Fifty years ago, on June 23, 1972, a federal law called Title IX was passed by president Richard Nixon. This legislation, which first gave all women the opportunity to earn an education, later expanded to athletics, which enabled female student-athletes the same sports opportunities as their male counterparts.
Today, the 50th anniversary of Title IX is being celebrated across the country. It began with 37 words, which would impact millions of female athletes who dreamed of playing or working in sports:
“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.”
Count Major League Baseball as part of the celebration. Title IX was a focal point of the recent Softball Elite Development Invitational (EDI) that took place at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Fla. This intensive program, which gives softball players an idea of what the USA Softball Women’s National Team’s training camps are like, hosted 90 athletes and included a special panel discussion on Title IX.
Three softball all-time greats and MLB ambassadors, Lauren Chamberlain, Jennie Finch and Natasha Watley, all helped coach the athletes at the EDI. They shared the importance of what Title IX has meant to all of them, and how it provided each of them with the opportunity to earn an athletic scholarship for college while earning an education.
“Title IX is a lot deeper than I think people understand, and when you really look at what Title IX is and why it was formed, it started from education,” Chamberlain said. “It was trying to get women enrolled in school. At the time, there was only about 40 percent women that were even enrolled in classrooms.”
Not only have these 37 words changed other women’s lives, but they have made an impact by providing a platform and the opportunity to pursue any sports dream. The impact of Title IX continues to be felt, as young women dreaming of playing professional sports, being professional coaches, working in sports front offices and broadcasting in booths across America know these goals are attainable in ways they were not in prior generations.
Celebrating the 50th anniversary is only the start of what Chamberlain, Finch and Watley have been inspiring younger women to do for decades, as these three trailblazers lay the foundation for women’s sports, women’s representation and women supporting women.
Chamberlain, the former Oklahoma Sooner, Women’s Professional Fastpitch commissioner and one of the all-time greatest home run hitters in NCAA history (No. 2 with 95 home runs), talked in-depth about the impact of Title IX with Softball EDI participants.
“To see how far it's come and not only how it's affected me, but millions of women and young girls in sports, giving them opportunities outside of the classroom to learn life skills, go through hardships, create good communication and find teammates for life,” Chamberlain said. “Title IX means more opportunities and just an equal share of the pie.”
Finch, an all-time great pitcher for the University of Arizona and two-time Olympic Medalist (gold in 2004 and silver in '08), talked about how thankful she is for how Title IX changed her life.
“I am a product of Title IX. Without Title IX, I wouldn’t be where I am today, who I am today. I’m so thankful for the opportunity that was forged to me and to future generations because of Title IX,” Finch said. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to celebrate 50 years of it. I was able to get my college education paid for. I was able to play the game at the highest level, travel, dream big and see women do what I hoped to do one day.”
Watley, a UCLA great and, like Finch, a two-time softball Olympian, mentioned her daughter when addressing what Title IX means to her.
“I think of just the opportunities the sport has brought to myself, receiving a scholarship at my dream college, UCLA,” Watley said. “I wouldn’t be the woman I am without Title IX. I wouldn’t have had the experiences. I wouldn’t have had the opportunities. I wouldn’t have gone to the places that I’ve traveled because of softball. I just think about all of the doors that it can open.
“I just had a daughter named Karter and I think about all of the opportunities that exist for her. I’m super excited to see what doors she can knock down, and I think that it’s an incredible opportunity because of Title IX.”
Chamberlain talked about what she hopes the next generation will do to speak up to earn equality across the sports world.
“For the next generation, I really want them to look to the past at what those women did,” Chamberlain said. “There are just so many incredible women that set the stage for us. If something needs to be equal or there is something where there is still a bit of discrepancy between women and men, say it, stand up for it. It’s going to continue and we need to continue to fight.”
Anna Laible, 17, hosts a podcast called "Speak Up Sports" and writes as a Kid Reporter for Sports Illustrated Kids.
