Posted on February 01, 2012 |
Today is National Girls and Women in Sports Day! This annual event is celebrated on the first Wednesday of February, and this year, we're bringing together some bloggers for a blog carnival to honor women, girls, and the role of sports in their lives.
While writers from around the web are sharing their thoughts, we want you to hear yours, too! Do you have a story about how sports have helped you or a woman or girl you know? Share your story below in the comments section by clicking here.
In the meantime, you can read reflections from our own staff and bloggers from around the net after the break.
Posts from the National Women’s Law Center
Title IX Helped Me Find My True Love, Leila Abolfazli
A Letter to My Daughter, Melanie Ross Levin
If You Build It, They Will Come. In Droves., Jenny Egan
An Ode to Title IX, on the Occasion of National Girls and Women and Sports Day, Val Vilott
Advantage-Me: Lessons Learned on the Tennis Court, Andrea Alajbegovic
"After All, Girls Only Play with a Soft Ball", Brittany Papalia
Life Growing Up Without Title IX, Judy Waxman
Title IX Pioneers Make the Pass Before the Assist, Kayla Faria
Posts from our Participants
#NGWSD, Lize, Training on Empty
Celebrating 40 years of Title IX: National Girls and Women in Sports Day, Emmily Bristol, The Sin City Siren
Emily Vigil: Why I Run [#NGWSD], Teri J. Dwyer, TJ’s Turf
Title IX At 40: Changing Lives Daily, Jessica Pieklo, Care2
Recess to Remember #NGWSD, Rebecca Donaghue, Running Rebecca
Sport for Girls at the Collegiate Level, Taryn Sheehan, Krush Program
I never intended to be an athlete., Jeannie Rose Field, Law for the People
Thinking about Title IX on National Women and Girls in Sports Day, Caitlin Constantine, Fit and Feminist
Title IX Inspiration & Invitation, Nicole M. LaVoi, Ph.D., One Sport Voice
National Girls and Women in Sports Day #NGWSD, Alison Tetrick
Happy National Girls and Women in Sports Day! #NGWSD, Megan, Because I Played Sports
National Girls & Women In Sports Day: Anything You Can Do, I Can Do, Dana Lardner, Words to Sweat By
Whatever Wednesday: Happy National Girls and Women in Sports Day!, Keri Mikulski
National Girls and Women in Sports Day, Girls Inc. of Omaha
Life’s Lessons: in honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day #NGWSD, MacKenzie Hill, MacKenzie's Journey
Bloggers: have a blog post you'd like to submit to the blog carnival? Please email Danielle Jackson with a link to your blog post at djackson@nwlc.org.
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Comments
Enable school girls to complete their education
Thousands of Girls drop out of school along the way from Primary to highter Leaning Institution. A major hindrance to ablity of girls to access education is pregnancy. CEDO aims to Reduced school girl pregnancies through behavioral change among rural communities and enable girls to complete their Primary and Secondary education. and 64 school girls from 37 wards of Nzega District in Tanzania have been educated on reproductive health and impact of early pregnancy
USAFA, Aerials, Kickin it
It was soccer that brought me to the attention of my gym teacher in grade school when she declared that I could be an Olympian one day. It was my boyfriend loving skiing more than me that brought me to the sport of skiing. It was the United States Air Force Academy that brought me to compete with high level boys in college intramurals. It was the thrill of 75 feet in the air throwing quadrupal daphes that nearly brought me to those fir Olympics for freestyle skiing in Calgary in 1988. One straight line of kickin it for ever greater thrill and self learning. My mom, now gone, was my greatest champion and taught PE to girls and me that I could do anything I put my mind to. Go girls expressing pure joy in sports. I continue to inspire others with my utter joy in skiing with them in the back bowls of Vail. Thanks to all my inspirers along my athletic way.
Baseball is fun!
I was the first kid born in my family and I was often off with my father while my mom was taking care of the smaller ones. My father didn't seem to care whether or not I was a boy or a girl, we were gonna play baseball, period! It was fun and I learned how to swing a bat. Anytime I played I was always good and everyone wanted me on their teem. I learned to be competitive in all fields regardless of whether I was a woman or not. This country seems to underestimate the importance of physical activity for kids....schools in Buffalo NY where I live don't even have recess! Kids need activity and they should do away with bussing and replace it with playground time!
Physical excertion is never a bad thing!
I wish I could exclaim to having been a great softball player, or a great track and field team member...I wasn't, but guess what I was? I was involved and I wasn't "bad", in fact, I still love to run. When I was younger, obviosly, I was much faster than I am now. It isn't so bad at 52 to still be in decent shape that some 20 year olds don't look or feel as good as I do! When I was a kid, I could throw a ball from any field position, but my best friend was the pitcher and 1st base...she was amazing, I was average, but I never stopped making physical fitness a priority and it's paid off! I am a healthy, happy older lady that never wants to sit on the side line of life...that's what sports did for me at a young age. I enjoyed sweating, team membeship, and winning!!!! It does start when we are young, so hopefully mothers out there continue to exclaim to their daughters to get out there and win....at least participate!
Skiing with my granddaughters
I grew up in the era of girls running only half the basketball court and when growing up on a farm made me very self-sufficient but not really sportif, so it was a big surprise that I learned to downhill ski. I loved it so much and became good enough to tackle black pistes. coming down the hill with my own daughter and sons, I made a vow that I would ski with my grandchildren and these past two years I have! I skied with granddaughters! Skated with them, too, and swim with them in the summers1
All I had were sports
I was an undocumented child in a new country, unaware about anything about this new country. Not really understanding the culture I learnt the sports of the land. I played, basketball, softball, ran cross country and track, and swam on the swimming team if I wasn't busy with all the practices who knows what trouble I would have gotten into. It shaped me into a person that perserveres.
My appreciation for Title IX
Two events have especially impacted me to be grateful for Title IX. Both of these occurred during my career as a physical education teacher. In the first instance, I worked for a school district that couldn't figure out what to pay girls' gymnastic coaches because they didn't have boys' gymnastic. In the second instance, I was teaching elementary phys. ed. Upon issuing my first grades (district's system was outstanding, satisfactory and unsatisfactory), I learned that prior to me, no girl had ever received an outstanding. Neither of those would be allowed today. Thanks to all!
sports became my profession
First grade through eight grade I attended a one room school. We didn't have Physical Education so I learned how to play baseball and football with the guys. Everyone participated in the same activity at recess time. College sports or a career in athletics wasn't a concept. I went to a public high school 9-12. My freshman year (1973) was the first year for my highschool to offer a sport....volleyball. So I went out. My sophmore year they offered track.....so I went out. My junior year they offered basketball....so I went out. I also fell in love with physical education. Coach and teaching phys. ed became my aspiration. When I went to college in 1977, I went on a scholarship for volleyball and softball. An unbelievable opportunity. A degree in Phys. Ed lead directly to grad. school where I was assistant volleyball coach, assistant softball coach, and assistant director of athletics. My experience in grad. school prepared me for my professional career. 29 years involved with sports in higher ed as a coach and administrator. I appreciate the oportunities Title IX has created for me and continue to help others learn about Title IX, appreciate the history or women's sports, and advocate for equity in women sports.
Watching a girl achieve her dream.
My daughter began playing soccer at the age of 5. She was a defender and she was hooked after the first game. On the ride home, she asked me if girls played soccer in college? I told her that they did. She responded by stating that "someday I want to play college soccer!" Today, I watched her sign a letter of intent to play Division 1 Women's soccer. This is the culmination of that 5 year old girl's dream. Soccer has been instrumental in the development of her self confidence as a girl of color, in her ability to set a goal and accomplish it and in her ability to overcome obstacles and set backs.
My coach lives on through my players and my children
My college coach Catherine Brown at Ohio University was my first female role model. I wanted to be just like her. She was passionate about education and fair play. She taught us to seek out equality and look under the surface at all the issues. My children and players have indirectly benefitted from her wisdom. I see clearly giving forward was her legacy.
daughters and granddaughters in sport
35-40 years ago my daughters grew up in a small very rural community eight grade school in Vermont. As the school searched for meaningful activities for kids, the natural enthusiasm for basketball in small schools took hold and the school had a willing and able science teacher who took a group of 5-8th grade girls and a group of boys in the same age group to highly competitive and dramatically varying size group of thirteen towns in k-8 or union junior highs. Leading the girls to a championship opened the possibilities for these girls not only in high school but beyond. My girls attended top schools and universities and one is a practicing epidemiologist and the other a highly regarded attorney. Of the ten or so female classmates in that small school, one is a physician and one a physical therapist, a computer specialist and the others I have not been able to keep track of. The point is, they have passed these experiences on to their daughters, and my granddaughters are highly successful in swimming, volleyball and softball. To look beyond, and not simply search for a short term ego trip is the value of sports and has enhanced the lives of many young women.
Sports are My Life
Sports are my passion and give me a reason to get out of bed and live my life everyday. Because of the relentless drive of many, many women before me, I have been able to take part in opportunities to live my passion and my dreams. Without the ability to participate in sports I would not be where I am or who I am today. The rest of my life will be dedicated to providing more opportunities for young women to grow from sports and experience the same things I have. I cannot thank the women before me enough and who knows how much the rest of my life will be positively impacted by sports! Sports have defined all 20 years of my life and will continue to do so as I grow.
Sports are my passion and
Sports are my passion and give me a reason to get out of bed and live my life everyday. Because of the relentless drive of many, many women before me, I have been able to take part in opportunities to live my passion and my dreams. Without the ability to participate in sports I would not be where I am or who I am today. The rest of my life will be dedicated to providing more opportunities for young women to grow from sports and experience the same things I have. I cannot thank the women before me enough and who knows how much the rest of my life will be positively impacted by sports! Sports have defined all 20 years of my life and will continue to do so as I grow.
my time with ice hockey
when i was a young teenager in jr high school my brother took me to my first ice hockey game and from their i was hooked;and from there i wanted to play that kind of sport and did for awhile and it made me a little bit more confident in my role as a goaltender and then as a center then a right wing player.sports have been a bit of a curiosuty for me but it has been fun just the same.
It was never a question that
It was never a question that I would be involved in sports; I tried everything when I was little - ballet, soccer, gymnastics and basketball, among others. Basketball is the one that stuck, and I managed to play all through college. I credit my involvement in sports with my confidence level today, my ability to stand up for what I believe in, my ability to perform under stressful circumstances, no matter how nervous I am beforehand . . . without sports I don't know where I would be. In college we used to host a celebration for National Girls and Women in Sports Day. I'm disappointed in myself that I have not been involved since leaving college. But this has made me realize that I need to remain involved; it is so important for girls to have the opportunity to participate, EQUALLY, and for girls to see other women and girls participating.
My granddaughters
I am not a girl. Nor a woman. I am an old(er) fart who spent decades on the rugby pitch. I have 10 grandchildren, 7 of whom are girls. What impresses me so very much is not that they are each involved in organized sports (I expect that) but that no one had the slightest question about girls being in sports. When I was in grade and high school, girls didn't involve themselves in sports, mostly because no organized sport accepted girls. Today, thanks in no small part to Title IX, there is almost unlimited access to sports for girls, as well as adult women. And, nobody blinks an eye. Thanks to relentless hard work and dedication of many, we now live in a more enlightened era. One quick story. My niece's daughter is a basketball phenom. She is sometimes the subject of a newspaper article for her high school performances. In the last article she responded to interview questions, the last of which was asking her what was most important to her in her basketball career? The expectation was college, teamwork, etc. Her response was that her sister is profoundly autistic and, although gaining some ground, will never be able to be involved in sports. The most important thing to Madi in her sports career is to do her upmost best as an example for her sister. Don't anybody ever tell me that girls' sports is not a character-builder. Sorry for the novelette. Todd
Girls and Sports--a personal journey for 3 generations
As a very tall five foot woman and more than 48 years ago, you can imagine the anomaly that I was to folks because I played high school basketball. Nothing fancy, only one sport, but what a great way to learn how to be on a team and contribute..
When I had my girl baby in the seventies, I decided that I would get her involved in whatever sport she wanted. She did exceptionally well in track, basketball, volleyball and golf--four sports that gave her confidence and strengthened many other skills.
Now that we have a gifted six year old soccer girl and star (plays on 4 different teams aganinst both boys and girls), I know that like her mom and me, we are a part of the journey for equality that Title IX generated. Sports and girls are a normal part of my grandchildren's lives (one girl and one boy) and not an unusual anamoly. All girls and boys deserve this!
My great niece's bowling
My niece, Cheyenne, in Nebraska took up bowling.
As a young high school student she went on to be part of a state champion team. The touching part is when her great grandfather was dying, she shared her trophy with him. This is a specific way where a young girl's participation made someone else's life happier, as well as her own. She clearly learned the lesson of team work!
Sports and my life
My Phi Betas Kappa mother was not happy with the time and enjoyment I got out of sports in high school. She considered it a waste of time. As she aged. her weak bones were a constant source of hospital stays and problems while now that I am 80 I do aerobics, weight lifting and can stand 5 hours behind a studio TV camera.
How Sports affected my life
Diagnosed severly ADHD as a young child, my parents did not want to "drug" me so they put me in a pool where I began swim team at the age of 5. Later in life when correctly diagnosed as Bi-Polar all of that discipline helped me to get past standard meds to homeopathic forms of recovery being medication and hospital free for almost 18 years now.
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