Behind the Banner - March 2023

BEHIND THE BANNER

Embracing Title IX

Educate, Advocate, Celebrate

By Peg Pennepacker, CAA

June 23, 2022, marked the 50th anniversary of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 the first comprehensive law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex in all programs or activities in all federally funded educational institutions. The original 37-word statute states, “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 education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” Title IX is patterned after Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 the portion of the landmark

law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin in federally funded programs.

Title IX’s origins began in 1969 when Dr. Bernice Sandler was turned down for a full-time faculty position at the University of Maryland. She was told that the reason why she was not hired for the position was because she “came on too strong for a woman”. Through her research into laws against sex discrimination, she found an amended

Executive Order 11246 issued by President Lyndon Johnson which prohibited federal contractors from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, and sex as well. In the two years that followed, Dr. Sandler collaborated with the Women’s Equity Action League (WEAL) and a friendly Department of Labor official to win preferences for women in education.

Sandler and WEAL filed complaints of sex discrimination under Executive Order 11246 with the Department of Education against 250 educational institutions including every medical school in the country complaining they had too few women on their faculties. Sandler sent hundreds of copies of

her complaints to members of Congress, prompting them to send more than 300 letters to the Secretary of Labor demanding change. Her efforts attracted other individuals and organizations including the National Organization for Women (NOW) and WEAL advisory board member Rep. Edith Green (OR)

Representative Green held seven days of congressional hearings on sex discrimination in education and employment. Representative Patsy Mink (HI), the first woman of color and first Asian American woman in Congress, drafted Title IX with assistance from Rep. Green and Senator Birch Bayh (IN) another member of WEAL’s advisory board as

well as a sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment. He became the lead sponsor of Title IX in the Senate. Their efforts culminated on June 23, 1972, when Title IX was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Richard Nixon

in athletic opportunities for female under graduates. The National Federation of State High School Associations reported that between 1971-1972, more than 3.6 million boys participated in high school sports compared to nearly 300,000 girls. In 20182019, 3.4 million girls participated in school sports compared to 4.5 million boys. Before 1972 1 in 27 girls played high school sports. Today it is 1 in 2.5.

As Title IX enters its fifty first year, there are still many challenges ahead. In colleges, men have nearly 60,000 more opportunities to compete than women have. In addition, women in college sports lag behind their male counterparts in scholarships, recruiting dollars and head coaching positions. At the high school level there continues to be noncompliance by school districts in most all athletic areas of Title IX. Enforcement of Title IX’s antidiscrimination provisions that include prohibitions on sexual harassment and assault are critical in providing safe and healthy learning environments for females.

Bernice Sandler died on January 5, 2019. She dedicated her life to making sure that no one would ever endure the discrimination that she faced in her career as an educator. She knew that the journey would be long and realized that she and many others were trying to change very strong patterns of behavior and belief. The changes would take more than her lifetime to accomplish.

Title IX’s aim was to create schools free from sex discrimination and its impact on athletic programs in both K-12 and higher education has been profound. Title IX has opened doors for millions of female student-athletes to have access to competitive sports, as well as educational and professional opportunities. Athletic participation opportunities for girls and women in high schools and colleges have dramatically increased from the early 1970’s to today. According to the Women’s Sport Foundation, at the college level, there has been a 618% increase

Hopefully, Dr. Sandler would be pleased to see that a generation of people growing up with Title IX in place has changed expectations. Parents are advocating for equal opportunities and benefits for their student-athlete daughters. NCAA women athletes advocate for equal treatment from their schools and at tournaments. Eighth-grade softball players file complaints to improve things for the student-athletes coming next.

The NCAA Title IX 50th Anniversary Showcase presented by AT&T celebrates Women’s History Month and the 50th anniversary of Title IX in

recognition of the significant progress made toward ending sex discrimination in schools. The Showcase event runs through the end of April in Dallas at the AT&T Discovery District, Lobby and Showcase Exhibit Room. A unique partnership between the NCAA, AT&T and Getty Images, the showcase features a curation of over 800 images provided by Getty Images of female athletes competing in a variety of NCAA championships, as well as women’s basketball artifacts from the NCAA, USA Basketball, Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Women’s National Basketball Association and more. The Showcase runs until May 5, 2023.

Title IX is a landmark law that continues to have a significant impact on women in education and sports. As such, we are thrilled to celebrate girls and women and their accomplishments at this year’s Women’s Final Four. At the Final Four in Dallas, we will crown women’s basketball national champions in all three divisions and will offer programming, events and initiatives that point directly to years of perseverance, triumphs and celebrations around women’s sports. In fact, Getty Images and one of our NCAA Corporate Champions, AT&T, worked together to highlight many of those experiences with a memorabilia and pictorial showcase dedicated to Title IX and women’s athletics. This is an opportunity and space for people from Dallas and those visiting for the Final Four to celebrate Title IX, and to keep pushing for equity, diversity and inclusion in women’s sports.

“Hosting the 2023 NCAA Women’s Final Four as the culmination of the 50th Anniversary of Title IX is an exceptional honor for the Big 12 Conference,” said Dayna Scherf, Vice President – Women’s Basketball and Competition with the Big 12 Conference. “It’s important for us to show the progress that has occurred while celebrating those who have propelled that progress. The Big 12’s 50 Years Forward campaign and the NCAA Title IX 50th

Anniversary Showcase both illuminate this history as well as the importance of empowering current and future student-athletes.”

“AT&T is proud to host the NCAA Title IX 50th Anniversary Showcase at our headquarters in Dallas,” said Sabina Ahmed, assistant vice president, Media and Sponsorship, AT&T. “Together with the NCAA and Getty Images, through unique audio and visual experiences, we’re giving people a closer look into the historic milestone and the importance of continuing efforts across industries to normalize equity for women in sports.”

“Women in sports have always made history on and off the field,” said Monica Paul, Executive Director of the Dallas Sports Commission. “Implementing Title IX fifty years ago allowed those opportunities to grow and expand. The Dallas Sports Commission is committed to supporting initiatives like the NCAA Title IX 50th Anniversary Showcase to continue the advancement of female athletes and sports professionals.”

Title IX is truly at the heart of the efforts to create gender equitable schools including ensuring opportunities and equitable treatment for all students who chose to engage in all educational programs and activities including athletics in schools. Educate, advocate, celebrate the progress and promise of Title IX.

Peg Pennepacker, CAA is a retired high school athletic director of 36 years. She founded High School Title IX Consulting Services in 2007 and assists K-12 schools in understanding and complying with the requirements of Title IX law. She can be contacted at: pegpennepacker@gmail.com

DALLAS CUP GIRLS DIVISION CONTINUES TO GROW STRONGER

By Stephen Evans

If Easter is approaching, that means some of the best youth soccer in the world is ascending on Dallas. Dallas Cup, the oldest and most prestigious international youth soccer tournament in North America, takes over Dallas April 2-9, featuring more than 900 international players and attracting more than 100,000 spectators during tournament week.

Several of the world’s most prestigious clubs have participated in the Dallas Cup, including Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, River Plate, “Chivas”, Flamengo, Boca Juniors, Club America, PSG, and AC Milan, among others. Dallas Cup has also seen some of the biggest soccer stars in the world play in the tournament. The list of alumni includes soccer legends like David Beckham, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Wayne Rooney, Chicharito,

Raul, and Andrea Pirlo, as well as rising stars in the game like Ricardo Pepi, Alphonso Davies, Bukayo Saka, and Weston McKennie.

As important as the star power featured during the tournament, the 2021 Dallas Cup was highlighted by the return of girls brackets with the inaugural playing of the Dallas Cup Girls’ Invitational presented by Mary Kay. Prior to 2021, Dallas Cup last featured girls on the pitch in 1996.

Incorporating the girls brackets back into the tournament was a meaningful addition according to Dallas Cup executive director Peter Davis.

“It’s tough to overstate the importance of Dallas Cup continuing to expand our girls’ competition,” Davis

said. “Girls’ soccer is thriving, particularly here in North Texas, and we want to ensure that the Dallas Cup Girls’ Invitational provides the best possible platform for female players to showcase their skills, compete at the highest level against global competition, and experience the unique atmosphere and culture that has surrounded Dallas Cup since 1980.”

Dallas Cup has steadily increased the number of girls teams each year since 2021. The 2023 tournament will have four girls age brackets with 44 girls’ teams expected to compete in Under-15 through Under-19 divisions, a 30% increase compared to the 2022 tournament.

“We are proud to welcome six international girls’ teams from five countries - Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Mexico - in 2023,” Davis added, “which is a great step for continuing to globalize the Girls’ Invitational.”

Mary Kay, an international Dallas-based brand, is the presenting sponsor of the Girls’ Invitational and has taken a lead role in supporting the return of the girls’ division of Dallas Cup.

“For nearly six-decades, Mary Kay has blazed a trail opening doors for millions of women around the world, and we are incredibly thankful they opened one of those doors to the youth soccer world back in 2021,” Davis said. “I can’t understate how great they have been to work with and how excited they always are to talk about Dallas Cup with us. From providing our girls participants with a welcome gift to helping fill our stands and extending our marketing reach with great social media content, Mary Kay has been an outstanding partner and a force behind the development of our girls’ event. We love having them on board.”

In addition to the growth of the girls brackets, Dallas Cup will feature some new partnerships and areas of improvement this year.

“In 2023, some of our biggest areas of improvement are specifically designed for our participants and teams to enjoy off the pitch,” Davis said. “We’ve teamed up with GG8, a Frisco-based technology company that uses artificial intelligence to track players by number and break down video to provide an incredible array of player insights and data specifically designed for youth soccer. To make this possible, we’re filming every single game during the 2023 Dallas Cup, which is also a first.

“Then, we will provide the game video and analytics to each team as part of their registration fee for the tournament this year. To house all of this video, we’re also launching a new website that’s going to be like Netflix for all things Dallas Cup. Players, parents, and scouts will be able to visit this website to view games throughout the tournament. Plus, we’ve got some great educational sessions happening during the tournament. Participants can attend coaching or referee symposiums, learn about college recruitment and NIL opportunities, and more. And don’t worry, our lineup of teams, international referees, and venues is still top-notch. We’re not messing with a good thing when it comes to on-the-pitch action.”

Dallas’ annual youth soccer extravaganza is expected to include teams and referees from more than 30 countries and representing six continents, making Dallas Cup one of the city’s most internationally diverse annual events. Additionally, FC Dallas will have teams competing in each of the 13 age brackets across both boys and girls divisions.

The action begins on Sunday, April 2, at Cotton Bowl Stadium with a triple header of matches featuring teams from four different continents, including a 19U Girls’ Invitational match. Along with the exciting contests, Sunday will include the Dallas Cup Opening Ceremonies and the Welcome World parade of nations. For more information visit DallasCup.org

the pros at home in april

THE COMMISSION

When The World Watches Dallas Delivers

Sports Business Journal (SBJ) has named Dallas the No. 1 city for Sports Business in the country! SBJ crunched the numbers for 7 months, analyzing nearly half a million data points across 377 markets in their research, declaring that “in the end, the data, the industry and even rival markets agree: Dallas is clearly the star.” DFW’s sports business footprint, which includes Arlington, Fort Worth, Frisco and various U.S. Census-designated suburbs, is growing by the day. Additionally, Dallas boasts worldclass venues, progressive team owners, and a lower cost of living than most of its big-market peers.

2023 NCAA Women’s Final Four Volunteer Opportunities

Sign up now to see all of the exciting 2023 NCAA Women’s Final Four Volunteer Opportunities and be a part of the biggest games.

upcoming events

You don’t want to miss a minute of the fun at Tourney Town, Party on the Plaza, Open Practices, Super Saturday Concert, and more! LEAR

GIRLS INC. MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR GIRLS IN DALLAS

March is Women’s History Month where we celebrate women’s contributions to society and the vital role of women in American history. As we feature this month’s Community Champion nonprofit organization, we celebrate the great work of Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas.

Girls Inc. focuses on the development of the whole girl, supporting, mentoring, and guiding girls in an affirming, pro-girl environment. Through Girls Inc., girls learn to value their whole selves, discover and develop their inherent strengths, and receive the support they need to navigate the challenges they face.

“The Girls Inc. mission is to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold,” said Beth Myers, CEO of Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas. “We are an innovative youth development organization focusing on girls age 6 through 18, 95% of whom are girls of color who are growing up in low-income and underresourced communities and neighborhoods.

“Our work focuses on helping girls in the areas of healthy living, academic enrichment and support, and life skills and leadership instruction. We help girls be strong by participating in activities that provide them with knowledge, skills, and encouragement to develop and sustain a healthy lifestyle. We help girls become smart by engaging them in activities and experiences that complement them with what they are already learning in their school-based settings. We also provide a very heavy focus on STEM.”

Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas is part of a network of local Girls Inc. nonprofit organizations that serves girls at more than 1,200 sites in 350 cities across the United States and Canada.

On January 29, nearly 400 local community leaders, youth advocates, and philanthropists joined Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas for the second annual

Bold Dreams Breakfast to celebrate the life-changing impacts of Girls Inc.’s programs on girls in Dallas.

The event raised critical funds to help the organization reach its goal of serving 25,000 girls by the end of the decade – helping to bridge the gap for the thousands of girls in our community from low-income homes with limited access to quality programs outside of school.

“There are 50,000 girls in Dallas in low-income households and too few of them have access to after school or summer programming,” Myers said. “We know that girls from low-income homes are five times more likely to drop out of school than their more affluent peers without interventions. We keep growing and are on track to serve 4,200 girls this year, but we must do more. Educational disparities widen daily, and economic, social, and emotional challenges push girls farther behind. I worry about the thousands of girls who need support but cannot access our programs due to a lack of resources.”

You can help girls in North Texas break the cycle of poverty and provide them with healthy and educational experiences by donating to Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas, visit www.girlsincdallas.org.