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Friday, June 29, 2012

HOW TITLE IX CHANGED MY LIFE

TITLE IX was passed 40 years ago this week. The bill is an important reason why I was able to become an ESPN sportscaster in the 1990’s & how women’s professional sports leagues like the WNBA began.
That's me rinkside reporting on Tonya Harding's comeback. Remember that?

Covering the first few years of the basketball league during its infancy was both an honor and a thrill. To be honest, I'm not sure of any of us fully thought that it would fly after being told by so many detractors that it wouldn't, and seeing the stands half-full. But we were more than eager. Reporting on Lisa Leslie (who was born a few weeks after the bill was passed) making history by becoming the league’s all-time leading scorer (now it’s Tina Thompson and nobody works harder than Tina), then watching Leslie have enough success to become co-owner of her team, the L.A. Sparks, is remarkable. It's the result not just of Leslie's hard work, but of the collective endurance from countless women coaches, athletes & reporters over four decades.Catch Leslie’s interview about how TITLE IX shaped her life here. http://bit.ly/MtiTp8