The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics recently discussed topics ranging from a coaching academy for women to the Secretary's Commission on Opportunity in Athletics, a group convened by the U.S. Department of Education to review Title IX.

The committee, which met January 27-28, also discussed its concerns with awards and programs provided by entities that the committee thinks portray women in a degrading manner.

The committee is particularly concerned with awards sponsored by Playboy because the committee believes that the Playboy enterprises are inconsistent with NCAA values. The committee also noted that Playboy has supported gambling on college athletics and that the MET-Rx College Football Preview has served as a forum for Playboy awards.

To that end, the committee has recommended that all three NCAA Management Councils endorse the following statement: "The NCAA discourages member institutions and its student-athletes from participating in events and/or awards programs sponsored or supported by organizations that portray women in a degrading and demeaning manner (for example, the Playboy Top 20, the Playboy All-America Team and the MET-Rx College Football Preview)."

The committee hopes that all three Management Councils will forward it to their respective presidential bodies for endorsement.

In other action, the Committee on Women's Athletics recommended to the three Management Councils that legislation be sponsored in each division to formalize the NCAA Woman of the Year (WOTY) selection committee.

The selection committee has overseen the annual review and selection of WOTY's 50 state winners and 10 finalists. The proposed change would permit vacancies on the committee to be publicized to all NCAA members, and it also would formalize the process for identifying and appointing members.

The CWA is recommending that the selection committee report to the CWA and that the CWA would appoint its members to four-year terms. The selection committee would be composed of nine members, including a minimum of two members from each division, one member from a conference office, one member who also serves on the CWA, one former WOTY finalist or student-athlete, and one member from the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee or from a historically black college or university.

In other action, the CWA recommended the reallocation of $50,000 from current budget-year initiatives to support a two-year pilot coaches academy.

The purpose of the coaches academy is to help train, mentor and develop coaches. The organization "Play with Purpose" will develop the core curriculum for the academy and provide a pilot program for about 20 female college coaches in summer 2003 and summer 2004.

Play with Purpose will work closely with the CWA's outreach subcommittee as the coaches academy progresses. The organization also will provide significant resources toward scholarships for participants. The CWA will require that the academy include a diverse enrollment, including coaches from many different sports and all three divisions.

Other highlights

Committee on Women's Athletics
January 27-28/Indianapolis

Noted that the 2003 NCAA Title IX Seminar will be held April 28-29 in San Diego.

Met with NCAA President Myles Brand and discussed several topics, including Title IX, the work of the Secretary's Commission on Opportunity in Athletics and NCAA strategic planning.

Received a report from Judy Sweet, NCAA vice-president and senior woman administrator, on the Secretary's Commission on Opportunity in Athletics. The committee noted that the commission's report was due at the end of February.

Recommended that the Division I Management Council sponsor legislation to exempt participation in the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators softball tournament from counting against an institution's maximum number of dates of competition in Division I women's softball.