We blazed the trail for girls’ sports
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the landmark law, on the 23rd of each month this year, I’ll write about trailblazers who opened doors for the next generation.
Title IX was signed into law on June 23, 1972. It reads:
No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.
My alma mater, Lena-Winslow High School, will recognize the women who played on the first girls’ sports teams in the 1970s at the Homecoming game tonight. This summer I reconnected with several alumni and wrote this story for Village Voices.
Lena-Winslow pioneers got the opportunity to play, and so much more
As a kid, Pam Thrasher (class of ’75) gathered with a dozen other neighborhood kids to play wiffle ball or flag football in the empty lot where the Lena Library now stands. At the age of 10, she could pitch a baseball faster and harder than the boys her age. Bob Bussian, who ran the Little League program in Lena for many years, asked those in charge if Pam could join the boys’ team.
“They said ‘no,’ of course,” Thrasher said.
She wasn’t allowed to play in the games, but Thrasher was invited to be a practice pitcher for the boys.
As an eighth grader, Deb Hardel Iborg (class of ’80) and her friends begged junior-high home economics teacher Barb Jacobs to form a club so they could play basketball.
“She wanted to help us, but there was just no way to make it happen,” Iborg said.
When they were in junior high, Kathy Jo Mann Miller and Paula Miller (both class of ’77) ate their lunch quickly so the minute they were released from the high school cafeteria they could run across the street and get to the gym to grab the best basketball. They joined several boys in a full-court game, playing hard until it was time to go back to class.
“We became our favorite players,” said Mann Miller. “I was Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), and Paula was Oscar Robertson.
Title IX opened doors
Prior to the passage of Title IX, over 100 girls participated each year in the Girls’ Athletic Association (GAA) at Le-Win. Led by Dorothy Shaw, there were opportunities to ski, swim, and bowl. The girls took hikes and learned to start a fire and cook a meal. They had “play days” where they could play volleyball or basketball in the gym. There were many great opportunities to be active, but nothing organized or competitive with other schools.
If there ever were competitive girls’ sports teams at the original Lena or Winslow High Schools, the action stopped when the Illinois High School Athletic Association banned girls from participating in interscholastic sports, especially basketball, in 1908.
Thanks to the passage of Title IX in 1972, and the dedication of their coaches and supportive administrators, Thrasher, Iborg, Mann Miller, and Miller were just a few of the dozens of girls who eagerly went out for sports when Le-Win started the programs.
“There were champions of girls’ sports who supported us in ways we didn’t know or recognize,” said Thrasher, who had her first chance to play as a junior when Le-Win started volleyball during the 1973-74 school year.
While volleyball coaches Rose Black and Jeri Strohecker pushed for facilities, uniforms, and equipment behind the scenes, a more enjoyable challenge awaited them come practice time: teaching fundamentals and strategy of the game.
“Rose and Jeri were patient. We’d only played volleyball in gym class or GAA, so they had to teach us how to bump, set, spike—how to do all the skills correctly, not how we played in gym class,” Thrasher said. “No one had an overhand serve. We spent a lot of time developing those skills, but it didn’t feel like work. They made it fun.”
Logistical Challenges
“I remember those good old days, when we weren't sure that we would have a gym to practice in, a ball to play with, or even a net that would stay fastened,” said Lee Ann Hughes-Brinkmeier (class of ’76). We had to tie the nets to the walls on each side of the gym (under Perky) and hope they stayed tied.”
Thrasher recalls that being the tallest player, her task before game time was to walk along the net with her arm raised to make sure it wasn’t sagging, and that it hung at approximately the correct height.
“I remember we didn’t have official uniforms,” said Susan Rampenthal Fenton (class of ’77). “T-shirts with numbers on them were in fashion at the time, and we were told to just go buy one. As I recall, they were all different colors. And we didn’t have a regular slot to practice in the high school gym. We were often bused to Winslow’s grade school for practice.”
With four gyms in the school district, and two junior high and three high school boys’ basketball teams, when the girls’ basketball program started in the 1975-76 school year, facilities became a bigger issue.
“We would get bumped from practice; we were second fiddle and usually got the gym at 6:30 p.m.,” Mann Miller said. “Those of us who lived in the country had to drive home and come back, or we hung out at the Lena Q until it was time for practice.
But the girls were happy to even have the chance to play. Several women recall signing a petition for a girls’ basketball team. Then the principal encouraged them to find someone who would coach them.
Thankfully, Marvin Kaiser said yes. He was a high school P.E. teacher and knew the game well. His knowledge earned him the respect of his players, and they made it a rewarding experience for him.
“We made him grow, too,” said Mann Miller. “He was used to coaching boys, but he was excellent. He wanted us to succeed, and we knew he loved it.”
Kaiser was another coach with patience.
“We got better as we went, but poor Marv, getting all of these girls who knew nothing. He taught us everything—from inbound passing to layups, offenses, and defenses—everything,” said Julie Toelke Lobdell (class of ’77). “I did what I was told—do this, run over there, rebound! And thank goodness a few girls, like Paula, knew what they were doing. She could get us out of anything.”
Having grown up playing sports with boys in Winslow, Paula Miller excelled in volleyball, basketball, and track. On the court she was competitive, off the court she was humble. She was the first girl to be awarded the Lynn Miller Memorial Award for her contributions to Le-Win sports. But her most special memory?
“I remember seeing my parents walk into the gym at our first few games. I’m pretty sure my dad was more excited than I was!” Miller said.
Girls who played basketball encountered an additional challenge when they took up what was traditionally a boys’ sport. Before they became fans, many spectators came to the games out of curiosity and to see if girls could really play the game. Some laughed, some disapproved. All provided another reason to succeed.
“I remember being very determined to prove all our skeptics wrong,” said Beth Rogers Brockman (class of ’79). “Coach Kaiser was tough and brought the best out of me. The strong basketball foundations he instilled in me gave me the confidence to play at Coe College, with girls who had grown up in Iowa playing the six-man game.”
Why they played
While athletes like Thrasher, Miller, Mann Miller, and Iborg finally got to play the organized sports they’d enjoyed informally, having the opportunity to play encouraged other girls to give it a try, for many reasons.
“I played because my friends played,” said Peggy Kleckler Eilders (class of ’77). “I loved playing, having fun no matter what the score was. I hated to lose, but that’s not what I remember the most. I was competitive—and I had fun!”
Lobdell agrees, as she remains friends not only with teammates, but women she played against. She also explained, “For me, it was something to do my junior and senior year, when it all started. It was great to get off the farm and do something else, but mom and dad never saw me play. It was chore time and we milked cows.”
Others recognized, even at a young age, that there were other benefits of joining the team.
“I believe being in sports helped me to stay out of trouble. I wanted to be on the team, so I had to be at school and keep my grades up and not get caught doing stupid things,” said Louise Oberle Workinger. “I learned about hard work and developed a good work ethic. I remember the banner on Rose Black’s wall that said, ‘When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.’"
Early success
The Le-Win girls won the first ever District (now called Regional) volleyball tournament in 1975. Three years later, the volleyball team made it to the Elite 8.
Eilders’ sister, Sue Kleckler Melville (class of ’79) excelled in volleyball, track, and basketball. In addition to the thrill of running on a state-qualifying mile relay team with her sister, she recalls the excitement of the volleyball team going to state in 1978.
“It was overwhelming to walk into that big gym at Eastern Illinois University and realize we were going to play there,” Melville, the team’s setter, said. “And at game time, the crowd was so big and loud…Coach Black asked me if I could even hear her.”
Melville assured Black she was the only one she could hear.
“We felt like failures when we lost the first game, but then we heard there was going to be a parade, and so many people welcomed us back into town. We realized then how special it was, regardless of the outcome,” Melville said.
The first varsity girls’ basketball team also did quite well, winning all six games the first year, and all 12 the next before losing for the very first time, in the second game of the 1977 Regional.
Many girls also made their mark on the first track and field teams.
“My most memorable experience was in track. I loved the 880 relay,” said Ruth Schwartz Confer (class of ’79). “Working as a team and cheering each other on. We were hard working ladies improving ourselves and making an impact in women’s sports for Lena-Winslow.”
Like Confer, what is most memorable for the women who played goes beyond the wins and losses.
Benefits to last a lifetime
“The memory that stands out about our team was the bonding and friendship of a small group of girls that learned to challenge each other to excel,” Brockman said.
“The experiences of being on a team are as lasting as you can get,” said Eilders. “The friendships—even if we’ve lost contact, we remember the good times we had as a team.”
Several acknowledged that playing sports provided benefits into adulthood.
Thrasher didn’t get to play organized sports until her final two years of high school, but thanks to Title IX, she earned a tuition waiver as a member of the Western Illinois University golf team. She later became certified by the LPGA and was a golf pro at Freeport Country Club. Her golf connections opened the door to a career in the insurance industry.
With no girls’ sports offerings in junior high, Iborg was all in when she started high school. She went out for volleyball, basketball, and track and field. She also played softball through the park district in the summer. Iborg was not only a pioneer of Le-Win sports, but she also entered the athletic training profession just as it was establishing standards and certification. She worked full time as an athletic trainer for St Louis Community College at Florissant Valley from 1985 until she retired in 2014.
Workinger continued to enjoy sports by playing and coaching softball from 1985 until her recent retirement. She enjoyed staying active as an adult. She also shared her knowledge of sport with young people, understanding the value it can bring to kids.
Brockman said she gained GRIT and the love of all sports by participating. As a parent, she encouraged her kids to play for the joy. She supported her daughter’s interest in swimming and golf, and her sons’ participation in basketball and collegiate football.
“We all enjoyed sports so much. It was about camaraderie and opportunity,” Melville said.
Everyone declared “It was fun!”
They never thought of themselves as trailblazers.
“To me, girls sports didn’t seem remarkable or groundbreaking at the time. It just seemed like girls were getting the opportunity they should have been getting all along,” said Fenton.
But looking back, most realize how important it was.
“It was all new, we had fun, and we learned,” said Confer. “We were pioneers, the first to play, and that’s pretty special.