Equality?

As Girls Become Women,

Sports Pay Dividends

NYTimes

By TARA PARKER-POPE

Almost four decades after the federal education law called Title IX opened the door for girls to participate in high school and college athletics, a crucial question has remained unanswered: Do sports make a long-term difference in a woman’s life?

A large body of research shows that sports are associated with all sorts of benefits, like lower teenage pregnancy rates, better grades and higher self-esteem. But until now, no one has determined whether those improvements are a direct result of athletic participation. It may be that the type of girl who is attracted to sports already has the social, personal and physical qualities — like ambition, strength and supportive parents — that will help her succeed in life.

Now, separate studies from two economists offer some answers, providing the strongest evidence yet that team sports can result in lifelong improvements to educational, work and health prospects. At a time when the first lady, Michelle Obama, has begun a nationwide campaign to improve schoolchildren’s health, the lessons from Title IX show that school-based fitness efforts can have lasting effects.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 required schools and colleges receiving federal money to provide the same opportunities for girls as they did for boys. Relatively few students, male or female, participate in intercollegiate sports. But the effects in high school were remarkable. Just six years after the enactment of Title IX, the percentage of girls playing team sports had jumped sixfold, to 25 percent from about 4 percent.

Another question is whether Title IX has made a difference in women’s long-term health. In a carefully conducted study, Robert Kaestner, an economics professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, compared rates of obesity and physical activity of women who had been in high school in the 1970s — as Title IX was taking effect — with similar women from earlier years. Controlling the results for other influences, like age and changing diets, Dr. Kaestner was able to tease out the effects Title IX had on women’s health.

He found that the increase in girls’ athletic participation caused by Title IX was associated with a 7 percent lower risk of obesity 20 to 25 years later, when women were in their late 30s and early 40s. His article was published this month in the journal Evaluation Review.

Dr. Kaestner notes that while a 7 percent decline in obesity is modest, no other public health program can claim similar success. And other studies have shown that even a small drop in weight can lower risk for diabetes and other health problems.

There is still room for improvement. Today about 1 in 3 high school girls play sports, compared with about half of all boys. And participation varies widely by state, according to Dr. Stevenson’s research. Southern states like Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee still have big gender gaps, while Northern states like Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Vermont are closer to parity.

“While we have more girls than ever before, we still have far more boys playing sports than girls,” said Nicole M. LaVoi, associate director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport at the University of Minnesota. “The research clearly states that when anybody, boys and girls, are physically active, they can reap developmental and health benefits. But we haven’t reached equality yet.

See full article here: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/15/as-girls-become-women-sports-pay-dividends/?pagemode=print

Hallelujah

Once again, I was thoroughly impressed with the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics. The dancing, the history of the host nation, and the songs written to bring people together left me awe-struck, and exhausted this morning. The creativity, the technology, the participation of the audience, and the ability to keep millions of viewers – both present and remote – tuned in for hours at a time inspired me. I’m motivated to think about the ways in which we can tell our story – as athletes, as nations, and as the human race. I’m encouraged by the attention to aesthetic beauty and appreciation for a true show. (I remain horrified that the budget was between 30 and 40 million dollars – but I’ll ignore that minor detail for now.)

What has really stuck with me though was the attention to the holy and sacred. The thread throughout the opening ceremony was subtle at times, and incredibly obvious at others. The parade of the indigenous peoples of Canada at the beginning of the ceremony was one of the most profound displays of hospitality I have ever witnessed. It reminded me of my experience at Yale Divinity School’s Marquand Chapel. Each and every day, I was greeted by Chapel Ministers at the door. Whether friends I had known for sometime, or someone with whom I did not have a personal relationship, their words for me were simple, “Welcome.” This minimal greeting transcended the idle chatter that often occupies sacred space. At the beginning of each semester, there was one song we sang with regularity, “All are welcome, welcome in this place.” Marquand is sacred space for me, and I imagine many others. But not because it is a formal Chapel – because there we made room for God in our midst. This is the essence of what it means to be sacred – allowing God to enter into the midst of a relationship between persons. It is rare to walk away unchanged by this encounter. This is what I witnessed last night during the opening ceremonies. The ridiculously huge sculptures extending their hands in a gesture of welcome as the people dwarfed in their shadows opened their arms sanctified that space as holy. It struck me as a welcome that extended far beyond ordinary platitudes.

Every two years, a question resurfaces for me as I am glued to my television throughout the Olympic games. What would happen to the human race if we played more games and fought fewer wars? I realize that even beginning to compare the two may seem ridiculous at first. But stop just a minute to think about it. Nations who have been at war with one another for centuries gather under the same roof for the purpose of sport. This gesture says more to me about the human condition that binds us together than most history books.

My encounter with the holy may have been purely personal. Though at the least, there was something deeply spiritual about K.D. Lang’s rendition of “Hallelujah.”

Snowpocalypse

I've always maintained that God has a good sense of humor. This weekend's "Snowpocalypse" is yet another piece of trustworthy evidence. I am home in Alexandria, Virginia for 5 days. It is the ONLY five days I will be home between the months of November and July. This is not a mere coincidence. If you talked with me at all during my last 3 years in Connecticut, you may recall that I'm not a fan of cold weather and consequent precipitation. Actually, that would be an understatement. I hate it. If I never see another winter again, it won't be a day too soon. Thus, my recent move to Austin, Texas has helped to facilitate my necessary avoidance of said weather conditions. Therefore, it is incredibly funny to me, that on the only five days I will spend on the East Coast this winter, we were hit with a ridiculous blizzard. When I say God is funny, I mean that in the comedian-whom-you're-in-awe-of-but-don't-want-to-be-friends-with-because-you're-afraid-they'll-make-fun-of-you kind of way. Not that God is funny in a Ha-ha way. But really, a very deep, dark sense of humor.

I'm huddled by the fire and will remain so until my flight takes off - whenever that is - for warmer shores. And there I will remain, in complete mockery of those who enjoy frigid weather and unhelpful inconveniences with so much tenacity. Better you than me.

Surprise Soundtrack

One of my favorite ways to start the week off is the Monday night spinning class at the YMCA. Last week, our normal instructor told us he would be out of town tonight. I did not remember that when rushing over to the Y this evening. I had no idea what I was in for. There was a sweet, elderly gentlemen leading the class when I arrived. Very sweet, very in shape, very old man. During a normal Monday night class, the sound track ranges from Jay-Z to classic 80's to mash-ups. It's not always good music, but it's always enough to keep me guessing and pushing through the work out. Tonight, our very sweet, very old man serenaded us with an entire play list of John Williams' music. Now, if you're wondering if I'm talking about Star Wars-Superman-Jurassic Park-soundtrack-John-Williams, you are correct. You may also be wondering if there are versions of the songs that you didn't know about that are either motivating or have lyrics - which is a legitimate question given the context. Well, the answer is no. We were BLASTED out by classic, highly-recognizable, and well-performed John Williams' soundtrack pieces as we were spinning.

The most bizarre moment of the evening came with the following succession of songs: Jurassic Park theme song, "Mama Mia, " and the Jaws theme song. The awkwardness of the trio was only enhanced by the instructor's motions to Mama Mia. We were all paralyzed by amazement and second hand embarrassment. We ended up clapping, because what else was there to do?