TITLE IX THE HISTORY OF IN WHITMAN SPORTS

by LOUISA RALSTON

cluding field hockey, volleyball, basketball and softball. She also competed for the school in county-wide events such as archery and tennis.

At the time, women’s basketball was hardly recognizable compared to today, Lerner said. There were six players on the court for each team. Each had two “rovers,” who were allowed to cross midcourt, whereas the other players were designated to one side or another. States justified this difference by claiming that women “didn’t have the stamina to go across the court all game,” according to Lerner. And while some states had permitted normal, “unlimited dribbling” by the time Lerner attended Whitman, the girls in Montgomery County Public Schools were only permitted to dribble three times before passing the ball.

“When I was supposed to be a rover, I was asked if I was on my period because if I was, then I wouldn’t have the stamina,” Lerner said.

On the flip side, Whitman highly prioritized the boys teams. They had the benefit of getting line-watchers, cheerleaders, home and away uniforms and longer practice times on the court. On top of that, they drew large crowds and gathered more support from the Whitman community.

While most of these inequities have been resolved, some still plague the school even after the passing of Title IX.

Many athletes continue to feel that they are not seen as entirely equal to their male counterparts, especially by the student body. Crowd size differences between boys and girls sports are stark, said sophomore and girls varsity soccer team player Jasmin Jabara.

“It’s within Whitman culture to have a little bit of prejudice, which doesn’t necessarily mean discrimination, but they have preconceived notions that we’re not as good as the guys,” Jabara said. “They don’t even come to our games to begin with.”

The girls basketball team, coached by Peter Kenah for the past 21 years, has had its share of successes. They have made six regional championships and two state finals, once bringing a state title home. Yet despite equality in administrative areas, they do not receive the same community support as the boys basketball team.

“When we used to have the varsity doubleheaders, and the girls would go second, that was really hard,” Kenah said. “The boys game would end, the girls came to warm up, and you just saw the mass exodus.”

In recent years, the schedules alternate, which has helped to alleviate some of the impact on morale, Kenah said. The boys and girls teams play at the same time — home and away — so for most games, the situation is avoided. But it isn’t always the case, and the lack of support for the girls’ team is put on display.

Even in playoff runs and important games, crowds for girls are significantly less than for boys. When the boys basketball team won the state title in 2006, there were 8,000 people at the game, whereas only around 1,500 attended the girls’ championship in 2016, Kenah said.

“There is something magical when a boys team gets on a run that we haven’t quite been able to capture with the girls side,” he said.

While most issues faced by female athletes at Whitman revolve around support — or lack thereof — from the student body, there are still some noticeable differences between genders on certain teams. The softball team specifically has faced disparities in terms of equipment and field quality. “The baseball team has really nice dugouts with a roof over them, and their whole field is just really nice in general in comparison to the softball field,” said softball player Maddie Smith.

While some inequalities still linger, female teams at Whitman and the administration have made considerable steps towards reducing them. The administration plans to install dugouts at the softball field in the near future.

Whitman Athletic Director Andrew Wetzel feels that while the Whitman administration has made a conscious effort to support female athletes and level the playing field, it is up to the students to complete that final step.

“I think the leaders of the student body need to lead the way in promoting attendance at female sporting events,” Wetzel said. “Unless it’s a state championship game, girls’ games don’t get the same attention or support by the student body.”

Jabara feels that if the Whitmaniacs or students with a lot of school spirit made more of an effort to come to girls’ games, the rest of the student body would follow, successfully reducing the support disparity between genders.

The attendance of Whitman students has a major impact on the mentality and morale of teams as a whole and players individually. Varsity girls soccer player Ella Pierce feels that the lack of student support reduces her drive and enjoyment in games.

“When we’re working so hard on the field and see that there aren’t any students at our game, it’s discouraging,” she said. “It feels like no one cares about our games.”