Score one for advocates of gender equity in athletics.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett recently signed into law a
measure forcing all school districts in the state to file reports on athletic
programs, including how much money is spent on each sport and who is
participating. Georgia, Kentucky and New Mexico are the only other states that
have this requirement, according to The
Philadelphia Inquirer.
By making its findings public, Pennsylvania citizens can
actively monitor whether girls and boys are receiving their fair share of
resources in the athletic domain. In the Inquirer
article, there was talk about this law adding another cost to school districts
that are hurting financially.
While this could be true, there is no excuse for one set of
athletes to receive the finest equipment or play in top venues while another
set is given substandard treatment.
That said the financial fears are real. An excellent article
written by my former classmate Jeff Frantz describes this well. “This coming
fight for a chance to participate won’t be about boys vs. girls, but rich vs.
poor, foul shots vs. full-day kindergarten.”
Some school districts may eliminate sports or for those that
may keep athletics, students might have to pay extra fees to play. Undoubtedly
the latter will disproportionately hurt lower-income students, who often are
racial minorities.
The battle of equity in sports must encompass keeping
athletics viable in schools and available to young people regardless of wealth.
-- Steve Bien-Aimé
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