More than 40 years ago, Title IX became the law in the United States. It meant that any school receiving federal funding could not discriminate.
And it was a huge leap for women because it allowed them to participate in sports that they may not have before: football, soccer, hockey – just about any sport you can think of that had been the domain of men were not open to women.
The National Girls and Women in Sports Day was an off-shoot of that change. It began some 30 years ago but had never been celebrated in Las Vegas until this week.
Staff writer for Desert Companion Heidi Kyser was at the event Wednesday. She told KNPR's State of Nevada that the event was well attended. It featured groups, teams, and organizations devoted to getting more girls and women into sports.
The parents and coaches at the event felt that while opportunities for women in sports have expanded since the implementation of Title IX there are still barriers to success.
“Not only are there barriers to participation for girls in sports, cultural barriers – societal barriers – but there is still a lack of equity in sports professionally, women don’t make as much money, they don’t get scholarships as high as what boys get to go to college for instance,” Kyser said.
At the event, there were mini-clinics on a whole host of sports, including soccer, basketball, and baseball. The participants were given trophies and prizes for winning.
It was a chance for the girls to show their competitive side, which is often not rewarded the same way it is with boys, Kyser said.
Resources:
National Girls and Women in Sports Day
Clark County Parks and Recreation
City of Las Vegas Parks and Recreation
City of Henderson Parks and Recreation
City of North Las Vegas Parks and Recreation
City of Reno Parks and Recreation
Washoe County Parks and Recreation
Heidi Kyser, staff writer, Desert Companion
