The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics (CWA) discussed budget priorities for the next fiscal cycle during its September 29-30 meeting in Indianapolis.

The bulk of the budget discussions took place during a joint meeting between the CWA and the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee (MOIC), which also met in Indianapolis (see story above). Each group meets three time annually, and they conduct at least one meeting per year at the same date and site to allow for discussion of common issues.

Both groups supported the expansion of training academies for women and minority coaches as their top budget priorities. The committees plan to request a total of $500,000 in the 2004-05 budget to expand the Women Coaches Academy, which conducted its inaugural program in June (see story, page 1), and broaden the NCAA Coaches Academy for football coaches, which will have its first program in January (see story in the June 9, 2003, NCAA News). For the 2005-06 budget, the committees are asking for an additional $200,000 for these programs in addition to the $500,000.

The committees discussed that though the programs are similar, the challenges faced by the two demographic groups may be different and a "one size fits all" approach to these programs may not achieve the best results.

One program -- the Women Coaches Academy -- focuses on developing skills beyond the technicalities related to a specific sport. It deals with coaching philosophies, networking issues, budgeting, marketing and management skills. The academy this year was held in conjunction with the NACWAA/HERS (National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators) Institute and is under the auspices of a nonprofit organization called the WinStar Foundation.

The other program -- the NCAA Coaches Academy -- aims to diversify the football coaching ranks, and ultimately expand the program to additional sports. It has three primary components, which include an "Advanced Coaching Program," an "Expert Coaching Program" and an "Executive Coaching Program."

The NCAA Coaches Academy is a product of recommendations the MOIC made to the NCAA Football Study Oversight Committee in 2002. The American Football Coaches Association, the Black Coaches Association and the National Football League were instrumental in helping get the program off the ground.

Additional budget requests

In addition to the coaching academies, the joint committees in their budget requests also are seeking funds for educational initiatives and an additional internship at the NCAA for females and/or ethnic minorities.

The committees are requesting $80,000 in 2004-05 for educational programming, including a CHAMPS/Life Skills program component to address anti-harassment and homophobia issues, and another focusing on coaching as a career. The initiatives also will include more Title IX educational sessions for various populations to promote inclusion of gender equity and diversity.

The committees' third budget priority is to establish an additional NCAA internship opportunity for females and ethnic minority males. The groups are asking for $25,000 for that endeavor.

The NCAA Executive Committee will make final budget recommendations for 2004-05 and 2005-06 in August.

In addition to forwarding budget requests, the two groups jointly recommended a change in the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee. Previously, the composition of that group included either a representative from the Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee or a representative from a historically black college or university, but the recommendation is to have both serve on the committee.

Other CWA actions

During the CWA's separate meeting, the group discussed other initiatives it would have like to see funded in the future, including research on minority participation by gender and sport, and programs focusing on the professional development and retention of women officials.

The committee also reviewed the demographics of the national office staff and discussed plans to do so on an annual basis. The committee requested information on recent promotions and title changes and what impact those changes may have had on demographics at various levels.

Committee members also talked about planning for anniversaries of various women's sports and discussed ways to highlight those milestones. Possibilities include making the trophies awarded to outstanding players more visible to the public.

In addition, the group noted that nominations for the Woman of the Year award were slightly down this year. There were 338 applicants this year compared to 342 in 2002. The committee discussed offering more help to schools interested in nominating students to increase the number of participants in the program.