The Way It Was and a Ways to Go
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX, ÃÛÑ¿appinvited former women student-athletes to be grand marshals of the 2022 Homecoming Parade. Hereâs what some had to say about the effect of the law on their college careers.
For Linda (Myers) Tilton, BS â69, MEd â78, the only memento she has from her time on Kent Stateâs womenâs swim team is one T-shirt that reads âPut a Tiger in Your Tank Suit,â which the team members bought for themselves. Despite her memories of the teamâs success, there were no trophies, medals or even a team swimsuit to hold onto after her final season.
The womenâs swim team competed in the fall, and the menâs team competed in the spring. Yet, notes Tilton, the women practiced in the old pool, while the men used the new pool even during their off-season. When traveling to conference swim meets, she recalls sharing a hotel room with three other girls, while the men sports teams stayed two to a room. The varsity women were allowed to borrow warm-up jackets from the junior varsity menâs swim team as they didnât have any of their own gear.
âMy experiences as a student-athlete were awesome,â Tilton says. âI relish the memories, but the times were not fair for womenâs sports.â Such was the norm for women athletes in the United States until the U.S. Congress passed on June 23 that year. The law states: âNo 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.â (That includes public institutions of higher learning like ÃÛÑ¿appUniversity.*)
In recognition of Title IXâs 50th anniversary, ÃÛÑ¿appis hosting a yearlong series of events honoring both current and former women student-athletes and highlighting the success and impact of womenâs athletic programs.
To kick off the celebration, President Todd Diacon invited all former women student-athletes to serve as grand marshals in the 2022 Homecoming Parade. Thirty-seven women representing 13 sports returned to the Kent Campus in October. They had played at ÃÛÑ¿appfrom the late 1960s through the early 2000s, and each brought her own perspective regarding the impact of Title IX on her career as a collegiate athlete. Many noted that the positive changes from the law have taken time to implement.
âAt KSU, I competed with teammates who played for the love of the sport since only a few players had funding and many of us worked part-time,â says Kris Ewing, BS â83 (field hockey). âOur uniforms were old and sometimes shared between us. We bought our own shoes and sticks, and it was common to play three to four games in one weekend.â
Women athletes have faced tremendous challenges over the years, and many still struggle for equity in sports. From lacking the basic necessities of an athletic program, such as uniforms, access to facilities and transportation, to having their efforts and successes as athletes completely overlooked, women in sports have had to fight adversity from opponents on and off the field.
Title IX brought benefits for women in the classroom as well as in competition. By formally recognizing womenâs sports, it allowed more women to qualify for athletic scholarships and gain access to higher education.
But Title IX brought benefits for women in the classroom as well as in competition. By formally recognizing womenâs sports, it allowed more women to qualify for athletic scholarships and gain access to higher education.
"Title IX created not only athletic opportunities for women to compete but also the means to earn athletic scholarships,â says Denise (Bobby) Zehner, BS â91 (cross country and track). âI was fortunate to have earned an athletic scholarship all four years while attending ÃÛÑ¿appUniversity. This was the main reason I was able to attend college, as my parents did not have the financial means to fund a college education.â
Judy Devine, MA â70, Emeritus Senior Associate Athletic Director, is often referred to as the matriarch of ÃÛÑ¿appUniversity womenâs athletics. She first came to Kent as a graduate student in 1969, but she soon took on head coaching roles for womenâs basketball and field hockey. When Title IX was passed, she led the charge for bringing the university into compliance with the new law.
While the changes made possible by Title IX have transformed the competitive landscape for women student-athletes, Devine says it is equally critical that those women who came before Title IX are remembered and honored for their contributions. âWomen have played [sports] since the beginning of time,â she says. âIt's just that we haven't recognized their need or their desire or their success in doing it.â
In 2010, ÃÛÑ¿apptook a step to honor those trailblazers by inviting former women student-athletes to a Celebrating a Century of ÃÛÑ¿appWomenâs Athletics luncheon, where they received their hard-earned varsity âKâ letters. Those who could not attend the luncheon received them in the mail. More than 100 pre-Title IX women received a letterâincluding members of the womenâs swim team. (Both menâs and womenâs swim teams were disbanded in 1988).
âAmazing that some 40 years later, KSU women were honored with a âKâ sports letter sent to our homes,â says Shirley Waehner Pickton, BA â74, BS â75 (swimming). âAn official Flash at last!â
ÃÛÑ¿appcurrently sponsors 10 varsity womenâs athletic programs and, in October, launched a campaign called in partnership with Devine, who established the Judith K. Devine Equity Endowment. Funds raised will provide scholarship funds and other programmatic resources for ÃÛÑ¿appwomen student-athletes.
âWe have set a target of receiving at least 50 gifts to celebrate 50 years of Title IX,â Devine says. âAnd I believe we resilient pioneers of Title IX will rise to the call!â âBethany Sava, BS '12
* Title IX legislation prohibits any form of gender-based discrimination defined as sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence or stalking. Those prohibitions apply to all ÃÛÑ¿appstudents, faculty, staff and visitors.
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Hear from more former ÃÛÑ¿appwomen athletes commenting on Title IX.