California NOW

More on How Awesome Women's College Softball Is

As a follow up to my post on women's college softball yesterday, I have to tell you this story. If it doesn't make you want to cry, something is wrong with you.

During a softball game between Central Washington University and Western Oregon University, Senior Sara Tucholsky, Western Oregon's right fielder, hit her first ever home run. On her way to first base, she blew out her knee and literally crawled through the dirt to touch the base but then couldn't go on. The coach consulted the umpire who told her she could bring in a pinch runner, but that Tucholsky would only get credit for an RBI, not a Home Run. Nobody else on her team could touch her, or it'd be an out. That's when Mallory Holtman, the first base player, summoned the short stop and the two carried Tucholsky around the bases, stopping at each one for her to touch it. They carried her around the bases so she wouldn't lose her one college career home run. (You'll also see in this story that all through the game a group of young men stood behind the right field fence and heckled the right fielder... I'm not saying. I'm just saying.)

The story reminded me of the young women at De Anza College who rescued a young woman who was being gang raped at a party. The three young women were athletes on the same team, and that stood out to me right away. Perhaps these young women had a sense of sisterhood, and teamwork, from playing sports together that gave them the courage to stand up to a group of men and carry the young, inebriated victim to safety. What was it about their involvement with sports that influenced them that way, where the accused rapists, many of whom were baseball players, used their team work to rape a 17 year old girl who was passed out drunk?

Women's Softball Symbol of Title IX Success

I spent the afternoon at a women's college softball game. It was awesome in and of itself--incredible athleticism, a fast paced game, and beautiful view in a beautiful stadium--but it was especially awesome today because there were dozens of youth league girls' softball teams there. The girls' teams, including my daughter's team, were invited to come and get a tour of the stadium facilities, and stand on the field during the national anthem. I got misty eyed seeing all the young girls on the field, flanked by these incredible college athletes. I was so proud of this team, too, for the togetherness they showed on the field and the respect they showed their opponents. It was a great experience, and one I thanked Title IX for.

But, although women's participation in college sports has increased by some 440% since Title IX, there is still a big gap. According to the Women's Sports Foundation, "women comprise 57 percent of the college student population but receive only 43 percent of the college athletic opportunities. Besides fighting for access to athletic participation opportunities, female athletes continue to face barriers in sports, such as in the treatment and benefits they receive when they do compete."

So we'll keep fighting for compliance, and better oversight by the OCR, even while we're watching the progress with joy and pride.

Borrowed this great graphic from our friends at the ACLU.

Why Are Male Golfers So Freaked Out By Women?

You gotta wonder: what is it that makes these male golfers so freaked out by women? Are they worried that women will kick their collective asses? That the sanctity of their golf course will be tainted by menstruating she-devils? Or are they just old-fashioned bigots?

Well, Elaine Joyce is not having it. She is a golfer who has played since she was eight years old, a college star athlete, and has more than 20 club championships, a single-digit handicap and a ranking among the top female golfers in Massachusetts. Despite her obvious golf acumen, she was banned from a tournament at a Dennis Pines Golf Course in Cape Cod, a public course, because she is a woman. Now she's filed a federal lawsuit seeking to force the course to change its policy. The suit is against the town of Dennis, Town Administrator Robert Canevazzi and three golf course officials. It seeks unspecified damages above $75,000 and an injunction to end the practice of excluding women from men's tournaments.

Seems like a straight up 14th Amendment violation to me.

It's about time the field of golf--and the whole culture around it--be forced to abandon its sexist ways, whatever their lame excuses.

Religious School Says Women Can't Call the Shots

Post by Stefan Pomerantz:

Prepare to be enraged and offended, you should be. The following happened only two weeks ago, not in the 1950's. According to the Associated Press, on February 2, 2008, a religious high school refused to let a female referee call a boys' high school basketball game. The reason given?

"..a woman, could not be put in a position of authority over boys."

I'm not a biblical scholar, but I'd venture to guess that if these folks crack open their bibles instead of wave them, they may find a woman named Mary who had some position of authority over a young boy named Jesus. He probably wasn't playing basketball, but mothers seem to have authority over their children. Regardless of biblical debates, I see this as a clear abuse of "Freedom of religion." I don't think the point of one group having a freedom is to entitle them to trample on, or remove the freedoms of any individual, or any other group. Anyone should be free to be a referee, or any other profession they choose without facing discrimination under the veil of religion.

Where do you think the lines should be between "Freedom of Religion," and the freedoms of individuals?

You can find a link to the full story here.

UC Berkeley: Do the Right Thing. 1. Take Down the Barbed Wire Fences 2. Save the Oak Grove

$80,000 was spent to put up the 2nd barbed wire fence to enclose the tree-sitters who are protesting the erection of the Student Athlete High Performance Center in the Oak Grove at  UC Berkeley. UC Berkeley Police are arresting supporters who hand up food and supplies.

UC Berkeley needs to do the right thing as in bring down the fences, honor the Oak Grove as a permanent historic and memorial site and build the Student Athlete High Performance Center in an  alternative area and start honoring the fact that the Citizens of Berkeley have a right to protect what they deem precious. And while they are at it spend the money not on police and fences and fighting the City of Berkeley and locals in court—get those 300+ staff and faculty immediately out of the seismically unsafe Memorial Stadium offices and into safe portable structures until the separate Memorial Stadium issues are resolved.

Letters and calls are needed to oppose this waste of tax-payers money, to save the Oak Grove and respect the wishes of the students and residents of Berkeley.

Chancellor Robert J. Birgeneau
University of California- Berkeley
200 California Hall #1500
Berkeley CA 94720
Phone: 510-642-7464

President Robert C. Dynes
Office of the President
University of California- Berkeley
1111 Franklin Street , 12th Floor
Oakland CA 94607
Phone: 510-987-9074
Executive Assistant to the President: eileen.OCallahan@ucop.edu
510-987-9076

Governor of California and President of the U.C. Regents
Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento , CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633

Send letters to the San Francisco Chronicle editors