Byline: Vincent Bonsignore
One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done.
- Marie Curie, 1894
The California Interscholastic Federation honored the pioneers of girls' and women's sports over the last quarter century in Irvine on Friday, recognizing 22 courageous women for their profound impact on girls' athletics in California.
Yet, as much as has been done, we only see what remains to be done.
Two weeks ago, the city of Los Angeles settled a lawsuit with the West Valley Softball League by agreeing to pay $100,000 for the construction of four softball fields.
Basically, while boys play at pristine facilities, girls of the same age are playing on substandard fields and were told that's the way it goes.
The settlement provides the league with a five-year lease and a 10-year renewal option at Hughes Middle School, and includes parking spaces and the right to build a concession stand. The city also will provide $50,000 worth of labor to construct fences and renovate restrooms at the Hughes location.
Thankfully, West Valley finally has a home to call its own. But the manner in which the league won the right brings up this disappointing reminder:
The fact is, 27 years after the passage of the Education Amendments Act, specifically Title IX, which banned sex discrimination in public and private education, girls often struggle to get the same treatment as boys when it comes to municipally run little leagues, parks and recreation departments and other city-sponsored programs.
Which is why West Valley's victory is so significant.
``This settlement is a powerful tool to begin to remedy the injustice done to countless girls in Los Angeles who have been denied equal access to participate in city-sponsored programs,'' said Paula Pearlman of the California Women's Law Center, which was counsel to the league.
``We have also taken giant steps toward expanding the principles of gender equity to other public facilities and institutions.''
The parents and players of West Valley Softball have something in common with the women celebrated by the CIF on Friday. Both groups fought bitter, often brutal battles for the advancement of girls' sports.
The honorees on Friday achieved quiet victories through the years, most confined to behind-the-scene skirmishes that rarely registered a blip. But sometimes the greatest wins seem ordinary at the time.
Over the years, their subtle achievements have had major implications, clearing the path for the growth and popularity of girls' and women's sports in California.
More than anything, their heroics helped to ensure equal opportunity, recognition and respect for young women participating in high school sports. Prior to their crusades, organized sports for girls was nearly nonexistent, their activities limited to once-a-week competitions featuring archaic games like six-person basketball, with three players restricted to one-half of a court and two dribbles per person.
Today, more than 220,000 girls will participate in 18 sanctioned sports statewide.
Their names might not be recognizable, but the accomplishments of women like Pat Harvey, Patricia Mack and Jan McCreery, among many others, are every bit as emphatic as anything Mia Ham, Lisa Leslie and Marion Jones perform today.
Mack, who served as athletic director at Glendale High from 1973-74, was instrumental, along with fellow honorees McCreery and Campbell, in organizing a strike and lawsuit against the Glendale Unified School District to provide equitable funding for girls' teams in 1952. Her bravery in bringing suit against the district was the highlight of a distinguished career that spanned more than 40 years.
``I am proudest of being able to teach girls and boys skills which brought them joy and enabled them to participate in an activity with confidence and a feeling of pride,'' Mack said.
Harvey is considered the driving force in girls' athletics in the Los Angeles City School District, starting the section's athletic program in 1971. McCreery and Campbell helped Mack bring suit against the Glendale School District, and Campbell fought for the implementation of Title IX in her district.
``I am proud of the fight,'' said Campbell.
She also takes pride in that fact that young women in high school and college today have no idea how limited girls' athletics once were. More than anything else, that shows the magnitude of the pioneers' accomplishments.
Much like the honorees, West Valley Softball should be considered a trailblazer. Its recent victory prompted the city's Department of Recreation and Parks to implement a new program called ``Raise the Bar,'' which it hopes will draw more girls to its programs. The goal is to raise female participation in city sports by 10 percent this year and 25 percent next year.
In addition, a softball league in Riverside contacted Pearlman after West Valley's victory, seeking assistance in improving its own situation. It's one of many calls Pearlman recently received from girls' athletic organizations all over the country.
``I think the people of West Valley are definitely pioneers,'' Pearlman said. ``This is a significant victory for all girls. The underlying message is that they matter and what they do matters in the bigger sense of society.''
