I've been fortunate over my career to travel the world, not only to play basketball, but also to speak with different organization, CEOs, entrepreneurs, you name it. I've always tried to share the information I've attained over the years, in hope that it could help someone else.
I'll never forget giving a speech out in Pebble Beach, California, to a group called the Young Presidents Organization (YPO). Now many people who know about this organization might say, "What in the world could a female athlete have to offer some of the top business minds in our country?" I'm hoping by the end of this journal, that question and a few others will be answered for you.
My opportunity to receive a higher education, play at powerhouse UConn and travel the world came on the backs of many women before me. Women that believed a skinny, bold, long-legged girl from McKeesport, Pa., deserved the same opportunity as her brothers. They believed that young girls like me would one day benefit from their blood, sweat and tears. Then one day I could share my story with people around the world.
I share this same hope with children through my charity, Cash For Kids. We teach them to Believe, Achieve, then Lead! See, these women had dreams long before I was a thought in my mother's mind. They just had a hope, a drive and faith that their hard work would surely come to pass. And with that determination, Title IX was born. For those who don't know what Title IX is, let me take a moment to share how this piece of legislation helped level the playing field for women.
Title IX is a law that promotes gender equity. It actually isn't just about athletics. It addresses other areas including sexual harassment and discrimination based upon pregnancy. My focus though is Title IX's impact on sports -- and sports impact on each of us.
Before Title IX, there were very few opportunities to play sports in high school or college. Imagine you had the skills of a Michelle Wie, Hope Solo or Allyson Felix but you had nowhere to play and no one to teach you how to get better? Or maybe you just enjoyed playing basketball or wanted to learn to play a sport. You would not have had that chance in school before Title IX. Since Title IX was implemented, there has been a 456% increase in college women participating in sports and a 904% increase in high school girls participating in sports.
Because of Title IX I went on to receive a scholarship to the University of Connecticut. To the women who fought for Title IX, we salute you! This year is the 40th anniversary of Title IX. The system isn't perfect but it has been effective and changed so many lives. When President Obama gave the State of the Union and addressed equal pay, the first thing that came to my mind was equal play! Never underestimate the empowerment you give a woman who can participate in sports!
So now you understand how I was afforded the opportunity to go to college. (My parents definitely couldn't have paid for it. Nowadays, who can?) From college to the pros, my success on teams at every level in which I played gave me an insight on winning. And if anyone understands Corporate America, it's about the bottom line and getting your employees (team) to work as a winning team. So when I gave my speech out in Pebble Beach that was the theme -- building a winning team and getting the team to understand their roles within the big picture.
I remember giving my speech and getting amazing feedback. During the Q&A section I was asked a (let's just say a "sarcastic") question by a gentleman and my response was this: "Sir, do you have any children?" He said, "Yes a boy and a girl." I said, "Excellent, So would you tell your son he can be whatever he wants to be, the sky's the limit? Then look into your daughter's eyes and tell her she cannot?"
See, the point is this: every male or female who participates in sports won't become a professional athlete. But everyone -- male or female -- who participates in sports should have the same opportunities to thrive and chase their dreams even if it's only winning the state championship in high school. I may not have the same basketball gifts as a Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, but like them I was given a chance for equal play.
Laugh, Love, Live
SC
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Here are some facts about higher education that do not have anything to do with sports:
58% of college students are women and only 42% are men
56% of medical students are woman and only 46% are men
48% of law students are women and 52% are men
Women are also more likely to have graduated from high school.
How about we take those nice formulas used for Title 9 and apply them to where it's really important: The Classroom!
I bet that would be the end of Title 9 as we know it.
Title 9 had good intentions in 1972 - it was reinterpreted 20+ years after it was created....that is what has caused the problem. No one is against things like equal scholarship opportunities for men and women - but to tell a kid he can't be on the wrestling or tennis team - if he's not getting a scholarship and the coach says they've got room - just because the school's students are 60% women, but only 50% of the schools athletes are only 55% women and they're going to not be Title 9 compliant isn't right.
If there are men interested in forming their own handball team and playing in a league, and women aren't, that shouldn't mean the men not be provided funding.
It's common sense. Why do we have to pretend that genders have equal likes and physical abilities/skill.
Is Title IX perfect? No. I'm sure there are better ways. But BEFORE Title IX things were horribly unjust for females.
I don't know maybe we should start sending boys some of those sexist messages then maybe males wouldn't end up being 90% of the prison population.
But yeah, there have been improvements, thanks in part to all of the hard work of feminists, and things like Title IX.
What to do about men and boys? I don't know. A men's movement? It is a real problem. It seems whenever it is addressed, men just want to blame feminism rather than looking at other cultural causes.
First, men's football tends to fund most athletic departments budgets. Some schools it is men's basketball. No problem per se. But there is no equivalent to football in terms of number of participants. So men's sports teams get reduced.
Either exempt men's football from the calculation or eliminate the revenue from the athletic dept budget. Fine to have equality but getting it by hurting others is not well thought out in my opinion.
Women have had inferior rights for centuries and things won't be equal until women receive superior rights for the same amount of time.
You have a perverse sense of entitlement for unearned privilege. You do understand that men actually have brains in their head and they are not going to fall for some juvenile guilt trip.
Other than that for your crazy theory to achieve justice you would have to repay all the men who died fighting on women's behalf. Return the wealth given to women over the years by way of support, and inheritance. The best way to accomplish this would be for men to take care of the home and children while women support them for a equal period of time. Of course women would also have to fight all the wars.
Men and women are partners and we had a system of divided labor that worked out pretty well for both. Without men's support of women in their role neither would have fared well.
Let me explain it to you another way. If there were two societies, one with equal roles and one using fixed different roles. The ancient equal role society would not last because working women would not be able to care for children and in wars the loss of women in battles would also cause the population to dwindle. Sport is simulated war. No wonder it was considered a male activity.
if you let me play:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ_XSHpIbZE
Statistics say there way more girls in colleges than boys. Do you want to apply title IX to that?
Like any organization with too much money, NCAA sports is hopelessly corrupt and corrupting.
That's all well and good for pre-teen boys in the greater State College, PA area but what about the tens of thousands (?) of student athletes at other state schools?
Because I own a law firm, I'm going to ask you to tell me where all these schools are violating title IX by not providing full scholarships to their female athletes. I will make a ton off of the lawsuits, and I will give you a nice cut. Deal?