`IT'S SOMEBODY ELSE'S TURN'.Byline: Rizza Yap Daily News Staff Writer Jeanette Armentano played basketball throughout her youth. She did not join a team until college - because she could not join a team until college. Title IX, the 1972 law that mandates all federally funded institutions - high schools, junior colleges and universities - create equal athletic opportunities for men and women, was only a year old when she entered the ninth grade. Her Bronx, N.Y., high school did not have a girls' team, so as a teen-ager she played in the streets with boys. Even when she entered Queens College Queens College: see New York, City Univ. of. in 1977, only the male basketball players received scholarships. Today, the female athletes who work under Armentano, an assistant basketball coach at Cal State Northridge, face different hurdles. They worry about NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association postseason play. They wonder if they're good enough to play professionally after school. They receive financial assistance, just like men. And in the wake of budget problems within the athletic program at Northridge, they don't worry about their sport being eliminated. To seal its commitment to the Big Sky Conference and nurture NURTURE. The act of taking care of children and educating them: the right to the nurture of children generally belongs to the father till the child shall arrive at the age of fourteen years, and not longer. Till then, he is guardian by nurture. Co. Litt. 38 b. the growth of football and men's basketball, the Northridge athletic program will cut some sports programs. But only men's teams face the ax since the number of female participants must surpass males to meet gender-equity goals mandated by an out-of-court settlement An agreement reached between the parties in a pending lawsuit that resolves the dispute to their mutual satisfaction and occurs without judicial intervention, supervision, or approval. with California's chapter of NOW (National Organization for Women). Next week - perhaps as early as Tuesday, said athletic director Athletic director (commonly, "athletics director") is a position at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, which oversees the work of the coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic Paul Bubb - the school will announce which sports will be cut. After meeting with president Blenda J. Wilson last week, student affairs Student affairs staff are responsible for academic advising and support services delivery at colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. The chief student affairs officer at a college or university often reports directly to the chief executive of the institution. vice president Ronald Kopita - who will make the final call - has already determined no women's teams will be added. ``I think it's very unfortunate that men's programs have to be cut,'' said Armentano, a two-year member of Cal-NOW. ``I wish there was enough money to add women's sports, but since there are budget problems . . . I agree with the solution. ``Because it's somebody else's turn.'' Growing up, Armentano did not have many athletic opportunities, and the excuse always was money. ``Money has always been the reason why there haven't been opportunities for women,'' she said, ``and now it's coming around to the other end.'' Not that today's generation of female college athletes haven't experienced inequity. Sophomore guard Jamilah Jones, a graduate of Bishop Montgomery, said her high school team always practiced after the boys. Sometimes even the junior varsity junior varsity n. Abbr. JV A high-school or college team that competes in interschool sports on the level below varsity. Noun 1. boys' squad got access to the gym before girls' varsity. Michael Abraham, CSUN's head coach and formerly an assistant at Oregon, said the men's basketball team there had first choice over everything - practice time, locker rooms, hotel accommodations, transportation and equipment. ``It took us two years to get the men's team to rotate practice times with (the women),'' Abraham said. ``We had to fight to get that to happen. Here (in Northridge), that's never been a problem. I feel like my program is in equal footing with (men's basketball coach) Bob Braswell's program. There's a much higher level of commitment to the spirit (of equality) here.'' If that's the case, why is the university planning to reduce the men's programs to achieve gender equity? It has to do with numbers. In 1993, Cal-NOW sued the Cal State University system for allegedly perpetuating gender inequity in athletics. The suit resulted in a decree consent that requires all 19 CSU See DSU/CSU. 1. CSU - California State University. 2. CSU - Cleveland State University. 3. CSU - Channel Service Unit. campuses to increase athletic opportunities for women so that by 1998, participation and funding for men's and women's teams proportionally reflect the male-female ratio of the campus population. When the lawsuit was filed, women made up 55 percent of the student population, 30 percent of athletes and received 25 percent of the funding, said Linda Joplin, Cal-NOW athletic equity committee chairwoman. The latest systemwide report shows that between 1993 and 1995 women - who still constitute 55 percent of CSU students - make up 41 percent of all athletes and are receiving 38 percent of all funding. ``I think the consent decree A settlement of a lawsuit or criminal case in which a person or company agrees to take specific actions without admitting fault or guilt for the situation that led to the lawsuit. A consent decree is a settlement that is contained in a court order. has had a very positive effect,'' Joplin said. ``But it's very frustrating frus·trate tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates 1. a. To prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart: because I think people will look at this and blame gender equity for the way Northridge has chosen to comply. There's a finite number of resources available, and (the administration) is choosing to increase financial support for a very limited number of men's teams. ``We refuse to take the blame for the decision of the administration to eliminate a broad-based program and turn it into a very narrow program.'' School administrators admit they have decided to pour resources and money into football and men's basketball, endangering the five men's sports not associated with the Big Sky Conference - baseball, volleyball volleyball, outdoor or indoor ball and net game played on a level court. An upright net, 3 ft (or 1 m) high, the top of which stands 8 ft (2.43 m) from the ground for men, 7 ft 4 1/8 in (2. , soccer, swimming and golf. The football program, which offered 20 scholarships in 1995, will this year offer 45 for a total $376,650. Since 1992, women have composed a yearly average of 56.5 percent of full-time, undergraduate students at Northridge. The year before the Cal-NOW agreement, 34.5 percent of athletes were female. For 1996-97, the number grew by about 5 percent. This fall, if Northridge administrators choose to discontinue dis·con·tin·ue v. dis·con·tin·ued, dis·con·tin·u·ing, dis·con·tin·ues v.tr. 1. To stop doing or providing (something); end or abandon: all five non-Big Sky men's sports, women will constitute 55 percent of Northridge athletes. Eliminating the five sports would cut 87 male athletes. The football team alone holds 85 players. ``I'm all for gender equity,'' said Northridge softball softball, variant of baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Invented (1888) in Chicago as an indoor game, it was at various times called indoor baseball, mush ball, playground ball, kitten ball, and, because it was also played by women, ladies' coach Janet Sherman. ``Women's sports have come a long way in the last 10 years, and they couldn't have done it without Title IX and all the push that has come with it. The issue that is a concern is the number side of it. I can't get walk-ons, whereas baseball, basketball and football are turning guys down. ``What the Cal-NOW settlement is putting into colleges is unfair because it's got to be put in high schools first. You go to most high schools, and they barely have enough to fill a (softball) team. We're pulling from that group, (and) there is no pool for us to pull from.'' For this reason, Cal-NOW is beginning to investigate high schools and junior colleges as well. Last year, the group filed a complaint against two Northern California Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The region contains the San Francisco Bay Area, the state capital, Sacramento; as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests, the northern high schools with the Office of Civil Rights. An agreement resulted in five girls' sports being added to one school and six to another. Joplin said this summer she will begin examining statistics at junior colleges. Statewide, 29 percent of all junior-college athletes are female. Still, for swimming coach Barry Schreifels, it's hard to shake off the frustration of knowing that his men's team is in jeopardy. Especially when swimming has successfully exemplified the spirit of gender equity for many years. The male and female swimmers at Northridge train, travel and compete together. The only imbalance imbalance /im·bal·ance/ (im-bal´ans) 1. lack of balance, such as between two opposing muscles or between electrolytes in the body. 2. dysequilibrium (2). in the sport comes with funding. The men's team offers 1.5 scholarships, while the women's have 6.5. Yet more male swimmers are knocking on Schreifels' door. ``I have to beg people to take scholarships on the women's team,'' Schreifels said. ``But in the men's team, I have to turn people away who want to swim for free. And that's wrong.'' Armentano said she recognizes the level of interest is lopsided lop·sid·ed adj. 1. Heavier, larger, or higher on one side than on the other. 2. Sagging or leaning to one side. 3. for now. But she is convinced that it will change - with the help of gender-equity guidelines guidelines, n.pl a set of standards, criteria, or specifications to be used or followed in the performance of certain tasks. . ``We've had many, many years when women were told they're not as capable, they're not strong enough to play sports,'' she said. ``Lots of little girls got the message that this is not what they can do. I firmly believe that any female would be athletic if they had information about a sport and had someone encouraging them to play. ``I also think it's possible to end the injustices, but I don't think attitudes change that quickly. You can have a law in place, but when attitudes have not changed, it wouldn't make any difference. Attitudes die hard. But they do die. I do think there will come a time when there's no need for a law to achieve gender equity.'' REVERSE DISCRIMINATION? The Daily News asked several Cal State Northridge coaches if they interpreted the decision to cut men's sports as reverse discrimination. Michael Abraham, women's basketball Women's basketball is one of the few games which developed in tandem with men's. It became popular, spreading from the east coast of the United States to the west coast, in large part via women's colleges. : ``I don't think there's discrimination involved. We've been mandating changes in the way we construe construe v. to determine the meaning of the words of a written document, statute or legal decision, based upon rules of legal interpretation as well as normal meanings. college athletics College athletics refers primarily to sports and games organized and sanctioned by institutions of tertiary education (colleges or universities in American English). In the United States, the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the National Association of Intercollegiate , and change is painful. I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. if what happened before (with women) was completely discriminatory dis·crim·i·na·to·ry adj. 1. Marked by or showing prejudice; biased. 2. Making distinctions. dis·crim , but obviously someone above us does. ``This is the way that has been chosen to correct the situation, and there's going to be some injured in·jure tr.v. in·jured, in·jur·ing, in·jures 1. To cause physical harm to; hurt. 2. To cause damage to; impair. 3. people. But I don't see it as discrimination. We're just doing what we have to do.'' Barry Schreifels, men and women's swimming: ``We only have 1-1/2 scholarships for the entire men's team. To cut our scholarship money wouldn't affect the budget that much. We're nearly on bare bones No frills. No luxuries. See bare bones system. . They'd save very little if they cut us. The only advantage (of eliminating the team) is to cut 10 to 12 guys for gender equity. It's reverse discrimination, no question about it.'' Jeanette Armentano, assistant women's basketball: ``Whenever you make an attempt to put forward the group that has been discriminated against, the other side will always yell discrimination. But it's not, it's just giving them the opportunity the other side already has. Right now, the men who might be cut are feeling what exactly I have felt my whole life. ``They're not being discriminated against, in my opinion. They're being asked to give somebody else the opportunity they've already had.'' John Price, men's volleyball: ``I think over the years, women were denied opportunities - there's no question about that. But this solution with the Cal-NOW decree is not creating more opportunities for women. We are just reducing the men in the name of equality. We can't get enough females out there right now, there's just not enough interest. But interest doesn't matter, success doesn't matter, tradition, paying your dues or building your sport . . . none of that matters. All that matters is the number.'' Brian Wiesner, women's soccer: ``I don't think it's a discrimination issue. It's a political issue. Discrimination, I think, is something someone intentionally in·ten·tion·al adj. 1. Done deliberately; intended: an intentional slight. See Synonyms at voluntary. 2. Having to do with intention. does to hurt a certain group. I don't think that anyone involved is doing something against another group because they don't like that group.'' NUMBERS GAME Progression of funding for selected men and women's sports at Cal State Northridge: Sport 1992-'93 '96-'97 '97-98(x) Baseball $57,789 $73,800 $75,330 Softball $46,906 $90,200 $100,440 Mbasketball $61,862 $98,400 $100,440 Wbasketball $52,345 $114,800 $117,180 Mswimming $13,536 $15,800 $16,154 Wswimming $13,536 $39,360 $65,286 Mvolleyball $21,094 $24,600 $29,234 Wvolleyball $59,822 $98,400 $100,400 Football $108,768 $328,000 $376,650 (x) Projected CAPTION(S): 3 Photos, Box, Chart Photo: (1) CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge softball coach Janet Sherman says women's sports have come a long way because of Title IX. John Lazar John Lazar was Mayor of Adelaide from 1855 to 1858. John LaZar (born May 22, 1946) is a classically trained American actor of both stage and screen. / Special to the Daily News (2) no caption (Michael Abraham) (3) no caption (Brian Wiesner) Box: REVERSE DISCRIMINATION? (see text) Chart: NUMBERS GAME (see text) |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion