The gym is silent, if only for a moment. A brief pause in time, as the band waits and the students focus their attention on the empty door. And then, the doors burst open, and 120 girls in red and white stream out into a wave of thunderous applause. The students cheer and stomp their feet, the band plays the school theme song with as much vigor as they can muster, the parents and faculty look upon the group of giggling high school girls with pride. The Fairview Girls Swim Team has just won the 5A State Championship for the first time in 12 years, and the school has come to celebrate with balloons and banners, an assembly, proud principals, and crying coaches. This scene is a familiar one in thousands of high schools across the United States
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But it wasn’t always this way.
John Meadows, a Boulder local, remembers what it was like previous to Title IX, which was passed in 1972. He attended Boulder High School, and at the time “...girls could...only play field hockey. At [my wife’s] high school in Hawaii, the only sport available for girls was synchronized swimming.” Similar situations were found throughout the United States, and in 1971, one year before the passing of Title IX, only 7% of all high school athletes were girls (CITE). Title IX is a part of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, and states that "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". While Title IX applies to all individuals, its primary focus is on finding gender …show more content…
His work with coaches proves to be wildly successful, as he continues to succeed in “raising coaches salaries 30% or 40% or 50%.” John embodies the true nature of Title IX, as he “does not see them as men athletes or women athletes, but just as athletes.” He also uses Title IX within his negotiations, to gain charter planes for female teams or assistant coaches or extra equipment. In the business of sports negotiations, Title IX looms over all and serves as a constant reminder to athletic directors and university boards without the name even being uttered. John Meadows uses Title IX to change the lives of teams and individuals for the better, and works alone in this field to help coaches of women’s basketball all across the United
But it wasn’t always this way.
John Meadows, a Boulder local, remembers what it was like previous to Title IX, which was passed in 1972. He attended Boulder High School, and at the time “...girls could...only play field hockey. At [my wife’s] high school in Hawaii, the only sport available for girls was synchronized swimming.” Similar situations were found throughout the United States, and in 1971, one year before the passing of Title IX, only 7% of all high school athletes were girls (CITE). Title IX is a part of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, and states that "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". While Title IX applies to all individuals, its primary focus is on finding gender …show more content…
His work with coaches proves to be wildly successful, as he continues to succeed in “raising coaches salaries 30% or 40% or 50%.” John embodies the true nature of Title IX, as he “does not see them as men athletes or women athletes, but just as athletes.” He also uses Title IX within his negotiations, to gain charter planes for female teams or assistant coaches or extra equipment. In the business of sports negotiations, Title IX looms over all and serves as a constant reminder to athletic directors and university boards without the name even being uttered. John Meadows uses Title IX to change the lives of teams and individuals for the better, and works alone in this field to help coaches of women’s basketball all across the United