RE 9: Wrestling with equality

From: Darcy Lees (DLees@ospi.wednet.edu)
Date: Tue Aug 24 1999 - 11:38:18 EDT


Since in the state of Washington our state laws do not recognize the
concept of contact sports, we have in excess of 100 girls wrestling and
at our state wrestling playoffs this past year had an exhibition girls
match. We also have girls playing football and baseball.

Our student interest survey is administered to students once every three
years. In the most recent one which I reviewed, in a large (multi-high
school) district which has had wrestling for many years, boys indicated
their interest in wrestling lower than all other major sports including
boys soccer.

I do not know the why the drop in interest. I only know that boys
athletic programs overall in Washington has steadily grown parallel to
girls programs since Title IX. I do not believe that Title IX has been
the culprit any more than the fact that boys just have more choices
today and also they and their parents may be limiting the number of
sports for which they turnout during the course of the year. Who's to
say!!! This year we are adding a question to our interest survey asking
why students do not turn out for sports.

Darcy Lees
DLees@ospi.wednet.edu



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