Welcome, Guest | Sign In | Register

Our Libraries

July 3, 2008

Ruling Leads to Positive Changes

"No 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." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_IX

This excerpt from Title IX of the Education Amendments of l972, now know as the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity Education Act in honor of its principal author, changed the shape of high school and collegiate athletics. When I went to high school, well before l972, there was a girl's basketball team but it wasn't taken very seriously.

Bob Lyons, former President of the North Suburban Library System Board of Directors, is a retired teacher and also a retired coach of a high school girl's cross country and track teams. He said girls of today can hardly believe there was a time when high school and college sports were limited to boys.

Twenty four years after Title IX the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) was formed in l996 as the women's counterpart to the men's National Basketball Association. Featuring some of the greatest female basketball players in the world, the WNBA is arguably the most successful women's professional sports league.

The WNBA came to our area in 2006 with the Chicago Sky. Their home court is the University of Illinois Chicago Pavilion.

This summer a number of Chicago area public libraries are teaming up with the Chicago Sky in a summer reading program called, "Get in the Game." The idea is to help kids set and meet goals for reading over the summer months. Research has shown that children who practice their reading skills over the summer are stronger readers and get better grades in the next school year.

Here's how it works: Kids go to participating libraries and sign up in one of three categories: Read to Me (Birth - 3rd grade), Regular Readers (4th grade - 8th grade) or YA (9th grade - 12th grade). All summer reading finishers at each library will be entered into a raffle. Five winners will be chosen from each category and will receive two complimentary tickets to the Sky game on Sunday, September 14 at 3 pm. At the game the winners will receive a free Sky tee-shirt and be invited to pose for a group photo of the All-Star Reading Team on the court with a Sky player. Some participating libraries will be hosting appearances of Chicago Sky players. These special "Reading Time-Outs" will be held in July and August.

I asked Kristi Faulkner, Marketing Manager - Community and Group Relations with the Chicago Sky, why the team wanted to partner with area libraries. "We're community focused. When you look out at the stands at a game, you see adults and lots of kids. Our players aren't in this for the money. They play for the love of the game and they want to be positive role models for young people. Reading and doing well in school are important. Our players want to do what they can to inspire kids to do their best academically as well as in sports."

Here's a good example of how a change in the law, over time, affects society for the better. Now that change is helping to encourage children to read. Remember there was a time, and there are still places on this planet where girls are not taught to read. We have many things for which to be grateful.

Tags

None.

Comments

None.

Sign in to tag and add comments.

© 2009. North Suburban Library System    Contact Us