Hello friends,I was inspired to post today. Not many days do I have something that really moves me, but today I had a great experience and found that I had a subject very worthy of blogging.
Today the female athletes of Ohio Northern University celebrated 40 years of Title IX. For those of you who don't know, Title IX is one of the most important pieces of legislature ever passed in U.S history.This legislation 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."
As I walked into the North gym and saw all of my fellow female athletes congregated and wearing the same ONU shirt, I had an overwhelming feeling of pride. I then turned to one of my teammates who is also involved in Greek life and asked, "Is this what you feel like when all of your sorority sisters get together?" It was just an amazing moment to see all of those women gathered together to celebrate something that has impacted each and every one of our lives so drastically.
Coach Witte, whom I adore and who is such an advocate for women's athletics, spoke to us about Title IX and how far we have come as a nation and as a university. She introduced to us the women who have paved the way for female student athletes at Ohio Northern University. I have seen these women's faces on the wall as you enter our locker room, but I had never really stopped to think about what they had done for me. All three of the women Coach Witte spoke about struggled to gain equality for women at our university and worked hard to ensure that we were given the same opportunities as the men of ONU. I wanted to go up to them and sincerely thank them for all that they had done, but I had to get to my next class.
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| From left: Sheila Wallace-Kovalchik, Helen Ludwig and Gayle Lauth circa 1972 |
We then watched "Sporting Chance," a movie about Title IX that was featured on ESPN. If you get a chance, please watch this short movie. Regardless if you are a female, it is important to understand what an impact this legislation has had on our country. I sat in the bleachers, completely fixated on the screen. The women who spoke were so inspiring and so brave. I was so moved by their stories and what an impact their actions have had on my life, I was brought to tears. Granted, I am a sap and have no problem crying, but Title IX was and still is monumental to women's equality in our country.
I have always been an athlete. For as long as I can remember, I've had a competitive spirit and have loved to be active. I grew up in sports enthusiastic family that has always been extremely supportive of my athletic career. I played as many sports as I could fit into my schedule. Basketball, volleyball, softball and track consumed my life. I was also fortunate enough to be able to play travel basketball throughout the years.
Basketball was probably the first thing that I was every truly passionate about. I begged my mom and dad relentlessly to put a small court in our backyard until I finally got my way. I could not even begin to count the number of hours I have spent in a gym or out in my driveway with my dad practicing my game. I knew from a very early age that I wanted to play college basketball, and I worked extremely hard to fulfill that dream. Now that I'm in my senior year at ONU, playing my 14th year of basketball, I can not imagine what my life would be like without sports.
Not only do I enjoy playing basketball because I'm competitive and just because I love the game, but because of everything else that I have gained from being apart of something bigger than myself. Most of the friends that I have in my life are girls that I've met through playing basketball. If you haven't ever played a team sport, you can't understand how amazing it is to work so hard day in and day out with a group of people and achieving the goals that you set for one another. It truly is a feeling that can't be explained. Growing up, participating in team sports has also made me into the person that I am today. Playing basketball my whole life has taught me valuable lessons like hard work, determination, how to communicate effectively, teamwork,dedication, responsibility; I could go on and on. Athletics has had such a positive influence on my life, and none of it would be possible if women before me didn't fight for what they believed in.
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| I love my Polar Bear family! |
I am proud to be a female student athlete at Ohio Northern University and I am thankful for Title IX and all the people who fought to make my dreams achievable.
OAC Team Titles- 62
OAC Individual Titles-224
1st Team All-OAC honorees- 247
1st Team Academic All-OAC honorees- 227
NCAA Team Appearances- 47
NCAA Individual Appearances- 63
All- Americans- 77
Academic All-Americans- 39
This is a "sneak peak" of Title IX : 'Sporting Chance' Not the full video, but still worth watching!
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8022724
I apologize for the short novel, but this is a subject that I feel very strongly about and am very proud to be a part of.
Until next time,
Katie
As one of your fellow female athletes I can say I completely understand how you feel about athletics and how you felt on Thursday. Like you said, it's hard to believe a time when women didn't have the same opportunities as men. The Title IX presentation was extremely humbling and made me feel so thankful to all of the women who came before us.
ReplyDeleteI would also like to thank the women who stood up for what they believed in. It was awesome to see all of the female student-atletes wearing the same shirt on Thursday. Truly united.
ReplyDeleteWithout sports, I don't know who I would be.
For me, volleyball has healing power.