Share Your Story: Do you have a Title IX story to share?

Do you have a Title IX story to share?

More than 40 years of breaking down barriers for women and girls is a spectacular achievement, and we want to mark this milestone and launch Title IX forward into its next 40 years and beyond. But we need your help!

The National Women's Law Center is compiling Title IX stories from the past and present. We're determined to keep the pressure on to fulfill the law's promise, and by sharing your story today, you can help us do just that.

Please share your story below, and we're not just talking about sports stories. Do you have a story about the science and technology fields, about school bullying and harassment, or about pregnant and/or parenting students? Title IX reaches all those issues and more — and we want to hear those stories, too!

Please note: The views expressed in the stories below are those of the authors themselves and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the National Women's Law Center. All statements of fact in these stories have been provided by the individual authors, and the National Women's Law Center cannot and does not vouch for their accuracy. The Center will compile the stories and may use them, in whole or in part, in our advocacy efforts.

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Your Stories

Jenny Martin

Greenfield, MA, Educator

My mother played basketball in high school in the 50's. I still remember her stories of how basketball was different for women. It was weird to me, very limiting. You could only dribble and take 2 steps with the ball, something like that. Anyhow, my mom insisted that they were just as talented as the boys, and even more adept at team work-because it was really a passing and shooting game. That made me think, as a girl growing up in the 70's and seeing all the things I was not supposed to do, and was not allowed to do, that I could make something rich out of a limitation. Sweet and fierce message from my mom that I always treasure. Title nine came on the scene just as I was hitting my tomboy stride. My mom was thrilled with Title IX, and a bit scared for my rebel ways. Didn't matter though, she held title nine up for me, and whipped it out when being a girl seemed to get in the way of my passions. I'll never forget the 5th Grade. We had moved to a new town, and I had been practicing my basketball skills for 2 years. I was at the age where there was a basketball program at school. I went with my new best friend Doug, who was also going to try out for the team, to ask the coach when try-outs were. There was no girls team, of course. I didn't care, I just wanted to play. The coach looked at me and said, "Girls can't play, sorry." That was it. Doug was awesome, he said, "but, she's really good!" The coach just apologized and said boys only. I went home crushed. My mom got home from work that nite, and I told her the story. She was furious, and told me all about Title IX, and it's the law that girls get equal opportunity. I was stunned. Mom said she would meet me after school the next day, when tryouts were happening. I got scared, my mom was really pissed. I knew she was pissed at the coach, the school, but I hoped I wouldn't somehow be in trouble for my mom coming down there-I didn't know what she would do. I met my mom at the school entrance the next day-she managed to get another nurse to cover for her at work (and it was very very rare that she would take off work). She took my hand and walked me to the Gym, she was all business. I loved this side of my mom, and I knew something good was going to happen for me. We walked into the gym and the boys were warming up and taking shots, while the coach sat on the side with a clipboard. "Excuse me, are you the Coach of the Team?" My mom was short and to the point, he did not have a chance to answer, yeah, he didn't have a chance to say anything! "My daughter would like to try out to play basketball for this school. There is no Girls Team. Under Federal Law Title IX, she is entitled to play with the boys if there is no girls team," he made the mistake of rolling his eyes," and if you refuse this right, I will sue you, this school, and publicize the whole thing, " she was serious, and he was looking scared, "What kind of programs do you run where kids do not get to learn and practice their rights as U.S. citizens?" "What is your name Please?" and with that my mom waited, her pen in hand, ready to go to war for me. At that moment, I didn't even care if I got to try out, I just loved my mom to bits-wow! We women can demand our rights! What a great thing my mom taught me, but it was all supported by Title IX. I did try out for that team (Coach Brian treated me very well, hee hee!), and I was a starting point guard with my best friend Doug. But even better, I've followed up supporting young girls and women to not except less than, and Title IX has been there to support us. Thanks goes out to my courageous 70's mom, and to all Single moms of girls out there, fighting for our rights to live our passions and bring our best to the world!

Carol Mastronarde

, oregon,

I attended college in the early 60s-no Title IV. As a zoology major I wanted to work for the Forest Service , in the field, not in an office. I was told that women weren't allowed to do that. Then I applied to train seeing eye dogs but was told that only men did that, unless I got a PhD in genetics and worked in the lab on the breeding program. Now I see as many women as men in the Forest Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service working as rangers. They seem to be doing a great job and seem to enjoy their work. I competed in track events run by the AAU-the only competitive arena for women. I trained with the men's team because there was no one else to compete against on campus. I was told more than once that I must not beat any of the men (by the men, not by the coach). I ignore that, but it was demostrative of the attitude then-even if we were not inferior we had to pretend to be! Title IX has opened up many new worlds for women. Today's women don't realize what they have in the way of opportunity which was not available until recently because of titleIX.

Nancy R. Griffith

Sacramento, CA, retired teacher

I graduated fron high school in 1967 and was one of those 12 girls who played every sport even though I wasn't the best athlete. But here are some pre Title IX memories: Having to play basketball where the guards and forward couldn't pass the mid-court line. (Girls were too delicate to play full court, don't you know.) Then an innovation: "rovers" who could run up and down the full court - but only 2 of them. Of course we had no uniforms, just our P.E. clothes and pinnies. Mind you this was in a big 2,000 student high school in an upper middle class area where the boys had uniforms for every team including JV and freshman teams. Boys teams travelled in school buses to games while our P.E. teachers took us in their own cars. The boys gym was big and the girls gym much smaller. Girls played basketball outside on the black top while boys played in their gym. Visiting boys teams got to use the girls locker room to change in - sometimes before checking to see if we were done using it! I grew up and became the mother of 3 girls who benefitted fron Title IX. They all played soccer as girls, two swam in high school, one fenced in college, one was on her university's Division I rowing team. Hooray for equality! (Or at least the beginning of it. One of my girl's high school soccer team had bargin jerseys that were too big for them.)