This time, the feds got it right

Russ Lay | August 7, 2012

As a libertarian, I often confuse my friends, students and fellow libertarians when I stray from ideological purity.

I can live with that. As I teach my economic students, there are times when government needs to intervene. And in political science I often sound the same themes.

Civil rights would not have evolved on its own as libertarians often claim.

In the Olympics, I watched April Ross and Jennifer Kessy pull off a come-from-behind victory in beach volleyball that contained all the elements of true grit and sportsmanship. I watched women excel at indoor volleyball, gymnastics, water polo and dozens of other sports.

When I was in high school, field hockey and gymnastics were about the only sports options for girls.

Libertarians would argue that social change and market forces would have recognized the need for expansion of women’s opportunities in sports.

What sounds good in theory does not necessarily translate into reality. I doubt any of my high school coaches would have voluntarily shared athletic dollars with women’s sports, much less acknowledged women had the physical and mental capabilities to excel in competitive sports.

Title IX forced the issue in high schools and college. In the academic world the results are indisputable as women have entered medical, law, accounting, and just about any other professional class in numbers close to male enrollment.

But the progress in sports is nothing less than astounding. Whether it’s golf, tennis, crew, ice hockey, water polo, basketball, gymnastics or soccer—women are proving they can bring physicality and a compelling spectator experience to sports.

Fathers, who in my generation paid scant attention to their daughter’s athletic abilities, are now among the biggest cheerleaders—and political activists where women’s sports are concerned.

Sports unite families, communities and nations. I tear up watching any American win a gold medal at the Olympics. And I watch the women’s events with as much, perhaps even more attention than I do the male sports.

By my reckoning, Title IX increased the potential brainpower the U.S. can bring to the table in medicine, science, business and the professional fields while at the same time doubling my sporting pleasure.

And the increase in the number of American’s standing atop the winner’s podium in London is icing on the cake.

Sometimes the government does get it right.

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See what people are saying:

Tess Whitehurst says:

Beautiful! Thank you.

on August 7, 2012 @ 11:56 am

Windswept Sandie says:

Great editorial, Russ! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

on August 7, 2012 @ 12:20 pm

carolinacrump says:

Well said.

on August 7, 2012 @ 12:30 pm

Ronnie Roach says:

I was in Greensboro in 2011 for a meeting at the Coliseum and we were invited to preview the new ACC Hall of Fame next door. It was very eye opening to see that until sometime in the 70′s, there were zero women’s teams listed on the wall of ACC Champions.

On the other hand, title IX has caused problems for some men’s sports (usually swimming and wrestling). For many swim teams, women usually are given 5 more scholarship opportunities than men. Some programs like James Madison and Clemson are completely dropping the men’s programs to stay in compliance. College football is such a large program (and lucrative for the schools) that it affects the numbers for all other programs. Some have suggested exempting college football from the numbers but that will probably be an uphill battle.

on August 7, 2012 @ 1:57 pm

TC says:

I agree with EVERYTHING you’ve said and I’m all for equal treatment. The time is coming soon with all the budget cuts that athletic admin. are going to have to pick and choose which programs have to be cut. I’d hate to be in their shoes.

on August 7, 2012 @ 8:33 pm

Sam Walker says:

Interesting to note, this June was the 40th anniversary of the signing of Title IX into law by President Nixon.

My daughter has the opportunities that her mom and grandmothers never had the chance to take advantage of because of this legislation, and I couldn’t be more thankful because of it.

Title IX can be viewed as a double-edged sword however. Colleges have been adding women’s sport at a breakneck pace the last decade, but men’s opportunities in similar sports are not happening as fast or they are being dropped all together because of a variety of factors, including Title IX.

http://www.americansportscouncil.org/ is a vocal opponent of Title IX, and points out some of the faults that exist in sport at many levels.

on August 7, 2012 @ 10:08 pm

M.U.G. says:

Right on, Russ. We, out here in the expanses, really need more down to earth sessions like this one I just finished reading. Many things have changed in my life time and this, by far, is one of the best. Thank you Sir.

on August 8, 2012 @ 5:42 pm

beachornot says:

Nice article. The final game of the women’s beach volleyball has to be one of the most viewed events. Things have changed in my lifetime and my perspective has changed likewise.

on August 9, 2012 @ 3:27 pm

rodger says:

Women’s Soccer RULES!

on August 12, 2012 @ 9:44 pm

KDHgal says:

Having grown up in the 50′s & 60′s I can get teary eyed watching the level of expertise with which women play such a variety of sports today. And, it’s not just one or two sports but all of them. I must commend NBC for showing such a variety of sports over it’s many channels. It was my first time watching handball and I loved it and was amazed watching the women play. In the women’s soccer semi-final and Gold Medal games were much more exciting and showed much more finesse and teamwork than any of the men’s games I watched.
None of this would have been remotely possible without Title IX. Thanks for your commentary, Russ!

on August 13, 2012 @ 12:23 pm

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