go bears

A few weeks ago, I went to a Cal women’s basketball game. I never knew there were so many 6’2” and 6’3” women. The women who were a mere 5’10” appeared downright diminutive by comparison.

As it happens, this year is the 35^th anniversary of Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination against students and employees of educational institutions. What this meant was that schools and colleges had to provide equal funding for men’s and women’s sports. You can imagine the uproar that caused.

As a result of this law, the percentage of female high school varsity athletes increased from 7% in 1972 to 41% in 2007. This also means that the number of women who have received basketball scholarships to college has increased respectively. Imagine the opportunity that this has given to thousands of women to not only go to college, but to travel the country for the games.

As a matter of fact, sitting right in front of us at the game were two scouts from the WNBA. Now there’s something that didn’t exist in 1972.

My 15 year old nephew, who is a high-school basketball player himself, didn’t want to go to the game with me because “girls are too slow, and the game will be too slow”. I have nothing to compare it to, because the only men’s basketball game I ever attended was during a work-related function in a luxury suite at the Staples Center in LA, and the focus was not exactly on the game. “Girls” may be slower, but there sure were a lot of three-pointers thrown at Cal that day.

I remember once at the airport, while I was waiting at the carrousel for my luggage, I noticed a young woman standing nearby. She exuded so much poise and confidence for a woman her age. I thought to myself, “She’s an athlete”. How lucky for her.

I think about all of the things that have changed for women and girls since 1972, and am proud for the small part that I have played in bringing some of them about. I know that sexism and homophobia still exist in the sports world, but I look at those strong young women on that basketball court and know that they are yet paving the way for the young girls who are following in their footsteps. Go bears.