THE LAST WORD
BY KATHY WAGONER
A
TITLE IX BROUGHT OPPORTUNITY TO WOMEN’S ATHLETICS, BUT BIG CHALLENGES REMAIN
s a 1970 high school graduate, I had no
ness is not working for our young athletes. High levels of anxiety, eating disorders on the rise, and dropout formal opportunities to be coached, nor to parrates by both girls and boys are all signs that we are ticipate in athletics. With the passage of Title IX moving in the wrong direction. in 1972, however, girls and women were finally given a With the recent addition of NIL (Name, seat at the table, but not without a diffiThis loss of role Image and Likeness) contracts for college cult period of growth and development. With the formation of the National Asmodels has been athletes, we have entered a very dangerous, slippery slope for young developing sociation for Girls and Women in Sports devastating for athletes and their coaches as they now (NAGWS) and the Association of Interyoung girls, try to navigate million-dollar deals. Just collegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) as they don’t stop and think of that in terms of Title came an explosion of opportunities for IX! Sure, there will be some top female females as athletes, coaches and adminsee athletics athletes who will receive these lucrative istrators. Finally, there were the so very as a career deals, but many, many more male athletes important athletic role models sending opportunity, will receive bigger contracts leading to a the message that not only could women nor do they see further wage gap. compete but we could also lead! strong women I urge you as parents, athletes and Women had the opportunity to develop spectators to help lead us back to a more our own model of sport, one based on opas leaders. just and healthier model of athletics that portunity and fair play. Girls were finally is about opportunity, a diverse group of leadership role reaping the physical, social, mental and emotional models, fair play, sportsmanship, less specialization benefits that come from athletic participation. and, above all, more fun for our children. Unfortunately, our success and growth led to difficult I congratulate Monmouth College for celebrating the decisions for colleges and administrative organiza50th anniversary of Title IX and offer a big shoutout to tions. The AIAW was taken over by the NCAA, which all of the former Monmouth athletes and students who meant not only the loss of the female model of sport, touched my life with such joy and passion. but a dramatic loss of leadership and coaching opportunities for women. This loss of role models has been Kathy Wagoner is a 35-year veteran of higher education, devastating for young girls, as they don’t see athletics having served as head softball coach and volleyball coach at as a career opportunity, nor do they see strong women both Monmouth and Knox colleges, as well as coaching basketas leaders. We are currently in a downward spiral, with ball and tennis at Monmouth. A member of the M Club Hall of fewer female coaches and young girls dropping out of Fame, she also taught physical education and health classes at athletics at earlier ages. both schools and served as associate director of residence life It appears to me that the model of overcompetitiveand housing at Monmouth.
48
MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE
