50 years of progress – but we’re not done yet
Throughout 2022, there have been hundreds of tributes to the pioneers of Title IX and the many accomplishments of women in sports over the last 50 years.
Because of the legislation passed in 1972, young women today have opportunities in sports and careers that previous generations could only dream of.
Throughout 2022, I have highlighted a few of these stories that are particularly meaningful to me.
We have come far. But there is still a long way to go to provide opportunities and equity in sports for all girls and women. If this is a topic of interest to you, there are two organizations you’ll want to check out.
Women’s Sports Foundation
The Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) was founded by Billie Jean King because even as a young girl in the 1960s, she recognized that sports opportunities were skewed toward white males and those with money. The organization’s tag line is: All girls. All women. All sports.® The mission states:
“The Women’s Sports Foundation was established in 1974 to advance the lives of women and girls through sports and physical activity. Our mission is to enable all girls and women to reach their potential in sports and life. We provide financial fuel to aspiring champion athletes. We fund groundbreaking research. We educate. We advocate. And we help communities get girls active.”
Read more about what the Women’s Sports Foundation does to support girls and women.
Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport
I first became aware of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport when I was doing research for my master’s thesis in 2005. The center’s history and purpose:
“The vision and pioneering spirit of Dorothy McNeill Tucker led to the establishment of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport at the University of Minnesota in 1993. The creation of an interdisciplinary research center—devoted solely to girls and women in sport—established standards of excellence with respect to scholarly inquiry, graduate education and community outreach and public service. Housed in the College of Education and Human Development's School of Kinesiology, the Tucker Center is devoted to sponsoring, promoting, and disseminating scholarly activity on how sport impacts the lives of girls and women.”
The Tucker Center is currently looking for study participants who have coached women’s tennis, who currently coach girls, and who work in communications for professional women’s sports. You can explore completed research or listen to their podcast.
The pioneers who worked to get Title IX passed and those who started girls’ and women’s sports programs set a great example for us to follow.
Over the past five decades, great progress has been made. But there is still work to do.
Organizations like the Women’s Sports Foundation and the Tucker Center are crucial to advancing women’s issues and opportunities in sports.
photo by Lindsay Henwood on Unsplash