By Jessica Fagen
A mother contacted the Foundation for advice on how to handle the verbal and emotional abuse that her daughter has been subjected to from her teammates and coach. This volleyball player is the only freshman on the varsity team, and according to her mother, she has been bullied, had rumors spread about her from her teammates and even took herself out of games because the language used against her was so offensive. On one occasion, her teammates yelled at her every time she touched the ball and even switched jerseys one night without informing her. Her coach has done nothing to stop this treatment, but instead enhances it by allowing it to continue and blaming this player for the abuse she receives, saying she is a slacker and it is her own fault. This mother has tried to talk with the athletic director and principal to no avail, and now the mother is no longer allowed to attend any more athletic events. The Advocacy Department recommended she try to circulate a petition for support within the community and talk to other parents and coaches to try and gather their support to bring the issue to the attention of the school board. We sent her
Addressing the Issue of Verbal, Physical and Psychological Abuse of Athletes: The Foundation Position and
Steps to Take to Get Gender Equity and provided her with an expert referral.
Girls Team Denied Participation in Annual Soccer Tournament
A parent contacted the Foundation for advice in dealing with a soccer association that is discriminating against girls. According to this parent, the association has a tournament for men and boys only, and only after much pressure from this parent, did it agree to allow a girl's team in the tournament. However, when the girls did compete, they were forced to play a boy's team and in non-prime time slots or locations than the other teams. To read more about this situation and see how you can join in this parent's struggle for equality, please visit their website.
Organization Refuses Female Athlete's Participation
A mother contacted the Foundation for assistance in combating the unfair practices in her daughter's ice hockey league. Her daughter decided to play on her brother's team at the beginning of the season. While the teams do not have tryouts, the coach made clear that since she was the 21st member of the team she would only serve as a substitute. After the first game, the local hockey association contacted her parents and told them that an evaluation was necessary for their daughter to continue to be on the team, despite the fact that the league does not require evaluations for its male members. After the evaluation, the association determined that she could remain on the team; however, the coach said she was no longer allowed to play. The Advocacy Department explained that public accommodation laws typically prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in public athletic leagues. We sent her
Playing Fair;
A Step by Step Guide to Gender Equity; and
Common Questions about Gender Equity in Non-School Recreational Sports, a resource that explains gender equity issues for community recreational athletics, and encouraged her to file a complaint and work within the political channels of the league to resolve the dispute.
Women Denied Coaching Access
A mother contacted the Foundation regarding issues of discrimination against her daughter's high school. While there are three coaches for the boys' soccer team, her daughter's 40-person soccer team only has one. Furthermore, the school does not provide a trainer for the girls' team like it does for the boys. The Advocacy Department advised the mother that Title IX requires schools to provide comparable coach-to-athlete ratios for its male and female athletes as well as comparable training and other benefits. We sent her
Playing Fair, a resource that explains Title IX rules and regulations to help athletes, coaches, parents and others better analyze their school's athletic programs; and
A Step by Step Guide to Getting Gender Equity, a resource that gives activists a detailed, step-by-step plan for achieving gender equity; and we encouraged the parent to work through the political channels in the school to pursue a Title IX complaint.
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