A SALUTE TO THE EXTRAORDINARY POWER OF TITLE IX

You’re going to be hearing a lot about Title IX over the next couple of weeks. This wonderful act was passed into federal law on June 23 in 1972, some 50 years ago.

I know we discuss so many worrisome issues and concerns when it comes to youth and amateur sports on this show, but the truth is, I can’t say enough good things about Title IX and how it leveled the playing field in sports for all competitors, regardless of their being male or female.

Many of you probably can’t recall a time in this country when women and girls didn’t compete on level players in HS or college sports. But thanks to Title IX,every kid over the last half century – regardless of being a boy or a girl – has been able to go out and compete in athletics in school.

And the facilities, fields, scheduling, travel, officiating, coaching, and so on have been totally equal. Totally equal as mandated by the federal government.

That law – Title IX – was one of the greatest steps forward ever taken in this country for women and girls.

In the old days, the philosophy was that girls could play sports just as a kind of social interaction and recreation – it really wasn’t about competing. And the number of sports offered to girls in HS were very limited. I recall there was a kind of basketball where the girls were not supposed to exhaust themselves bringing the ball up court.

Let me put this into perspective. Prior to Title IX, fewer than 300,000 girls participated in high school sports nationwide, according to the National Federation of HS.  Today, it's estimated that more than 3.4 million girls compete.

Today’s show also includes a special surprise appearance from long-times Yankees broadcaster Suzyn Waldman, who filled us in on what it was like for girls to play basketball in high school in the 1960s before Title IX was enacted. Take a listen here: The Sports Edge with Rick Wolff