The Role of Title Ix in The Physical Education for Women

Title IX has brought a huge impact on women ever since it was passed as a law. Women across the country have had more opportunities for women's sports scholarships. During these past forty years, the law has been bent and broken, most universities have followed the law but in some other universities, unfortunately, they haven't. The University of Kentucky has failed to do so and now they are facing some serious consequences.

In June of 1972, Title IX became a law of the Education Amendments when signed by President Nixon. The purpose of this law was to eliminate gender discrimination in the United States of America's educational athletic system. This law was designed to guarantee that no woman would be excluded from federally assisted programs and activities regardless of gender. Ever since universities have applied this law to their school throughout the forty years it has existed, Title IX has had a huge impact on women's lives.

At the time the Title IX law was passed, Suzie Stammer was working at the University of Kentucky as the field hockey coach. The department of education allowed the field hockey club to become a varsity sport in the spring of 1974. Suzie took her players and brought home the state championship in 1975. In the next three years, the team had success and was unbeatable until the year 1979 when the field hockey team was relegated back to club status. It never changed back and the Lady Kats' were not thrilled.

Elizabeth Niblock is an All-America high school lacrosse star that was recruited by Division I programs across the country and Meredith Newman is the vice president of the UK's club triathlon club. When these students found out that the University of Kentucky was violating federal law by failing to put this law in practice, they were baffled. These girls decided to take action and so they both sued the university on September 24, 2019, in the hope that the college would offer more opportunities for women in sports. Elizabeth explained how she wanted to be part of the varsity lacrosse team or the field hockey team but neither were offered at the University of Kentucky ever since the Lady Kats' in the year 1978. Furthermore, she explained how she doesn't understand why the university wouldn't add more women sports, 'The whole situation is so surprising to me… I don't know why the UK wouldn't want to add women's sports, because if anything, it's just going to make the school more of a powerhouse, athletically'. Elizabeth did some research and found out that there were about one-hundred and three female students out of compliance.

Title IX has gotten extremely important for women since it offers scholarships and the ability to enjoy more women's sports in college. In the University of Kentucky 'women were accounted for fifty-five percent of UK's 2017-2018 student population, but only forty-five percent of the university's varsity athletes'. It has been about forty years since the Title IX law has been passed, this means the university has had a little more than forty years to change and do better than having one-hundred and three women out of compliance. It is the twenty-first century; there is no reason why there should still be issues about equality among gender sports.

Sources

• https://www.athleticscholarships.net/title-ix-college-athletics-9.htm
• https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/2019/09/25/two-students-sue-university-kentucky-too-few-womens-sports/2432962001/
• http://www.kykernel.com/news/last-resort-the-story-behind-the-title-ix-lawsuit-against/article_0d682e2a-e246-11e9-8abe-1f604907c675.html