball gloves and soccer balls I bought would end up in a girl’s hands. That equipment offered an alternative to the huge bin of Barbies, a donation staple).

By Sarah Odell and Lindsay Rico

Have you ever considered access to athletics a human right? Do you wonder why it it matters for women to play sports? And, what the heck is Netball?

These are a few of the questions being put forth at the Fifth World Conference on Women & Sport. Some 500 people from 60 countries have made their way Down Under to Sydney, Australia to examine the implications — and complications — facing the worldwide women’s athletic community.

The four-day conference is raising  challenging issues, but there is already one overwhelming response: Women’s access to sports is more than just a game.  FairGameNews.com is on site and blogging (watch for Q&A’s with key leaders coming up).

While female athletes (and would-be female athletes) may face particular barriers in their home nations, it is striking how much about the nature of the struggle for access, equity, and support are common across the globe. Some big themes:

– SPORT IS POWER: Women’s access to sport is not just a privilege, but  a right. This has been recognized in official declarations for years, but increasingly, this is not just about fitness, health, and the right to control one’s body, but about the political, economic and social tools that come as part of involvement in sports and sports culture.

– EQUITY IN SPORT IS A PUBLIC MATTER: Governments DO have an interest and a role to play in seeking — even regulating — gender equity in sports, several presenters have suggested. And one — Kate Ellis, Australian Minister of Sport — is actually taking action. She announced at the conference that her government would track and publish the gender make-up of sports governing boards and compile a Women in Sport Register to counter men who say they can’t find any qualified women to fill leadership roles. “If it’s really that hard for sport to go out there and find these women, then I’m prepared to work with them to do it,” she said.

– WOMEN’S SPORTS ARE MISSING FROM THE MEDIA: Female athletes around the globe are poorly covered and represented in the print and TV coverage (several studies showed a reproducibly predictable breakdown or representation: 80% men; 10% women; 10% other – horse racing typically gets more coverage than women, several speakers noted). What’s more, researchers say it hasn’t gotten any better in the past 30 years. As a result, said Toni Bruce, PhD, “we are teaching girls to be happy watching boys [play sports] and  teaching boys that they don’t have to watch girls [play sports].”

By Katie Culver

We have made loads of progress since the 1950’s, but gender inequities persist — first and foremost in the language we use and stereotypes we parents (even Moms!) often unconsciously perpetuate. In celebration of Mother’s Day, here are simple things we can do to raise our children to be balanced, fair people in sports — and in life:

1.  Insist on inclusive language ALL the time, i.e. “good sports” rather than sportsmanship; say mail carrier, fire fighter, workers—instead of mailman, fireman, workmen; avoid always using “guys.” Do not to always say “he” when gender is not apparent. Language is powerful, and girls as well as boys need to be able to visualize themselves in many different roles.

2. Buy a range of toys for girls and boys. Do not get stuck with toys that are traditionally for girls or boys. Girls love trucks and balls. Boys love kitchens and—yes—dolls. Insure that girls, as well as boys, play in ways that develop coordination and gross motor skills—right from the start. Don’t wait for them to show interest. You can’t be interested in a toy you don’t have! And please, please don’t ever discourage a child from playing with a toy or acting out a role that is not considered gender-appropriate.

3. Dress girls in clothes they can play in—all the time. Just because girls have dresses, doesn’t mean they have to wear them. Save dresses for special occasions (or slip on a pair of leggings or shorts underneath). A girl cannot crawl in a dress. She cannot climb or hang up-side-down in one, either. Girls cannot run or ride a bike in sandals or crocks — and neither can boys, for that matter!

4.  Avoid using and/or reinforcing gender stereotypes. Girls don’t have to look like princesses and be afraid of bugs. Boys don’t have to like dirt and football (and might be afraid of bugs!). (My daughter loves to dig for worms in the back yard!) All children can like all colors. Talk about and deconstruct gender stereotypes. Teach your children to recognize and challenge them — it’s empowering for them.

5. Take girls to watch women’s sporting events. And take brothers and dads, too.  Girls need athletic role models and to see that women’s sports are compelling and fun to watch.

6. Encourage children to play with friends of the opposite gender, even as they get older.  Girls and boys can learn so much from each other.

U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley is making trouble – again — over the sweet financial deal colleges get as a result of their non-profit status. This time he is picking on federal tax rules that he says give colleges an unfair way to (indirectly) grow investments at taxpayer expense. (Read the Congressional Budget Office report here).

For Grassley, who has challenged college financial practices, including endowment spending and big-time sports funding, this is simply another step into a familiar batter’s box.

A key college defender — Mintz Levin lawyer Charles A. Samuels, who represents an organization that helps colleges issue bonds — says the last thing higher education needs right now is new limits on tax-exempt financing.

Samuels is right. But here’s the problem: This latest push-back from colleges comes just weeks after the NCAA agreed to a $10.8 billion deal with CBS to broadcast the men’s basketball tournament, funneling $740 million a year to member colleges.

The dollars, of course, were reason for athletic departments – including women’s coaches – to celebrate (more funding for everyone). And objectively, who wants to turn away cash?

What both of these items represent, however, is a fundamental challenge to colleges’ role as non-profit, educational, public-good-centered institutions with a responsibility to gender-equitable values. They represent the continued financial pressure toward centers of profit.

If colleges want the business benefits of non-profit status (and what’s wrong with that?) then they should fairly and equally promote the interests of male and female students. But the lopsided drive to peddle men’s sports “products” counters that very principle. When men’s sports operate on a separate plane from female sports — regardless of what Title IX says — there is an echo effect for every male and female student on campus. It is not just about sports.

While just 11 percent of the construction that employs these tax-exempt bonds is for athletic facilities (plus another 10 percent for “equipment”), who are these building for, exactly? Maybe men’s so-called revenue-producing sports?

The point here is not to sound like a conspiracy theorist or to fuss – yet again – about the monstrous over-promotion of men’s sports like NCAA basketball, but to pause long enough to ask the question: How is this all right? How does this practice of amping up broadcast of men’s basketball serve the public good?

How does using public money and broadcast dollars to house, support, and develop a farm team for NBA players (most of whom will never graduate and may not stay past freshman year) serve the male and female student bodies of these colleges?

Colleges do deserve public benefits, but those come with responsibilities to play fair.

There may be other ways to judge progress, but this year’s NCAA Women’s DI Basketball Tournament offers signs worth noting:

1. PRESIDENTIAL PICKS. For the first time, President Obama filled out NCAA DI Basketball brackets — for the women’s tournament. (See image at right — or click here.)

Last year, we noticed that although he invited the UConn women to the White House and played some hoops, that he’d never filled out a bracket. Now that his top men’s pick — Kansas — is out of contention, maybe he will lean on the women to make him look good. (Wouldn’t be the first time).

2. PACKED STANDS. Another tournament positive is that — unlike some past years — the stands at first and second-round games look pretty packed. While that may be the result of TV angles or strategic seating by the hosts, it was easy in past year tournaments to see lots of open chairbacks. Some of this may be that several of the games are hosted by home teams, but not all. Consider last night’s stunning 72-71 Gonzaga win over Texas A&M in front of revved-up fans — at the University of Washington, a neutral site.

Perhaps the crowds — or the appearance of crowds — reflect a recognition about the intensity and entertainment value of the women’s game. (Should we blame amped-up intensity  for recent high-profile aggression, as a New York Times story suggests? Unclear.)

3. NO WHINING ABOUT “PARITY.” It is refreshing to see that even though coaches of top teams put Connecticut on a different level than everyone else, we aren’t hearing that annoying word — “parity” — and that the women’s side lacks it.

Connecticut is dominant this year, but unlike the old days when UConn and Tennessee plucked all the best players, there is talent all around Division I. This doesn’t mean the same old cranks won’t complain that women aren’t worth watching. It’s just that fewer people seem to believe them.

Documentary filmmaker Jenny Mackenzie’s film Kick Like a Girl conveys the empoweringand enlightening experience when a soccer team of 8 and 9-year-old girls plays in the boys division — quite successfully. After Mackenzie’s visit to Wellesley College last week, I spoke with three student athletes about why gender equity in sports is so crucial at a young age and how their own experiences shaped their views of sport and life. I spoke with senior Katie Martore (soccer and basketball), senior Loretta White (lax and soccer), and sophomore Olivia Hulme (swimming and diving).

FGN: Have you every played with or against boys in sports? What was it like?

KM: Yes—when I was little I played in a co-ed soccer league. I remember the boys on other teams would make fun of me because I was basically the only girl who wanted to play with the boys. They didn’t think I was a good soccer player because I was a girl, but I finally gained some respect when I tackled a boy and told him to never touch me again. When I was little, it seemed that once the boys realized I was a good player they stopped bothering me and treated me like all of their other teammates. It was less about being a girl and more about my skills and talent. Once I shattered the notion that girls are bad at sports, the boys respected my athletic ability.

LW: When I was in elementary school I was one of three girls who played in the local Little League. The boys were a little skeptical at first, but as soon as I showed them that I could turn a double play and hit line drives over the outfielders’ heads they viewed me as just another ball player rather than the token girl.

OH: The only time that I ever played with/against boys in sports was in indoor soccer in middle school. I think that it wasa great experience because the team dynamic and attitude was very different with a co-ed team than just an all girls team. I feel as though we were more competitive and aggressive in playing and the boys did not necessarily go any easier on the girls. When we would play games, everyone who was playing was an equal and we just enjoyed the game. It was a better experience because we played with and against the boys.

FGN: Do you think girls grow up believing that they can’t play certain sports — or play certain sports with boys — even when they are in grade school?

KM: Yes definitely—girls are not expected (or allowed really) to play football, baseball or any other sport with the boys. If you are a girl you join the girls’ league, plain and simple. When I was in grade school, I always wanted to play kickball but I realized that only the boys were supposed to play kickball and so I was stuck deciding everyday whether or not to play with the girls (doing boring stuff) or jump in with the boys (worrying about what my classmates would think of me). There wasn’t much room for a girl like me who liked playing sports and wanted to do everything the boys and the girls did.

FGN: We’ve been treated to hearing about girls who can play with boys — not just the Mighty Cheetahs, but last week bowler Kelly Kulick winning the men’s Pro Bowler’s Association major tournament. What meaning do stories like this hold for you?

Katie Martore

LW: Hearing such stories is inspiring from both an athletic and gender dynamic standpoint. It gives me hope that we’re moving into an era where a woman will be recognized for being a tremendous athlete, as opposed to a tremendous female athlete.

OH: For me, stories like this simply reinforce my awareness that the ideas that women can’t do what men can or be as good as men at something are simply not true. I think that women have fallen into the trap/mindset that they have a predetermined path, one which doesn’t involve challenging the social norms or trying to do something that they have never done before, and stories like this heighten awareness that this is simply not the case. All women have the chance and opportunity to play in a men’s league, or even just challenge themselves by competing with a man for a job (something which many women think will never turn out in their favor).

FGN: What advice would you have for parents of girls around playing sports?

KM: It’s so important for parents to encourage girls to play sports at a young age—in the boys’ or the girls’ league. Sports teach bigger life lessons at an earlier age that they might not get elsewhere. Young kids can get real life experience in playing with boys and building their confidence and self-esteem that will help them tremendously as they become young women. Even if a girl wants to play football, parents should support and push their daughters to follow their passion. Parents shouldn’t limit a child’s interests even if they do go against what society views as appropriate for girls and boys.

Olivia Hulme

LW: Sports provide unparalleled learning experiences and instill a sense of pride and confidence, all of which I think is beneficial for any child. I can say without doubt or reservation, that I would not be the self-assured individual that I am today if I had not been allowed to pursue my passion for athletics.

OH: I would advise parents to not push their daughters to play/try out only “girly” sports but rather let them pursue whatever they are most interested in, whether that be ballet or football. The experience that children can gain from being in a diverse environment, such as with boys, is something that will help throughout their entire lives. I think that parents should be open-minded to the possibility of their daughter becoming involved in a ‘non-traditional’ competition or team, because in the long run, that will help them immensely.

FGN: Do you see athletics as having any political value for women seeking equality?

LW: I think that women must continue to work on ensuring that there are equal opportunities for girls and women in sports, but I also think that athletics can be a platform for promoting equality in society as a whole. The legendary Battle of the Sexes tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs legitimatized women’s athletic abilities, in addition to showing that woman can compete and succeed in a “man’s world.”

OH: I absolutely think that athletics is a powerful venue for women seeking equality. The ability to demonstrate equality in the sports arena can easily translate over to many other aspects of life, allowing women a strong platform on which to stand when they are challenged by men, or even other women, who do not agree with whatever political statement they are trying to make regarding equality for women in all aspects of life.

By Megan Wood

Sadly, the LA Sol have been dissolved, leaving one less professional women’s soccer team to inspire young players. But there is a team out there to root for: Utah’s Mighty Cheetahs. This film is not new, but if you haven’t seen it or heard about it, watch the trailer here. In it, Mighty Cheetahs coach (and filmmaker) Jenny Mackenzie documents a third grade girl’s soccer team which pushes the boundaries of gender segregation in sports by competing in the boys division (for the first time in 2005). Mackenzie — who does public speaking — is coming our way tomorrow so we took time to talk with her about the film. Inspired to make it by her own mother and the reaction of fans on the sideline when their boy’s faced all-girl competition, Mackenzie follows her dream team of 8-year old girls as they make clear that the insult “Kick Like A Girl” is actually a compliment.

FGN: What personal experiences triggered your interests in this topic and the Kick Like A Girl project?

JM: Sports have always been an important part of my life.   When I became a mother, I knew that I wanted to coach my girls in a variety of sports and I knew that having female role models in all areas of their lives was important- on the playing field, in the work place, in school, and at home.  It was my own mom who inspiring me to start filming Kick Like A Girl. She had come out to visit at the beginning of the season we were playing against the boys, and she heard some of the sideline comments from the parents, and she said “Jenny you have a great story here.”

FGN: Why do you think young boys and girls are separated by gender in athletics?

JM: I think gender segregation in any aspect of life comes from an historical context.  We’ve made tremendous progress with gender equity and integration, but there are everyday issues that remind me that there is still a lot of work to be done.

FGN: Was it as big of a deal to the girls as it was to their parents and other community members that they were playing soccer with boys?

JM: No.  The girls were really pumped and excited for the next challenge. They were ready to continue to learn and grow.

FGN: What effect did a co-ed team have on the female and male players? What lessons did they carry off the field from their experience?

JM: I think it had lasting effects on all of the boys and girls, as well as their parents.  They all learned from each other- the boys learned to respect the girls on the playing field, and therefore in other areas of their lives as well.  They also learned as they watched the girls work together on the soccer field,  that teamwork is much more effective than the ‘one man show’.  The girls learned that the possibilities for them at the age of 9 to grow as young athletes were not limited by gender.

FGN: What were the reactions of the community when you presented this documentary? Is there more co-ed play in your community?

JM: The community has wrapped their arms around this film.  They are very proud of it, and yes it has inspired more co-ed play.  We are in the process of working with local and National Youth soccer boards to have co-ed opportunities through elementary school.

FGN: Do you have any plans for another film? Are you left with any lingering questions after you produced Kick Like A Girl?

JM: I have two projects in development- one called Teen Love, an in depth look at the reality of teenage love, romance, and sexuality.  The other film is called Sugar Babies, and it looks at the public health epidemic of Diabetes through four children living with diabetes.

Girls playing handball in Bangladesh

By Laura Pappano

Sport is a tool for social, political and economic equality. In Bangladesh — where girls face routine physical violence, child marriage, and are denied the same access to education as boys — that couldn’t be more critical. Consider that the country’s Demographic and Health Survey showed that 36 percent of women believe that “wife beating is justified.” Clearly, the power of sport to build physical strength and self-worth among schoolgirls is about more than play. It’s about survival.

Promoting Human Rights and Education in Bangladesh (PHREB) does innovative work with schools to create sports opportunities for girls – something that PHREB executive director Faridul Alam told FairGameNews challenges rigid gender roles.

“People widely believe that girls do not need to achieve education,” Alam says in an e-mail. “In almost all schools in Bangladesh there is an annual sports competition where girls have a chance to play some traditional games such as kabadi. However, during the rest of the year, most schools do not have any organized sports events for girls. On the other hand, boys can play whatever sports they like, any time they like. Boys regularly play at school and community grounds, often on a daily basis.”

While most high schools are coed, he notes that “in these schools girls have no chance to play as it is considered shameful for girls to play.  There is also a shortage of female trainers, which also hampers girls’ access to sports.”

Carrie Gage, a volunteer from Australia working on the ground with schoolgirls through PHREB, helped FairGameNews hear from six girls aged 14 and 15 who gathered during a debate club meeting to collectively answer questions we submitted about what sports participation means to them. Here’s what the girls had to say:

FGN: Which sport do you play — or are you interested in playing?
Girls: At school, after our examinations, we play cricket. This is only for one day a year. At home, we play badminton with some of our friends and our brothers. We are interested to play football (soccer) but our guardians do not permit it. We would also like to play basketball.

FGN: How long have you played your sport?
Girls: For six years, we have played an annual cricket game that is organized by the school.

FGN: What have you learned about yourself by playing a sport?
Girls: By playing sport we have learned discipline, patience, and being physical.

FGN:  How are the opportunities for playing sports different for boys and girls your age? Are there some sports girls are not allowed to play?
Girls: It is easier for boys to play sports than girls because they are very strong and fit. It is difficult for girls to play sports like football because of the need to run around, which is hard with the clothes we wear (tunic, long pants and scarf).

FGN: What do your parents think about you playing a sport (or having the chance to play)?
Girls: Most of our parents have a negative attitude towards sports as they think that it creates a problem and controversy for girls to play sports. The more educated the parents are, the more positive or approving they are for us to play.

FGN: Do you ever watch sports on television — or in your community?
Girls: We watch men’s cricket and women and men’s tennis on TV. We do not really watch sport in the community because it’s mainly only boys that will play.

FGN: What is the best thing about playing a sport?
Girls: We like to practice sport as much as we can so that we become fit and strong and improve our skills.

FGN: Has playing a sport changed the way you think about your future?
Girls: Playing sport has allowed us to get exercise and we now know more about different sports and the benefits of playing sport. We also believe that it will be possible for us or other girls to play sport for our country and play internationally.