On February 1, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee held a hearing on the promotion and advancement of women in sports. The hearing focused on the many significant advancements of women in sports, the benefits of physical activity, and what more can be done to encourage women’s athletics.
Chair Ted Stevens (R-AK), in his opening remarks, stressed the importance of focusing on the need to promote and advance the participation of women in sports. “This is the 20th Annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day. We come together to recognize the achievements of women in sports, the positive influences of sports participation on our American women, and the continuing struggle for equality and opportunity for women in sports,” he said. While he commended “the Administration’s support of physical fitness programs to address the growing obesity rate and sedentary lifestyle of men and women in this country,” he also expressed concern about the future of Title IX. He added, “I do think we have to find a way to get a better enforcement of what Title IX meant and that was that there would be equality in terms of availability of funds for women in sports at all levels.”
Echoing Sen. Steven’s concern about the future of Title IX, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) urged the committee to “reject any proposals that undermine Title IX’s main benefits.” Addressing the opportunities Title IX has given girls, she stated, “Before the legislation, 1 in 27 girls in high school participated in sports and now 1 in 3 do…We need to strengthen enforcement of Title IX. Do all we can not to rollback the successes. We have to do more.”
Vice Chair of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and member of the 1996 gold medal winning women’s softball team, Dr. Dorothy Richardson, testified that “given the rates of overweight and obesity that continue to plague the nation, 2006 presents an opportune time to bring more visibility to the importance of physical activity, fitness and sports for improving and maintaining health.” She discussed the administration’s commitment to encouraging physical activity among all Americans, especially girls. To that end, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health has developed the GirlsHealth.gov website. She explained that “the web site promotes healthy, positive behaviors in girls between the ages of 10 and 16. The site gives girls reliable, useful information on the health issues they will face as they become young women, including physical activity and sports.”
The benefits of an active lifestyle, including participation in sports, were elaborated on by Dominique Dawes, president of the Women’s Sports Foundation, and three-time Olympian: “We know that girls are at greater risk for inactivity in our society than boys, especially girls from underserved and lower socioeconomic populations. Regular participation in physical activity during childhood and adolescence promotes the development of positive body image, confidence, and self-esteem. Girls who participate in sports and physical activity are academically more successful, more likely to graduate from high school, more likely to matriculate in college, and experience greater career success.” Additionally, “Participation in sports and other physical activities can help reduce a girl’s health risk for obesity, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, breast cancer, depression, unintended teen pregnancy, anxiety, and lack of self-esteem,” she stated.
“Before Title IX was enacted, fewer than 32,000 women took part in collegiate sports. Now, more than 150,000 take part. In high school, the number has gone from 300,000 to over 2.8 million,” said Donna De Varona, U.S. Olympian and sports commentator. However, despite the advances that have been made, “women and girls continue to face discrimination at all levels of education and in community, recreational and professional sports programs, including in coverage of these programs by the media,” she explained. “While girls and women can perform on the athletic stage, they still do not run a major sports broadcast network, nor make many important broadcast programming decisions. In educational institutions, the number of women head coaches and sports administrators has stagnated,” she said, adding, “Title IX has opened the door for millions of women and girls to participate in sports, but much work remains to be done to fulfill its promise and vision.”
