Since women's sports is one of the hot topics here after former Fresno State coach Lindy Vivas scored a decided victory against the university for its unfair treatment of her, I'll share this little newsletter from the National Women's History project. The history project tells a story about the days when it was forbidden for women to dribble the basketball more than three times because it was believed dribbling all the way across the court was just too much for them!
I hope those folks who made those ridiculous rules are still alive to watch the play-offs for the WNBA!
Here is the letter from Molly Murphy MacGregor, Executive Director of the
National Women's History Project.
September includes the anniversaries of Billie Jean King defeating male chauvinist, Bobbie Riggs, on the tennis court in 1973 and Sandra Day O'Conner being sworn in as the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court eight years later. Both are significant historic moments in challenging long held assumptions about the abilities of women and expanding the sense of possibility for girls, and women.The first weeks of September also include the play-offs for the WNBA. It is a joyful time for me since my two great passions are women's history and women's basketball. Both inspire me to overcome any sense of female limitations. When I was growing up, I was only allowed to play half-court basketball. For the many of you who were spared the humility of half-court basketball, let me explain the assumptions of the time. Girls/women were considered too weak to dribble all the way across the court. Instead, we were allowed to dribble three times and then we had to pass the ball to our teammate who was waiting on the other half of the court with the same limitations.
Today, I stand up and cheer when I see the grace, athleticism, determination, and strength of women who are playing professional sports. Attending a professional women's basketball game with a crowd that includes very young girls and boys and not so young women and men is always an exhilarating experience for me. Seeing young men wearing basketball jerseys with their favorite female basketball player's number and name is something I didn't think I'd see in my lifetime.
My nieces and nephews, who obviously came of age in a different historic period, indulge my enthusiasm for women's basketball, although they don't understand it. What is a glorious triumph for me is not such a big deal for them. Their reaction provides me with an opportunity and a reminder. As I use the opportunity to listen to them, I am reminded that the limitations of the past do not define the possibilities of the future. For example, my niece, Jayda who is twelve, is confident that she will be able to hit more home runs than Barry Bonds.
Someday, she will understand that it was the determination and courage of the women who came before her that paved the way for her unfettered expectations. For today, I celebrate both her sky's the limit attitude and the actions of the amazing women who have expanded the sense of possibility for Jayda and for girls and women throughout the world.
Appreciating the work of the women who have moved history forward,
Molly
Molly Murphy MacGregor
Executive Director
National Women's History Project
www.nwhp.org
Rather than standing up and cheering on the internet, buy tickets and go to the games. If enough paying fans show up for women's sports, a lot of this Title IX dispute will become moot.
(And I'll believe the Bee is sincere about gender equity when women's sports receive the same degree of coverage in the Sports section that men's sports get. Lucky for you guys that Title IX doesn't apply to newspapers.)
People don't believe me when I tell them that in my high school days girls playing basketball were not allowed to go over the mid court line. Three of them would be permanelty situated on one side of that line with the other two locked in to the other side. The rationale? That girls were too tender for strenuous exercise! Tell that to Mia Hamm! Of course that was in th 1940s. You've come a long way baby.
I wouldn't pay to see Women's sports. That's why they need Title IX. They are lucky they have Men's sports to foot the bill. Anyway,are they going to college for an education or what.The Vivas decision shows just how screwed up priorities are in our institutions of learning.
Would you feel the same way if one of your nieces was playing?
Funny you should bring that up Mike. I would go to their games but if they are not in it I would have no interest. I am currently getting involved in basketball and softball with them.It's great fun.However the whole title IX thing grows out of the idea that college should provide and pay for the sports experience.Then you get all these administration people and coaches caught up in lawsuits that are so far away from education(the purpose of college)it's ridiculous.