By Terri Lakowski
Published: August 16, 2006
Nancy Hogshead-Makar, former Women's Sports Foundation President and Olympic swimming gold medalist, now a law professor, is a legal advisor for the Women's Sports Foundation and a volunteer member of our Advocacy/Public Policy team. She helps with research and brief writing and testified on behalf of the Foundation at a congressional hearing June 28, 2006. The hearing was before the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce regarding the "Positive Impact of Participation in Athletics in Building Character, Leadership Skills, and Health of All Children."
Hogshead-Makar's testimony highlighted the importance of increasing opportunities for our children to participate in sports as exercises in building character, developing leadership skills and enriching the health of all children. Her testimony emphasized the important role Title IX played in advancing athletic opportunities for women, yet also highlighted concerns for the fact that the playing field is still far from level even 34 years after Title IX. "Women's athletic programs continue to lag behind men's athletic programs in every measurable criterion, including participation opportunities, athletic scholarships, operating budgets and recruiting expenditures. Much remains to be done," she said.
Hogshead-Makar discussed how even the gains achieved through Title IX are in jeopardy with the Department of Education's March 17, 2005, announcement of its "Additional Clarification" of its policy for collegiate compliance with Title IX in athletic programs. According to Hogshead-Maker, this "Clarification" "represents a giant step backwards and thwarts the progress that women and girls have made in the past 34 years. If left in place and used by schools, the new ‘Clarification' will lead to a reduction in opportunities for our nation's daughters."
Hogshead concludes her testimony with a call on Congress to uphold the principles of Title IX and take action against the Clarification. "Of all the things this Committee could do to promote today's agenda – to build character, leadership skills and health through athletics participation – none is more critical than to demand that the Department of Education rescind its recent 'Additional Clarification,' which undermines the provision of full and fair opportunities in athletics."