Title IX at 50

Erie County women sports pioneers: women who have made a difference in area sports.

"As the 50-year anniversary of the landmark civil rights law Title IX arrives this summer, the Erie Times-News and GoErie.com are celebrating female athletes, coaches, administrators and contributors who have made a profound impact on Erie County sports.

"Our area has so many women sports pioneers who have helped shape the landscape for future generations of athletes. It’s almost impossible to name all of them. However, the Times-News staff has created a list that includes many of the premier names in a variety of sports and roles. The list features those who were born here or spent most of their lives in the Erie area.

"During our search, we looked, first and foremost, for females who were leaders or among the first to introduce a sport to the area or start an athletic program or team.

"We also sought women who were contributors, supporters and advocates for women’s athletics, such as administrators, board members, game officials or even journalists.

"Finally we looked to identify female athletes who not only starred in area sports but also established themselves as Erie County greats and, in doing so, inspired many girls to pursue an athletic career."    Full article is here.   

Those were heady years, as I think back on them. Through the 60s there was only basketball at any serious sports level in high schools. Once the PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Assoc.) began including girls' sports for high school competition, the list increased quickly: soccer, volleyball, swimming, golf, tennis, track & field, etc. All of these debunked the totally bizarre myths that young women couldn't run fast, train hard, and show greatly coordinated bodies in becoming top athletes.

My sister, Patty, played college basketball for Dayton in the late 60s-early 70s, participating in the pre-NCAA tournaments that were held until 1982 when the NCAA expanded its programs to include women's sports. She continued into a type of mini-tour for the LPGA, again the preliminary organization of what today is the Epson Tour that leads qualifying golfers to the LPGA tour itself. I often wonder how far she might have gone had high school golf been then what it is now.

Thank you to all parents, coaches, friends and recreational organizers that encourage girls to participate in sports and to be proud of it. This is far from the tomboy label, these are true athletes.