In addition to working to maintain a strong Title IX and a comprehensive public policy agenda that increases opportunities for girls and women to participate in sports and physical activity, the Women's Sports Foundation responds to hundreds of calls and e-mails asking for help with specific gender equity, Title IX, the Amateur Sports Act, and coaching and employment situations at the local level. Read about some of the people we have helped.
Ice Hockey Organization Pits Older Girls Against Younger Boys (Mass.) A mother contacted the Foundation regarding her daughter's community ice hockey organization's decision to play the girls' under-12 teams against the boys' under-10 teams. The parent is worried this will give the girls the impression that they cannot compete to the same level as the boys their age. The Advocacy Department advised her that prior to puberty, there is no gender-based physiological reason to separate males and females in sports competition. Instead, competition groupings should be organized around skill and experience. We sent her
Common Questions about Gender Equity in Non-School Recreational Sports, a resource that explains gender equity issues for community recreational athletics;
A Step by Step Guide to Gender Equity, a resource that gives activists a detailed, step-by-step plan for achieving gender equity; and
Coed Participation-Girls Playing on Boys' Teams and Male Versus Female Competition, a Foundation position paper on the permissibility of same sex and co-ed athletic competition. This situation is pending.
Advocate “Shoots” for Equitable Funding (N.Y.) An advocate contacted the Foundation regarding a town-funded soccer club that only provides opportunities for boys to play. This advocate is petitioning the town to fund more equitable clubs. The Advocacy Department explained that city facilities are typically governed by public accommodation laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex. We sent her
Playing Fair, a resource that explains Title IX rules and regulations to help athletes, coaches, parents and others better analyze their school's athletic programs;
A Step by Step Guide to Gender Equity; and
Common Questions about Gender Equity in Non-School Recreational Sports. This situation is pending.
Hockey Player Combats Discrimination A hockey player on an adult co-ed team contacted the Foundation because she feels she was discriminatorily removed from the team. After she played on the team for three seasons the coach says she is being kicked off the team due to her level of skill; however based on the team statistics, there are men with worse skills who are not being dismissed. This hockey player believes she is being dismissed because she is the only female on the team. The Advocacy Department explained that city facilities are typically governed by public accommodation laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex. We also advised her to investigate whether the coach broke any league rules by dismissing her without cause. We sent her
Common Questions about Gender Equity in Non-School Recreational Sports,
A Step by Step Guide to Gender Equity and
Coed Participation-Girls Playing on Boys' Teams and Male Versus Female Competition. This situation is pending.
Coach Requests Regulation Softball Field A coach of a recreational softball team contacted the Foundation for information on getting a regulation field for his team. The town provides a regulation facility for boys' Little League but does not provide one for girls' softball. The Advocacy Department explained that city facilities are typically governed by public accommodation laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, such as in the allocation of facilities. We sent him
Playing Fair,
A Step by Step Guide to Gender Equity and
Common Questions about Gender Equity in Non-School Recreational Sports. This situation is pending.
Teacher Questions Coaching Allocation A high school teacher contacted the Foundation regarding the school's discriminatory coaching recruitment. The school recruits knowledgeable coaches for the boys' sports and the school provides unqualified, inexperienced coaches for the girls' sports. The Advocacy Department advised her that schools are obligated under Title IX to provide both its girls' and boys' teams with comparable access to qualified coaches. We sent her
Playing Fair and
A Step by Step Guide to Gender Equity. This situation is pending.
Advocate “Goes to Bat” for Softball Equity An advocate contacted the Foundation regarding her city's inequitable distribution of facilities and staff for the girls' softball teams and boys' baseball teams. The girls' softball field has been a mess for four years with torn-up grass and broken dugouts, but the town refuses to provide the funds to fix the fields even though the softball team consistently makes the state tournaments. The city also will not provide the girls with funds to hire umpires. The Advocacy Department explained that city facilities are typically governed by public accommodation laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, such as in the allocation of facilities. We sent her
A Step by Step Guide to Gender Equity and
Common Questions about Gender Equity in Non-School Recreational Sports. This situation is pending.
Father Combats Uniform Discrimination A parent contacted the Foundation questioning his daughter's soccer club's decision to buy the girls' team boys' uniforms. The competitive soccer club recently changed uniforms and forbid the girls' team from purchasing girls' uniforms, which forced them to buy boy's uniforms. The Advocacy Department explained that if the soccer club uses city facilities, city facilities are typically governed by public accommodation laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, such as in the allocation of uniforms. We sent him
A Step by Step Guide to Gender Equity and
Common Questions about Gender Equity in Non-School Recreational Sports. This situation is pending.
Parent Requests Varsity Status for Ice Hockey Team A mother contacted the Foundation regarding the school's refusal to provide varsity status to her daughter's high school ice hockey. The school refuses to fund the girls' hockey team as a varsity program, which has existed for seven years. The school does provide varsity funding for the boys' hockey team. The Advocacy Department advised her that under Title IX a school is required to provide equitable participation opportunities for males and females. We encouraged her to evaluate if her school was compliant in this area. The Advocacy Department sent her
Playing Fair and
A Step by Step Guide to Gender Equity and referred her to our online school assessment resource. This situation is pending.
Advocate Urges Town to Create Softball Fields (Colo.) An advocate contacted the Foundation for information on a town's responsibility to build softball facilities. The town only provides baseball fields, and the softball teams are required to work around the boys' baseball schedule for scheduling the softball games and practices. The Advocacy Department explained that city facilities are typically governed by public accommodation laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, such as in the allocation of facilities. We sent her
Playing Fair,
A Step by Step Guide to Gender Equity and
Common Questions about Gender Equity in Non-School Recreational Sports. This situation is pending.
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