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.
By Lauren Summa
Published: April 15, 2008
Parent Scores Victory Eradicating Coaching Abuse ( Minn. ) –A parent contacted the Foundation a year ago regarding her daughter’s high school basketball coach. The parent says the coach is verbally and emotionally abusing the girls by swearing at the girls, kicking chairs, not controlling his temper on the sideline and playing mind games with the girls, so much that the girls are afraid of the coach and do not want to play. She has already read Verbal, Physical and Psychological Abuse of Athletes: The Foundation Position, a paper that explains what constitutes verbal and psychological harassment and how athletes and parents can stand up for the athletes’ rights, and is now looking to see what other advice the Foundation can provide. The Advocacy Department encouraged the parent to work within the political channels of school to address the issue. We sent her Step-by-Step: A Practical Guide To Assessing and Getting Gender Equity, a resource that gives activists a detailed, step-by-step plan for achieving gender equity and suggested that the parents document all the situations of abuse that have occurred during the year, present this information in a memo to the athletic director and then continue working their way up the chain of command at the school until an administrator agrees to look into the issue. The parent followed the Foundation’s advice and contacted us several weeks later to tell us that the process worked! The coach will no longer be coaching at her daughter’s school.
Parent Scores Victory on Verbal Abuse from Coach (Fla.) –A parent contacted the Foundation regarding her daughter’s basketball coach. The mother feels that the coach is verbally and emotionally abusive toward her daughter and other members of the basketball team. The parent read the Foundation’s article on coaching abuse and feels that there is a clear Title IX violation. The school administrators have been investigating, but the results are pending the outcome of their investigation. After speaking with the parent, we sent her Verbal, Physical and Psychological Abuse of Athletes: The Foundation Position. The Advocacy Department also explained to her that the best situation seems to be to “play the political game.” The parent has already begun this process, but we sent her the article, Step-by-Step: A Practical Guide to Assessing and Getting Gender Equity for more ideas on how to develop an action plan. This parent followed the Foundation’s advice and contacted us several weeks later to tell us that the process worked! The coach will no longer be coaching at her daughter’s school.
Supporter Challenges Team Elimination (R.I.) – A supporter of a college gymnastics team contacted the Foundation because the school plans to eliminate the team after the current season. The Advocacy Department informed her that Title IX requires schools to provide comparable participation opportunities for female and male athletes and eliminating a women’s team might cause a violation of Title IX. We suggested that she speak to the administration about what action can be taken to avoid a possible violation of Title IX. 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, and Step-by-Step: A Practical Guide To Assessing and Getting Gender Equity. This situation is pending.
Softball Coach Goes to “Bat” for Equal Facilities (Ky.) – A high school softball coach contacted the Foundation regarding his softball team’s facilities. Recently, the field that they play on has been shut down. The new field the team will use will not have lights or other amenities. The Advocacy Department explained that Title IX requires schools to provide comparable facilities to both its women’s and men’s teams. The Advocacy Department encourage the coach to work within the school system to address his grievance and sent him Playing Fair, Step-by-Step: A Practical Guide to Assessing and Getting Gender Equity and the link to our assessment tool to evaluate his school’s compliance with Title IX. This situation is pending.
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