Women and Title IX in the Athletic Profession

Title IX was passed on June 23,1972 and was intended to end sexual discrimination in the educational field. However, after Title IX,  you would think women would have an increased presence in athletic administrations. Obviously it’s no secret that there is a huge gender gap in the world of athletics when it comes to women being involved in athletic administration. Whether that’s being a school’s athletic administrator, agent, coach or a journalist, women are still underrepresented.You would think that after the passing of Title IX which was 45 years ago, that it would bring more women into this field.But just how equal has the field become? In this blog, I will discuss how things really haven’t changed for the better since the passing of Title IX.

To get a good look at gender inequality within athletic administration, it is very important that we look at where things currently stand.. Even though female participation in athletics has increased since Title IX, there is still a male dominance in the field According to Ohio University, “As of 2011, between 30% and 40% of undergraduate students in sport management programs are female.”1 If this is the case then why are the number of women in athletic administration so low? If more than half of the American population is female, and the number of women that are into sports are proportional as well, then why is the percentage of women in sports careers so much lower?

These numbers show that the low numbers of women in this field can not be directly tied to why women are underrepresented in athletics than men. If that was the case then women wouldn't be getting degrees or even interested in the profession. I believe in order to answer some of these questions, we must first realize that women aren’t given the same opportunities as men to hold high-paying positions, and are often paid less than men for the same job. According to the American Association of University Women, “women are paid just 78% of the salaries provided to their male counterparts doing the same job.”2. In order to change the status quo these problems need addressed by society and put into action.  

In closing, the issues with women being underrepresented after 45 years of Title IX being in our world, you would expect for things to be different. The world of athletic administration, and just the world period I believe needs to reach a better place where jobs will hire the most qualified candidate, regardless of their gender.. Hopefully as the years go on, we will see things change, until then all we can do is continue to work hard.

References

1February 18, 2016. Athletic Administration: No Longer a Boy’ Club. Ohio University. Retrieved from: http://onlinemasters.ohio.edu/athletic-administration-no-longer-a-boys-club/?g=infographics&t=maa

2 Miller, Kevin. 2017. The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap. American Association of University Women. Retrieved from:   http://www.aauw.org/research/the-simple-truth-about-the-gender-pay-gap/  

Successful Women in Athletic Administrations

No matter the gender, athletic administrators are expected to provide leadership, guidance and perspective. These three characteristics assure a focused and well-developed program. The athletic administrator’s decision-making style, experience, and most importantly, their commitment have a huge impact upon the vision and goals of their program. While both men and women of our world possess similar characteristics, it remains a shocking fact that in the year 2017 the number of women in the world of athletic administration is still low. There are a lot of women who prove to our world that they are deserving candidates of the position in this field. In this blog, I will discuss a few women who are the top athletic administrators in the world of college athletics.  

        Sandy Bourbar. In 2014, Sandy Bourbar was named as the ninth Athletic Director at Pennsylvania State University. While reading and learning more about how successful she was, I came along an inspirational story related to her decision-making skills. According to Frank Fitzpatrick, “In her second year at Tulane, she fired the football coach after a 2-9 season and brought in Tommy Bowden. In 1998, Bowden's second season, the Green Wave went 12-0”2. In my opinion, Bourbar’s decision to terminate the head football coach was a ‘gutsy’ call that highlights the definition of a solid leader: one who trusts her leadership skills. Bourbar proved that she and other women with similar qualities are meant to be star players at the NCAA Division I level.  I’m sure the Nittany Lions will be happy to have Bourbar at Penn State.

Jen Cohen. Another successful athletic administrator who was appointed as the Athletic Director at University of Washington in 2016. She stated, “These jobs are all about fit: Do you match up with what this institution represents, and what this athletic department stands for, and what this community believes in?...”1 That is a great question for young leaders to ask themselves. Cohen displays strong leadership skills within the Husky athletic program. As a female running a NCAA Division I highly ranked football program, Cohen stated, "Running a successful athletic department isn't about the game of football anymore, it's about the business of football."1. Regardless of gender, athletics has become a business; how wonderful to see Jen Cohen display the leadership qualities that are required of anyone within the collegiate athletic profession.

After learning about two strong females successfully leading powerhouse NCAA Division I athletic programs, I hope that readers of this blog will understand that women can serve at the top level of athletic administration. Bourbar and Cohen have influenced many women interested in athletic administration by proving that they can be successful at anything that they put their minds to. Being successful is working hard, knowing your craft, and making yourself standout. I’m thankful that these women are blazing the trail for aspiring athletic administrators like me!  

References

1Women Leaders in Collegiate Sports.(2017). Women athletic directors lead two of the top five college football programs. Retrieved from: https://www.womenleadersincollegesports.org/WL/Resources/Leadership-Content/sandy-barbour-jen-cohen-top-five-football-programs.aspx

2Fitzpatrick, F. (2015, April 20). Female athletic directors slowly making inroads at big colleges. Retrievedfrom: http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/colleges/20150421_Female_athletic_directors_slowly_making_inroads_at_big_colleges.html

Perception of Women in Athletics

The New York Times Illustration

The low numbers of women in the athletic department continues to attract the attention of MANY in the athletic industry. One specific area of interest is how people perceive women as leaders in athletics. Historically, males are the dominant figures in  sports, both on and off the field of play. But is that honestly the truth? If you really sit and think about it, men and women can possess the same qualifications, knowledge, and leadership abilities related to athletics and sports. As a leader, the same leadership qualifications apply when it comes to being a leader in the athletic/sport industry. According to Burton, Grappendorf, and Henderson, “While the data regarding participation opportunities show significant increases in the number of women and girls playing sports, data regarding coaching and administration opportunities show declines in the representation of women.”1 Do you ever wonder why this is happening? If so, this blog will investigate what people REALLY think of women in the athletic administrations field.

To understand  why women are underrepresented in the athletic department, one must consider why people perceive women in a particular way. We must first understand how the world perceives the nature of sport, the nature of power, and the nature of gender in our society. People automatically assume that sports  are designed and operated as a way to showcase power and masculinity. With that being the case, women are often  denied access to sports due to  the associations with power and masculine focus. This issue is unquestioned and also unseen as a problem. Erin E. Buzuvis said it best when describing perception, “The hegemonic nature of this phenomenon means that men and women alike perpetuate the association of masculinity and power through sports. Women are excluded from opportunities within sports or athletics, whether through lawful or unlawful means, or their interest suppressed by external social forces that make their actions appear to be internal and agentic…”2 Obviously, there are many barriers and obstacles that  women must overcome in order to get jobs in the field of athletic administration. The misguided perceptions of others not realizing women have interests in sports contribute to the gender imbalance of leadership in the athletic departments.

In closing, the fact that people perceive women as inferior, and the fact that sports and athletics is a male dominated industry. We should all know that the sports industry is for both men and women; who both can be successful in the industry. For instance, Mollie Marcoux, athletic director at Princeton University, is a successful leader and obtained her position because of her knowledge and skills not because of her gender. I hope that society will provide  more women like Mollie Marcoux a chance so that athletic administration departments will more closely mirror the student populations. In my next blog, I will be discussing women who are and were successful in athletic administration. Stay tuned!

Reference Page

1Burton, L., Grappendorf, H., & Henderson, A.(2011). Perceptions of Gender in Athletic Administration:Utilizing Role Congruity to Examine (Potential) Prejudice Against Women. The Sports Journal. Retrieved from:

http://www.naspspa.org/AcuCustom/Sitename/Documents/DocumentItem/04%20Burton_jsm_2009_0142.pdf

2Buzuvis, E. (2015). Barriers to Leadership in Women 's College Athletics. Introduction to Intercollegiate Athletics (Eddie Comeaux, ed., 2015). Retrieved from: http://digitalcommons.law.wne.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1304&context=facschol