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A year ago, this past September 20th, Nike founder Phil Knight, and his wife Penny, launched one of the most-impressive and inspiring cancer research challenges to date:
If OHSU can raise $500 million by February, 2016 the Knight family will match that $500 million -- all benefiting cancer research.
OHSU & The Knight Cancer Institute
For those of you outside the Portland area, Oregon Health Science University (OHSU) is a nationally prominent research university, and Oregon's only public academic health center.
Over the years, OHSU has grown into a world class teaching hospital and research center.
The Knights and OHSU have history together in the cancer research community. In 2008, a $100 million donation from the Knights turned the then-named OHSU Cancer Institute into the Knight Cancer Institute. The NCI-designated institute is an international leader in cancer research and personalized cancer treatment.
OHSU sits above Portland's West Hills.
Together, their mission is to 'end cancer as we know it.'
The Knight Cancer Institute focuses on attacking cancer on a molecular level, and looks for ways to detect cancers earlier, before they become deadly, giving more patients the chance to survive more cancers.
If OHSU is able to match the Knights' $500 million challenge, the vision for those funds will go towards:
Seeking faster, smarter ways to detect and treat cancer – before it becomes deadly.
Putting unprecedented research resources behind this initiative so that it can make a significant impact in a decade. We can’t ask those living with cancer to be patient.
Assembling a collaborative, multidisciplinary team of cancer researchers, combining new recruits with top talent at OHSU to focus on improving early cancer detection, and fund their programs sufficiently to ensure they can devote their time to innovation.
Investing in the resources to accelerate discovery. Investments in equipment, shared research resources and computational biology will generate new discoveries.
Knight Cancer Challenge Update
As of January 5th 2015, OHSU has received nearly $450 million towards the challenge. One anonymous donor, pledged $100 million to the effort in July of 2014.
Pretty impressive to raise those kinds of funds in less than a year. Nothing is guaranteed, but it seems that the Knight Cancer Challenge will be met (it feels crazy to assume $50 MILLION is a guarantee in a relatively short time frame), and $1 billion will be on its way to OHSU and cancer research.
If you'd like to participate in the challenge, go here for more information.
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Running and working out (well, mostly running) continues to be a part of my daily life. Even though my days as a competitive athlete are behind me, there is still something that working up a sweat and clearing my mind does for my quality of life. That will probably always be the case -- at least I hope it is.
No one makes me run. And it's not like it was before, when I had to stay in shape for my professional livelihood (or in college, for my personal livelihood during the always-unpredictable Ceal Barry practices).
I run when I want to. When I feel good, I run. When I need a day to rest, I take a break. Simple as that.
Not every run looked like this.
Every once in a while, however, it feels good to have a tangible reason to pound the pavement (personal sanity aside).
In early October, through Nike+, I pledged to run at least 150 miles by December 7th.
Bank of America, (RED), and the Nike+ running community joined forces to bring us 'one step closer to ending AIDS'. For every mile run and pledged, B of A would donate 40¢ (or one day of medication that can help an HIV-positive expectant mother from passing the virus on to her babies).
I was already a member of the Nike+ community, so all I needed to do was push the pledge button, and log the miles.
150 miles; it wasn't an enormous number, but it would take a commitment to get it done.
One mile = one day of medication.
I was going to do whatever I had to do to meet my goal: whether it'd be sneaking in three-to-four miles on my hour-long lunch breaks, running in less-than-ideal conditions (rain, wind, cold, dark, all of the above), logging several runs on the dreaded treadmill (read: dreadmill), or finishing a long day with short run in on tired, jello-y legs.
I said I'd get to 150, so you better believe that I was going to get there. I liked having something holding me accountable -- it made it easier to get out the door.
That brings me to my point: I ran a lot more during these past two months than I would have had I not committed to this campaign. During the cold days, I would have said, 'It's too cold to run,' and stayed in. When I was tired, that would have been a good enough excuse not to get out the door. And so on.
If the commitment/motivation is there (in anything), we will find a way to get it done. The Nike+ community was committed to the cause, and we accomplished this with our legs:
One million dollars towards ending the spread of HIV/AIDS: not bad for a bunch of runners.
Get out, get involved -- you never know what will get you out the door!
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I found myself awake way too early one morning last week -- like 4am early. Not able to go back to sleep, I grabbed my iPad and began checking out the morning news. You know, the important stuff, my Twitter and Instagram feeds.
One thing led to another, and 15 minutes later I was on Google Maps looking up an address in Milan.
A NikeLab post got everything rolling. NikeLabs are boutique-like stores in nine locations around the world, Milan being one of them. Since I'd spent so much time in Milan during my two seasons playing in Italy, I was curious where the newly re-branded shop was.
Fiera in Milan.
Once I located the shop, naturally I wanted to see where it was relative to the places I ran around most in Milan -- the Duomo, the Brera neighborhood (where the NikeLab is located), and Corso Como.
Before I knew it, I'd scrolled to the north, to Como, trying to remember the route I'd drive to practice every day -- so I could find where our gym was on the map.
Then I found my first apartment, and the train stations in Como centro. I'd walked to and from the train stations often, as that was a much easier (less stressful) way to get to Milan. The least amount of driving, the better!
Pre game with Nev.
That took me to where I lived during my second season in a villa just outside of Como (though, I had a little tougher time finding that place). Then to the nearby McDonald's, where my teammate Nev had an unfortunate encounter with the McDrive (drive thru) one evening.
It's always interesting, the things you remember most vividly. They're not necessarily what you'd think. I spent nearly two years in Italy, and none of my immediate memories are on the basketball court. I'd gone to Italy to play basketball, yet the memories that resonate with me the most, have nothing to do with basketball.
Of course, I have great memories of basketball moments in Italy. It was the only place I was ever able to win a championship. I played with a group of women who were very passionate about the game, and pushed me to become a better player and more well-rounded person.
Celebrating our championship.
Practices and games were never uneventful, but that was part of the job.
On the Court Growth
My first two seasons abroad are probably the two that shaped me most as a professional basketball player. The groundwork was laid into establishing the expectations and commitment required to be successful.
View of Lake Como from above -- Mt. Bisbino
I still think, to this day, had I been on any other team, in any other country, I wouldn't have played 10 seasons overseas.
I experienced just the right amount of successes and challenges to inspire me to push for more. And I was surrounded by some great teammates who were supportive and great examples to me.
Off the Court Growth Italy also gave me my first experiences living in Europe -- as a person, not a basketball player. I spent many an hour in the coffee bar run by two of our fans.
The internet connection at my apartment was challenging, and I had 11 TV channels that were all in Italian -- so I didn't have much choice: go out and live!
Leaders of Pool Comense.
During my downtime in between practices, more often than not, you could find me at the coffee bar with Cheru and Francy.
They spoke Italian, I tried to understand and speak back.
I spoke English, they tried to understand and speak back.
They explained places or things about Como that were important -- whether it'd be the local banks scheduling a strike, or good restaurants around town.
Francy & Cheru.
I read the paper (not the days after games, however), and learned more and more Italian words.
I tried every coffee bar fare they offered up. And grew to understand that I should limit my chocolate croissant and piadina intake, and that cappuccinos should never be ordered after 11am.
It's where I grew to love coffee too!
It was a fun way to learn a new culture -- I wouldn't trade those afternoons in Como for anything.
I've written before about how special my experiences in Italy were, but I was inspired once again to share some memories after last week's Google Maps walk down memory lane!
In Milan one summer.
Teammates Kim & Mara.
Via Indipendenza in Como -- the street I lived on.
They call it the Mother of All Relays for good reason: 197 miles. 12 runners. 2 vans. Little, to no sleep.
Sounds potentially awful, doesn't it?
In actuality, it was one of the most memorable team experiences I've ever had.
The 33rd rendition of Hood to Coast was one I was finally able to participate in.
As a driver.
The Brownstars -- a team from Nike asked if I could drive one of their two vans for the race. I, of course, said yes.
We took a detour to get out of traffic to Clatskanie --
that turned out to be a time-saving move.
People thought I was crazy for volunteering, but I've always been a sucker for a team -- especially ones committed to accomplishing uncommon things.
Even when it's with teammates I'd never met.
A lot happened in the span of those 24 hours, but it went surprisingly fast (officially, we finished in just under 24 hours).
Maybe it was because my teammates were awesome runners -- some clocking in paces of 5:40 and 6:00miles.
They knew their bodies, knew how and when they needed to be fueled, and how hard they could push themselves. And they cheered their teammates til the end.
So what, you ask, could be so great about staying up all night, while you wait for people you barely know, run from Mt. Hood to Seaside?
Van 1 at the start -- Mt. Hood.
For one, being part of a team working as a group towards a huge goal is awesome.
In those situations, every person needs to do his/her job to allow the team to succeed. Those are the things I've always loved -- and one reason why basketball was always so fun to me -- you needed every teammate on their game to make great things happen.
And those are the experiences that make us, as individuals, better.
Secondly, you're accomplishing things you would never dream of doing alone. Each individual running three different times, for a total of roughly 17 miles, in the span of 20 hours -- on no sleep -- who does that? Not something your average Joe is willing to do.
Van 2 -- making a pit stop.
But surround them by like-minded, motivated teammates, and they'll put themselves on the line, and push through tired legs and injury to run their fastest pace ever -- even on their third run of the day.
It was being surrounded by people, who, when we were stuck in miles of traffic, offered to hop out of the van and run twice the distance their scheduled leg called for.
Those same people, readying towels and water for teammates as they came in from midday (read: hot) runs.
It was seeing another teammate run the toughest leg of the relay -- through brutally hilly, dusty (gravel) roads, in the dark of night (or 5am) -- even when they were coming off a stress fracture and hadn't trained.
Those were my teammates, and that's what made it special.
The 197 mile course.
For those wondering about specifics, here's how Hood to Coast worked: Van 1, with six runners, started at Timberline Lodge (Mt. Hood). Each team member ran one leg of varying lengths (ranging from 4 to 7 miles).
At the end of leg six, near Sandy, Oregon, Van 2 entered the fray. The six runners in Van 2 then took to the roads to log their legs, while Van 2 had several hours to make their way to the next van exchange.
Since we were still near Portland, many vans chose to go someplace (someone's home, a hotel, etc) where runners could clean up, and if they were lucky, take a little nap.
Van exchange 2 -- at the Hawthorne Bridge along the Willamette river.
The second van exchange was under the Hawthorne Bridge on Portland's Eastside, where Van 1 reclaimed the reins, and Van 2 was free to clean up and get some rest.
There were five van exchanges over the course of the 197 miles, and at the end of the 36th leg, everyone was united at the beach in Seaside.
My teammates talked about how lonely it was while running their first leg. It was dark, quiet (no headphones allowed), and since we started fairly late in the day, there weren't many other teams around. As the race progressed, and we caught up to slower teams, it got more and more crowded along the route, and loneliness was no longer a concern.
Awaiting one runner to come in and pass
the baton (slap bracelet) off to another runner.
The one downside that was widespread: traffic. As I mentioned before, we had a couple runners who had to log significantly longer runs than they initially were scheduled for.
As vans piled up at exchange points (for miles), the runners would pass the van up as we sat idling.
In order to keep the team on pace, the 'on-deck' runners jumped out of the van, finished the leg with their teammate, then took over the baton as they both crossed into the exchange. Then, in turn, the runner who just finished their leg would turn back and run towards the van until meeting it.
After van exchange four, my van made the decision to bail out of who-knows-how-many-miles of sitting traffic, and go north to Clatskanie, west to Astoria, and then meet back up with Van 1 in time for van exchange five.
It was an amazing experience -- even just as a driver. You're reminded how team plus sportallows for amazing things to happen. That has always driven me and inspired me, and it was awesome to be a part of something like that once again.
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All my hoopers -- no matter where you live -- here's your shot to go to Barcelona in September with Nike Basketball.
Grab your phone, and have a friend record your skills --your nicest dunk, your range from three, your best ball handling -- show off your A-game and you might be selected!
Upload, and share your video via social media (Twitter, Instagram, FaceBook) with #SummerIsSerious (#SearchForTheBaddest if you're outside of the US). And don't forget to register here to make it all official.
If the kind folks at Nike Basketball like your game, you'll get a player card, a nickname, and earn a spot on The Baddest Draft Board (100 spots). After that, you never know what might happen -- you could find yourself on a plane to Barcelona with the Swoosh!
It's pretty easy. I did it last year. And if you get selected, the payoff is is well-worth it.
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May and
June in the Northwest can be frustrating. Summer is near, but the
weather may not always reflect what the calendar says.
Of course, there
are teasers on occasion. But usually the warm, sunny days are
scattered between week long bouts of gray, drizzly days.
In the two weeks that I've been home, I've
caught myself feeling like it's mid-July or August on several
occasions, but obviously that isn't the case.
What the summer-like
weather has allowed me to do is get a jump on a few summer activities.
One of those activities is the Run Club at Nike Portland. It's something I've been wanting to do for a while now, but haven't gotten a chance to participate in.
More often
than not though, running is a solo act for me. Running gives me a chance
to clear my head, plan out my day, think through whatever might be running through my
mind, and just get outside into the fresh air. No matter how the day is going for me, after
35-45 minutes of pounding the pavement (or the sand, when I'm lucky),
the day always gets that much better.
Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
But there are definite benefits to a run club.
Run Club Plusses
For one, it makes running social.
Portland
is an active city, and Oregon in general, is a state that runs. So
there are a lot of runners, each with their own interesting story throughout the Rose City. Who knows who you might meet at run club!
It's been said that the toughest step is a runner's first step out the door.
Sometimes that is absolutely true. There are days when you just don't
want to get out there. Where you're tired, or don't feel like running.
If you do make it out the door, the run usually gets better after those
first tough steps or those unmotivated thoughts. But the key is getting out the door.
Having
a run club to go to, makes those first steps easier. It's scheduled.
You're going to meet people. Even though they'd run even without you
there, you're being held accountable to a certain extent.
Run
club also gives you a change from your usual routes/routines. Every
route gets tiresome and boring at some point. Why not find a few new
ones?
I got to take the Flyknit Lunar 1 out for a spin!
One benefit is unique to the Nike Run Club, and came as a surprise to
me: you're able to test outnew shoes and products during the run club.
For three weeks at a time, Nike Portland has new shoe models and products
available to try out. If you're thinking about a new pair of shoes, or a new
gadget, your local Nike store might let you test it out. If
it's a new product for you, you can test it to see if it's to your
liking before you plunk down the money.
I tested the Flyknit Lunar 1. And just one test run was all it took for me to decide they'd be my next runner.
Finally, Run Club is free, and I'm betting you'll gain more than you lose from participating. Though I did have to pay for parking.
Specifics of the Nike Portland Run Club:
Portland run club meets
twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:30, at Nike Portland (on SW 5th & Morrison). They have four
different routes they cycle through (Waterfront left, Waterfront right, Terwilliger and the Waterfront Esplanade). Since Portland's downtown sits on the Willamette River waterfront, most of the runs have some pretty scenery.
Depending on how you're feeling that day, you can choose between a 3, 5 or 7-mile run. All the
runs are led by numerous pacers, so no runner will be left behind!
The
warm, sunny Wednesday I went to Run Club there were about 10 other
runners. I was told that as the summer weather becomes more and more
consistent (usually July thru September), there can be
as many as 30-35 runners.
The
out-and-back went quickly for me that day. It was nice chatting up new
people, hearing about what they do, what they were training for, what
event they had just run, and anything else that might have come up over the
course of a 5-mile run.
After
we made our way back to SW 5th and Morrison, there was water, coconut
water, recovery gels and protein bars if we wanted. I've never tried
coconut water, so again this gave me the perfect opportunity to test out
something new. Can't say I'm a fan, however, so I'll just stick to water.
It's looking a lot like summer in Portland.
A Few Run Club Minuses
A few things I didn't like: getting out of the city center. It was constant stop and go at
crosswalks and lights the first five-plus minutes. Though, once we got to the waterfront, it was fabulous.
And for me, since I don't work downtown, it's a
little difficult to get into the city during the busiest time of the
day. But it makes perfect sense for people who already are working
downtown, or live close by.
There
are different run clubs all over the country. They don't always have to be associated with a
worldwide corporation like Nike. Sometimes they can just be a group of friends
who plan to meet a couple times a week.
Finding various run clubs in your area can be as easy as googling it,
or maybe even check Facebook for a group.
If running is your thing, or you want it to be your thing, check one
out! You won't regret it. I know I'll be going back to the Nike Portland Run Club as often as I can!
Nike's Stronger Every Run campaign -- benefiting the Challenged Athletes Foundation in support of athletes and families affected by last April's Boston Marathon tragedy.
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This week, a guy I don't know all-that-well, but respect a great deal -- for his work promoting women's athletics, and women's basketball more specifically -- made an important post on his Facebook page. He'd had enough -- of the constant snide remarks disparaging women's hoops and its athletes, and the lack of acknowledgement.
I 'liked' his post, and commented on it. A few days passed, and I found myself thinking more about what he had said while I was running on the treadmill.
I felt I needed to add something.
But before we get to my thoughts, here's the post, in full, from Ben York:
WARNING: I’m getting on my soapbox…I don’t know where else to post this, so here we go.
I’m a women’s basketball guy. Always have been.
Some people like women’s basketball; others don’t.
I get it. And – trust me – I’ve heard every reason why. (I could get on an entirely new soapbox here, but that’s for another day. Maybe.)
The WNBA announced today that Magic Johnson (and other investors) purchased the Los Angeles Sparks to keep them in LA. Obviously, this is huge news for the league and women’s basketball fans in general (at least, it should be). Not only will this generate substantial awareness for the league, the business acumen of the ownership group has every intention of increasing profitability and long term staying power. Having a successful and thriving franchise in a major market like LA makes the WNBA better.
To be frank, though, what pisses me off are the people who continue to enthusiastically and consciously dismiss the WNBA as second-rate or “less than” while subsequently ignoring centuries of stereotypes and dogmas that promote women as inferior.
We aren’t asking you to love the WNBA. We don’t even need a ton of recognition. At this point, whether it is fair or not, a simple mention of scores or highlights (no matter the outlet) makes us giddy.
Acknowledgement, however, is another story.
This was most recently evidenced by the Seahawks winning the Super Bowl. Nearly every major media reported that it was the city’s first major championship since 1979, ignoring the Seattle Storm’s championships in 2004 and 2010.
Maddening, but if I’m honest, nothing new.
Yet, perhaps the most infuriating aspect of the so-called “debate” has been the response by detractors to completely disregard the league. As the brilliant Mechelle Voepel stated recently, the WNBA isn’t pretending (or even trying) to be one of the four major sports (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL).
Nevertheless, it DOES feature the absolute best women’s basketball players in the world. It DOES set a tremendously empowering example for young women. It still can be improved, but it DOES represent the fundamental equality and opportunity that we ALL deserve. And in spite of the misdirected venom that is routinely spewed, it DOES continue to grow in attendance, ratings and sustainability.
To me, that’s pretty amazing.
Ultimately, I don’t know if things will change. I don’t know if the misogyny (don’t kid yourselves; it absolutely exists) will improve. I hope it does.
I’ll close with this: many players don’t have to play in the WNBA from a financial basis. That is to say, they do it because they care about what the league – in its truest form – stands for.
I respect the hell out of that.
Twenty years from now, I hope an eight-year-old young woman still sees one of her favorite WNBA players on ESPN and sets a tangible goal to make a living playing basketball professionally.
She deserves it.
/gets off soapbox
My nieces, Stella & Sadie, playing earlier this year.
Add R-E-S-P-E-C-T
I'll see Ben's 'acknowledgement', and add respect.
If you've ever read a comment section of a women's basketball article online, you know it can be an ugly place. It seems the comment 'who cares' never fails to appear. Many times, however, it goes much further than that.
Or we've all been in a room, where women's basketball (or any women's sport for that matter) is brought up, and similar sentiment is repeated.
I've done my best over the years to ignore those comments, but I've always found them disheartening. I've never really understood people who take the time out of their day to specifically diss women's basketball, or female athletes in general.
And why is it acceptable?
Imagine You're Talking to Your Daughter
Like Ben, I understand, women's athletics is not for everyone. You're either a fan, or you're not. I've found the only time someone converts to women's basketball fandom, after never having cared for the sport, is after they have a daughter.
To those who have ever said, 'it doesn't matter, it's *just* women's basketball' (or something equally disrespectful), I have this to say to you: imagine you're talking to your daughter, or your niece, or your sister, or your girlfriend. Would you ever discredit, disrespect, disparage, or take away from what she is doing then?
Girls playing sports is hugely beneficial -- to her psyche, her confidence, and I think, to our society in general. Strong, confident women; that's a good thing, isn't it?
And equally important is girls having female role models to look up to. Why would we tear them down?
I looked up to Tamika Catchings in HS, & was thrilled to meet her. ('99)
Stopping the Disrespect
Growing up, I was lucky enough to train on a daily basis with the best players in the Portland area, both boys and girls. We trained together, we played with each other, we competed against each other, and we worked our tails off together. But we respected each other as well.
On a regular basis, pros or NCAA stars would come in to train alongside us. Our new training partners probably came in thinking 'who are these high school kids, and why am I training with them?' Some of them most-definitely thought, 'why am I working out with girls?'
Their first training sessions with us always went the same: our trainer would have us do the drills/competitions he knew we (the high school kids), and maybe specifically, us girls, would succeed in. And more often than not, the visiting stars would come up short against us in those competitions and drills.
Immediately, that changed the perspective of our visitors. Those drills alone, gave us the respect we desired.
In turn, it made our training sessions that much better. And probably made us all -- boys, girls, and visiting stars alike -- better players in the long run.
We, the girls, found a way to earn respect on the court.
Off the court, the respect isn't going to magically appear. But I don't know how we've allowed the constant disrespect to continue for so long. And we shouldn't allow it to go on.
Here's your challenge, the next time your hear someone say 'who cares, it's just women's basketball', call them out on it. Ask them if they'd ever say that to their daughter. Or if they want their daughters to grow up having athletes as role models.
It matters.
Because like Ben, I too hope that in 20 years, that eight-year-old young lady sees her favorite player on TV and wants to grow up and be just like her.
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Before I was even born, lawmakers were looking out for me, ensuring that my tall self would be able to play sports. I've previously written about the impact sports, namely basketball, has had on my life (Following Your Passion).
Not many days pass where I don't remind myself how lucky I've been to be able to pursue the career I have, and be able to do what I love for a living.
Participating in basketball helped give me an identity, a platform, a passion, it improved my self-confidence, and provided me with countless incredible experiences -- that continue to this day.
So you'll have to understand, I firmly believe that every boy and girl should be allowed those same experiences growing up.
The Law In 1972, a piece of legislation was passed in the US that changed the entire landscape for girls and women in sport. Title IX, ironically enough, was not written with athletics in mind.
"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 educational program
or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."
Simply stated, Title IX requires gender
equity for boys and girls in every educational program that receives
federal funding.
When it was first written, Title IX was meant to address equal funding and access in 10 different areas: Access to Higher Education, Career Education, Education for Pregnant and
Parenting Students, Employment, Learning Environment, Math and Science,
Sexual Harassment, Standardized Testing and Technology.
But where girls and women really took advantage of the new law, was in the realm of athletics: Title IX has become synonymous with girls' participation in sports.
She climbed Mt. St. Helens. I think my mom would have liked sports too.
Evolution of Girls' Sports
Prior to Title IX's passage, the accessibility to sports by females, many times, was dependent on what part of the country they lived.
For example, my mom, who grew up in Portland, didn't have access to team sports in high school. She could swim, play tennis, run track, or play golf.
In the Midwest and East, girls were able to play team sports, like basketball (correct me if I'm wrong), but it was the half court, six-on-six variety.
Across the board however, once girls graduated high school, their chances to continue playing dwindled.
My mom grew up in a family of athletes (my uncle Mike played football at UW, and my uncle Rob played professional baseball). But because she grew up in a pre-Title IX era, my mom wasn't afforded those same opportunities.
Not an easy hike, as you can see!
I know she would have loved participating in sports (for many reasons), if only to have been able to answer 'yes' to the countless people who have asked her 'you're tall, do you play sports?'. (Not to say that if you're tall you HAVE to be an athlete, or that athletes can ONLY be tall. But you know how many times people are asked 'do you play basketball?' even if you are just a little bit taller than average!)
Fast forward to today's America, there are over 3 million girls participating in high school athletics (versus 294,015 one year prior to Title IX becoming law), and nearly 170,000 female varsity collegiate athletes (compared to just 29,972 in 1971).
For those who argue that Title IX takes away from boys/men's sports, both statistics have risen on the male side too.
While the arms of Title IX don't touch professional sports in the US, you can't help but think that the law has also had an impact on professional women's sports as well. Now, we have collegiate and professional female athletes in the public eye, setting examples for the next generation of athletes.
Girls' athletics have progressed exponentially in the 40 years since Title IX's passage. And if we keep playing, and keep encouraging young girls to play, women's sports will continue to boom.
Benefit of Sport
Participating in athletics has far greater impact than solely what happens on the court or the field. Sure, playing the game is great, but there are aspects to sports that go far deeper than just playing a game. The benefits of girls' participation in sports is immeasurable, but here are a few of proven benefits:
higher than average levels of self-esteem and lower levels of depression.
reduced rates of body dissatisfaction and eating disorders.
learn valuable life skills that will be useful later in life. Women will
learn to collaborate with others, dedication, and perseverance.
female athletes have better grades and higher graduation rates than non-athlete females.
teenage female athletes are less likely to illicit drugs, less likely to
be suicidal, less likely to smoke and more likely to have positive body
images than female non-athletes.
young women who participated in sports were more likely to be engaged in
volunteering, be registered to vote, feel comfortable making a public
statement, follow the news, and boycott than young women who had not
participated in sports.
The world of athletics is far-reaching, and can impact girls' lives every way imaginable.
Shy, first grade me.
Title IX's Impact on Me
I grew up watching and admiring the local high school athletes in
the Portland area. As I grew older, my eye turned to the collegiate and
Olympic ranks for role models: the Oregon State women's basketball team,
the 1996 US Women's National team with Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and
Katy Steding (who hailed from my hometown of Lake Oswego).
Those
athletes looked like me, they were women I could identify with, and
strive to be like.
Watching them helped me realize there was a lot that
could be done on the basketball court. And if I wanted, the game could take me many, many places. It seemed the more I watched them, the
more I wanted to play. And in turn, the more I played, the better I became.
2006-07: Playing in Poland.
Sports opened up a whole new world to me. Who knew that years later, I'd still be playing, and doors would still be opening. Without Title IX, none of that would have been possible. Maybe there would have been sports to play, but certainly not to degree that they are played today.
Title IX Celebration
Last summer, I was invited to participate in a Nike event celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Title IX. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity. Help promote athletics to youth, while at the same time celebrating all
the female athletes that came before me? I was thrilled to be included!
With Stella at Nike event.
I took my then-eight year-old niece Stella with me. We had a fun day at the Nike World Headquarters playing basketball, celebrating Title IX and all the athletes who have benefited from its passage. I tried explaining the importance of Title IX to Stella, but I'm sure she'll need a few reminders at some point.
She met Lisa Leslie and played basketball with her daughter, saw giant posters of Maria Sharapova, Abby Wambach, Allyson Felix, and Hope Solo throughout the WHQ campus. Now, maybe a new world has opened to Stella, and the other girls (and boys!) who participated in the event that day too.
Opportunity
Stella under Lisa Leslie's banner.
To be honest, I don't know how you can argue against Title IX (but I guess I might be biased). Why
shouldn't every child, boy or girl, have the same opportunities? If institutions weren't forced to fund girls/women's sports in 1972, why should we believe that they would have eventually done it out of the goodness of their hearts?
Politics aside, girls participating in athletics results in great things for everyone.
While there are still disparities in funding and other areas (coaching, for example: The Glass Wall), women's athletics has come a long way in 40 years. I think it's important to keep Title IX in the forefront, and not let the law that has impacted so many lives in such a profound way fall by the wayside.
I grew up playing basketball in the front yard with my dad and brother, and soccer, baseball, and basketball with the
boys (and a few other girls) on the playground at recess. I don't know
how we develop an interest in one thing over another. But just having the opportunity to play, and being allowed to make the decision for myself, was a life changer for me.
I'm grateful for the world of athletics being opened to me. So here's a big thanks to the proponents of Title IX, and the athletes who paved the way for me!
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