Laurel Richie, WNBA?President, and Ann Meyers Drysdale, Phoenix Suns and Mercury vice president and overall basketball legend, took some time to talk with The Republic/azcentral.com/ Inside The Lines?on Saturday, which marked the 40th anniversary of Title IX (the education amendment that gave women more opportunities in sports, forever changing the sports landscape).
Up first, Laurel Richie:
On Title IX and the WNBA: I think Title IX was a significant piece of legislation. Though it happened 40 years ago. It's so important to tell that history and tell that story. ? The one thing I know for certain, without Title IX, we wouldn't have such? great talent pool to draw from."
Title IX's significance: There's a positive and negative for girls today, when you say 'Title IX,' they don't know what it means. They are not aware of the legislation. The good part about that is they're growing up in a world where they feel the benefits of Title IX and the opportunities that are there for them. But we're not finished with it yet. I'm encouraged that we can use this anniversary to continue to tell the story so that they realize what went before them and the people who went before them.
Title IX's future: Tiitle IX is about opportunity. We have to stay aware of it to make sure we keep those opportunities available. If we don't continue to focus on it and be aware of it, you may se at the university level, the opportunities grow smaller and not grow larger. ... I think the real beauty of Title IX is not just the opporuntites for athletes. It creates opportunities for coaches and trainers as well. The individual athletes are getting much better training and much better coaching. They come through that process and upon graduation, they have obtained such skill that bring them to a greater level when they come into the WNBA.
How Title IX impacted her: I would not describe myself as a professional athlete but when I look back, I was a synchronized swimmer and a cheerleader. I don't know this for a fact but I think that's not a coincidence that as a young girl, those were either the vehicles that were available to me or the vehicles that I was steered into.
I look at my nieces now, who are the next generation, they play tennis, basketball, soccer. I feel like Title IX has done a lot for my generation. but it has done more for the next generation.
How it's going so far as the WNBA president: I think I'm 13 months in. It's great. I think last year it was an incredible experience just getting to know players and sponsors and fans. Just getting to know the basketball side and the business side. There's still a lot more learning to do. And I feel even more optimistic about the future of the WNBA. It's nice to not be a rookie anymore.
On the big disparity right now among good WNBA teams and the bottom teams: I think that Minny (Minnesota Lynx) had a great end of the year and it continued that momentum through the offseason and into the start of this year. I'm encourage by Chicago. I thnk they made some interesting trades. You just hope that all teams find their stride and sort of come into their own. Even Tulsa, where their record is not impressive but there were games where they would come within one point, two points or went into overtime. Sometimes the record doesn't tell the full story. Thankfully, this being in an Olympic year, some teams have an opportunity to regroup a little bit during that break and I think we're going to have an exciting second-half of the season.
And now Ann Meyers Drysdale:
On the media coverage 40th anniversary of Title IX is getting: It's been a great buildup to be involved with so many women who have opened the doors for us. I've been back east in New York and Connecticut. ESPN and ESPNW have really stepped up in working with us.
To have Hope Solo here in Phoenix, a modern-day athlete who worked real hard to where she was at and the scholarships were already there for her. Title IX has opened the door for not just girls but for parents and fathers who are having daughters and mothers who are supporting their daughters too, husbands who have wives, brothers who think it's OK for their sister to go out and play.
In some states, it was against the law for girls to comepte in sports. Certianly some things have changed. 40 years in, there are still some schools who are not in compliance with Title IX. There are still a lot of fights to be done. And the ones who will stand up for it will make a difference. ... Media makes such a huge difference in the sports world today with males and females. The WNBA now in its 16th season, a lot ot of young girls didn't know that there was a time that there was no WNBA. So those are things that really make a difference. That it was around long enough that those kids didn't know it didn't exist.
On an early beneficiary of Title IX: Iwas the first woman to receive a basketball scholarship at UCLA. I'm sure my story is a lot different than others. In '72 I was in high school, my brother David was at UCLA and played for coach John Wooden. UCLA was a university. I have five brothers and five sisters. My family couldn't afford for all of us to go to major universities. Probably junior colleges and state schools and so forth. In 72, my brother brought his roommate, who was Kenny Washington, the (UCLA) women's coach, to our house. He was on coach Wooden's first two championship teams. He came and said we would like to offer you a full athletic scholarship to UCLA. I thought, 'I'm getting an education? At UCLA? Where my broth is going? Where coach Wooden is?' I wouldn't have dreamed of that. So for me to get an education at a school was phenomenal.
On her older sister, Patty, who was an athlete but missed those opportunities: My sister Patty is the oldest of 11. And she was breaking down doors way before I was. I think too, that's where the media comes into play. Not being able to see her play and the other girls. Patty would put teams together. She would go to the principal and say we want to put a volleyball team together, we want to do this. And thety did it. Because she and some of the girls her age, just stormed in there and said you have to do what's right. To me, those are the girls who had to fight and were denied a lot of things. I just had to come along when the media started to notice. I came right after Billie Jean King. I think my tryout with the Pacers absolutely stands in history with Title IX, what happened and with women in sports.
On the big difference now for women's sports then and what is now: If you go back to when I was a freshman, sophomore, junior at UCLA, our games were local. Not until I was a senior, were we able to fly out of state. Today, you take a Tennessee, a Connecticut, a Baylor, they're flying all over the country and out of the country to play games and tournaments vs. teams in Italy and Spain.
To even have that budget to fly. And now you have two uniforms and even four uniforms. You have several pairs of shoes. When I was at UCLA, we were lucky to have one pair of shoes.
On Hope Solo as the Mercuy's Woman of Inspiration: Certianly being an Olympian and going into the 2012 Olympics, struck a chord. Of course, Dancing with the Stars helped. It gave her a lot of recognition and it gave the women's soccer team a lot of recognition. That's a plus. We've had some terrific women and strong role models (in previous seasons). Not only do women see it but men see it, how positive sports can be.
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Saturday, June 23, 2012 at 06:49 PM
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