"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."

In 1972, these 37 words changed the landscape of college athletics.  June 23, 2022 marks the 50^th anniversary of this one sentence and all its power and impact.

To be honest, the celebration is not about the sentence; it is about the thousands of women who have had the opportunity to compete, find belonging, create lifelong friendships and mentor relationships, learn invaluable lessons, and absorb all the memories.

I remember the feeling of accomplishment when I put on the jersey for the first time or when I made the team I wasn't sure I'd make.  Getting that jersey means being part of the team - the highest honor in athletics.  I was able to witness the same feeling when my daughter made the high school swim team as a freshman.  How sad it is to know that not so long ago these emotions were not able to be felt by young women in our country. 

Title IX has paved the way for so many advances.  The heroes of the Title IX legislation are not household names, and they should be.  Patsy Mink, Edith Green, Birch Bayh, Bernice Sadler, and Donna Lopiano – these are the people who made Title IX happen. Thanks to these trailblazers, the number of girls participating in high school sports nationwide has risen from just under 300,000 in 1972 to well over 3 million.

The impact of Title IX in athletics can be seen every day.  We have women student-athletes that represent UAFS in the best way possible.  They excel in competition, in the classroom, and in the community.  I am proud of the current and former women in our department who lead and serve as an example to not only the women student-athletes, but to men also.  Katie Beineke, Tommye Robinson, Jane Sargent, Cassie Klockgether, Shanele Wilson, Tari Cummings, and Elena Lovato are all examples of highly competitive women with even higher character.  We cannot discount the impact of women in athletics. 

Over the years, I have learned so much about how to treat people in the workplace from co-workers like Coach Stephanie Findley, colleague Teresa DeBoard, and administrative assistant Betty Green. Currently, I am fortunate to work for Chancellor Terisa Riley who is not only a tremendous leader to all, but a fierce champion of young women and their pursuits inside and outside of the classroom.  All of these women are not simply great female leaders; they are great leaders who happen to be women.

Title IX paved the way and transformed athletics.  While there is still more work to be done, and Title IX continues to evolve, I can't imagine a world without opportunities for female student athletes to compete, learn, be challenged, and succeed in the arena of collegiate athletics.