The NCAA News - News and Features

February 3, 1997

Day honoring women in sports scheduled for February 6

Tributes to female athletes and events highlighting the 25th anniversary of Title IX legislation are planned in conjunction with the 11th annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day February 6.

National Girls and Women in Sports Day was established by congressional resolution in 1987 to celebrate the achievements of girls and women in sports. Since then, the event has been used to focus attention on women's sports.

As women's sports opportunities have expanded, so have activities associated with the national day of recognition. And plans are to continue with some form of women's sports day regardless of how much progress is made in women's sports, said Rachel Zuk, director of public relations for the Women's Sports Foundation, which coordinates the annual celebration.

"It brings recognition to women and sports and there will always be some type of day that honors and recognizes them," Zuk said.

"This year there are activities in every state -- by high schools, colleges, girls recreational sports teams, mayors, governors, half time of sports events," she said.

Tennis legend and women's rights champion Billie Jean King will address women's sports 25 years after the passage of Title IX legislation during the flagship festivities in Washington, D.C.

King, holder of 20 Wimbledon titles, founded the Women's Sports Foundation in 1974 when the fight for equality in women's sports was in its infancy. She has worked to level the playing fields for young female athletes.

The first such day was organized to honor Flo Hyman, the Olympic volleyball champion who brought women's volleyball in the United States from obscurity to a silver medal at the 1984 Olympics. Hyman died suddenly while playing in Japan in 1986. Doctors found that she had Marfan syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that led to a faulty aorta.

Hyman was actively involved in creating an environment that would provide for greater opportunity for women in sports.

To honor Hyman's efforts, the Women's Sports Foundation created the Flo Hyman Award, which is given annually to the female athlete who exemplifies the dignity, spirit and commitment to excellence of Hyman. Recipients have included Evelyn Ashford, Donna de Varona, Chris Evert, Diana Golden, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Martina Navratilova, Nancy Lopez, Mary Lou Retton and Lynnette Woodard.

The recipient of the award is announced during a ceremony at the White House, following a luncheon on Capitol Hill.

Local activities

On the local level, one important way the day is recognized is through mentoring programs. Zuk said such programs vary from high-school student-athletes working with elementary school pupils to programs involving collegiate and professional athletes.

Several states have statewide dinners to recognize accomplished athletes, coaches and contributors to women's sports. Other states organize meetings between women's sports leaders and state legislators to discuss current legislation relating to women in sports.

At Goucher College, for example, the athletics department is sponsoring a workshop for women interested in coaching. The event, which is free and open to the public, is designed for persons currently in coaching and those who are interested in coaching at the prep, collegiate or recreational levels.

The workshop will address economics, time management, competency, networking and coaching skills.

The day also features a national program titled "Take a Girl to the Game," which gives youth the chance to attend collegiate women's basketball games around the nation. Developed by Women's Sports America, the program allows young men and women under 18 who are accompanied by a paying adult to attend women's basketball games free at any of 75 participating campuses.

Dedicated to calling attention to the positive influence sports participation has on young women, "Take a Girl to the Game" is expected to draw about 250,000 young women. The inaugural program in 1996 attracted 75,000 young women.

National Girls and Women in Sports Day is sponsored by five national organizations -- Girls Inc., Girls Scouts of the USA, the National Association of Girls and Women in Sport, the Women's Sports Foundation and the YWCA. Those organizations have helped expand the day's importance by promoting it through their chapters throughout the country.

The Women's Sports Foundation makes a community action kit available to any group interested in sponsoring activities in conjunction with the day and will help provide ideas for carrying out plans.

The celebration in Washington, D.C., includes a two-mile fitness walk on the National Mall, with about 700,000 people expected to participate, Zuk said. Several congressional members and well-known athletes are scheduled to take part in the walk.

Among the walkers will be several Olympic gold medalists -- Jennifer Azzi, basketball; Donna de Varona and Janet Evans, swimming; Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, track and field; Carin Gabarra, soccer; Lynnette Love, tae kwon do; and Michele Smith, softball.