Scenario 2 Conversation with Sports Celebrities Should a girl be allowed to play on a boys' basketball team? (To read the scenario in its entirety, with comments from our student panel, click on the above link. Click on participant names to read bios.) Jonathan Ogden Participants: Cathy, 16 (Chicago, IL) BriAnne, 17 (Northport, NY) Milt S., 16 (Upper Sandusky, OH) Earl Z., 19 (Minneapolis, MN) Sylvia L., 16 (Charlottesville, VA) Bonnie St. John Deane, skier. Vickie Lee Tassone, ice skater. Cammi Granato, hockey player Jonathan Ogden, football player.     Cathy: What organizations are available to help young women with the enforcement of Title IX [Title IX bars discrimination in educational programs receiving federal funds administered by the U.S. Department of Education: "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."]?  Bonnie St. John Deane: Every local school district should have an office for Title IX, gender equity, or race-human relations disputes. You can call your local Board of Education office and ask for the particular office that handles these kinds of disputes. Cammi Granato: The Women's Sports Foundation is very supportive of women's sports at all levels and attempts to provide assistance in the enforcement of Title 9 whenever they can. Vickie Lee Tassone Vickie Lee Tassone: In the world of figure skating, the U.S.F.S.A. (United States Figure Skating Association) states in its bylaws virtually the same principles as Title IX. The I.S.I. (Ice Skating Institute) make a similar statement. These two organizations extend memberships to amateur skaters in the U.S.A., and their Board of Directors/Executive Committees would hear and take action on any reported infraction.     BriAnne: Is "separate but equal" acceptable in women's battles for equality? Bonnie St. John Deane: The problem with "separate but equal" is that it never really is equal. In the scenario about the girl who wants to play basketball on the boys' team, she want equal access to talent scouts, scholarships, etc. She isn't getting these things on the women's team. I wondered whether the school is making an effort to invite scouts and build relationships with colleges who recruit girl athletes. Principals often spend time and money promoting their top athletes to colleges. Does the school do this for girls' sports? Cammi Granato: Within the sports arena, "separate but equal" is acceptable. Women and men have different physiological makeups. Women are often equally talented, but are not always as big or as strong. In a sport where size and strength are part of the game, it is not realistic to expect men and women to compete at the same level. For example, hockey is a sport where the women's game is equally as exciting as the men's, but also very different. Women's hockey doesn't have "checking", for example. Vickie Lee Tassone: I believe the "separate but equal" philosophy to be the only way for women to be taken seriously in any type of contact or team sport. Jonathan Ogden: You should definitely have separate sports for men and women because athletically they’re different. For more women to participate, you have to have separate teams so that there’s some fairness -- that’s also why you have freshman, junior varsity and varsity teams -- so people at all levels have a chance to play. But if a girl is good enough to play on a boys’ team, she should be allowed.   Milt S.: Did you ever want to try out for a boys' team? If so, what happened? Cammi Granato Cammi Granato: Yes, I played organized hockey with boys through much of my childhood. For the most part, I really enjoyed my experience. As I got older, however, parents began to point out that I was different from the rest. Some parents harbored resentment towards me and encouraged the boys on the other team to be more physically aggressive with me. I also wanted to play baseball in high school but was not allowed because there was a softball team for girls that was considered the girls' equivalent of baseball.   Earl Z.: If you were on the boys' basketball team that Laurel was trying to join, what would your opinion be? What if a girl wanted to join the boys' football team? Jonathan Ogden: My opinion is that she should be given every opportunity. If she’s good enough, she should be given a chance. As far as football . . . I still wouldn’t want to take anything away from anybody. If she’s capable of playing and willing to deal with the harassment she might get from other kids, she should be able to play and have fun.   Sylvia L.: Do men who compete in figure skating experience discrimination, or any special challenges because of their gender? Vickie Lee Tassone:   Unfortunately, yes, male figure skaters do experience discrimination. Many observers view skating as purely an art form, without recognizing the peak physical condition a skater must achieve to be able to perform quadruple turns in the air, and endure a 4 ½ minute, non-stop program. (for more about male skaters, see this question.) The purpose of this column is to identify issues. It does not purport to be exhaustive or to render legal advice. You should consult with qualified counsel or other professionals in developing responses to specific situations. Check out the legal experts' views on this scenario. >>Sports celebrities scenario 1 conversation >>Sports celebrities scenario 2 conversation >>Sports celebrities scenario 3 conversation >>Sports celebrities additional questions Student Panelists | Sports Celebrities | Legal Experts Scenario 1 | Scenario 2 | Scenario 3 *Conversations* | Convo Central (Student Comments) Links Online Conversations | Title IX