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January 19, 2010 Once a year I write about Title IX. Its impact has been significant. Title IX was ratified in 1974 by then President Richard Nixon, and it guaranteed gender equity for athletics on the high school and collegiate level. The results have been phenomenal. Without Title IX, you probably would have never heard of Danica Patrick, Michelle Wie or Annika Sorenstam. But, now we have issues. Let’s agree that women compete at a very high level now. In team sports like softball, soccer and basketball, they probably even play a more pure version of the sport as they are less selfish and less star-struck. In other words, they play the game the right way. In individual sports like golf, tennis, and auto racing, they are just as skilled and tenacious, and their abilities are significant. So, what’s my point? By marching Wie, Patrick and Sorenstam out against the men, they’re basically being exploited for commercial reasons. Make no mistake, they are well compensated and they are there of their own volition. But these highly skilled technicians are ultimately being reduced to side-shows, circus acts, and simple novelties. They deserve better than that. It is clear that Michelle Wie, Danica Patrick, and Annika Sorenstam can compete against anybody, and who’s to say they can’t win? But along the way it is detracting from the essence of Title IX, and that’s to create a vehicle for young women to grow, develop, and seek opportunities through athletics. Would you want your daughter to simply be a novelty act? (c) 2010 Novi
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