Before Title IX
In sports, historically men got the scholarships, equipment, coaches, and sports team choices. Furthermore, women only got 2% of athletic funds. Girls often had to raise money to play and purchase uniforms. Only 1 in 27 girls played high school sports in 1972.
Why Not?
Women athletes were portrayed as physically undesirable and were told that sports would hurt their chances of marriage and their reproductive organs. Parents attended their son's games, but refused to watch their daughters play.
“I played on my Illinois high school’s first varsity tennis team from 1968 to 1970. We were 56-0 over my three years. We were permitted to compete as long as we made no efforts to publicize our accomplishments and personally paid for our uniforms and equipment.” Female Athlete Marge Snyder
“I played on my Illinois high school’s first varsity tennis team from 1968 to 1970. We were 56-0 over my three years. We were permitted to compete as long as we made no efforts to publicize our accomplishments and personally paid for our uniforms and equipment.” Female Athlete Marge Snyder
Too "Weak"
Women athletes were looked down on by men. Men thought women were the weaker sex, and that athletics were too strenuous for them.
"My brother wanted me to help him break in a brand-new catcher's mitt before Little League, because he knew I had the fastest fastball, right? A Little League coach saw me and said, 'You have a great arm. How would you like to play on my Little League team.' I was like, 'Are you kidding me? This is my dream, and I am going to get to play!' "Then in practically the same breath, he said, 'We are going to have to cut your hair real short and give you a boy's name. We're going to call you Bob.' In order for me to play baseball, I was going to have to disguise myself as a boy, because girls couldn't play organized sports. That was one year before Title IX." Dorothy (Dot) Richardson |
"But it wasn't so long ago that something like pursuing varsity sports was an unlikely dream for young women in America. Their teams often made do with second-rate facilities, hand-me-down uniforms, and next to no funding". Barack Obama