GIRL POWER; CITY EXPANDS EFFORT FOR EQUALITY IN SPORTS.Byline: Jesse Hiestand Daily News Staff Writer Nine-year-old Linsey Bosteder's smile grew wider with each lob (1) See BLOB. (2) (Line Of Business) Refers to people, job titles and product lines, all of which pertain to a specific product or service area of the business. of the 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' , as coach Amy Smith led her new team through their first practice at the Balboa Sports Center in Encino. As a first-time coach, Smith embodies the citywide push to field 10 percent more girls on softball and baseball teams this year - a response to a class-action lawsuit filed by the ACLU ACLU: see American Civil Liberties Union. . ``I think men might have a little more advantage by being in team sports and girls need that too - being a team player, sportsmanship and skills beyond physical ability,'' said Smith, 34. For Linsey and other girls, quite simply it is a chance to play ball. ``I really like it,'' said Linsey, taking a break. ``I'm good at catching but I'm having trouble throwing.'' Linsey's team, the Angels, is directly the result of Raise the Bar, a city program that seeks to distribute fields more equitably between girls and boys and boost the number of girls in city programs by 10 percent this year and an additional 15 percent in 2000. The American Civil Liberties Union American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), nonpartisan organization devoted to the preservation and extension of the basic rights set forth in the U.S. Constitution. of Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, brought the lawsuit in April 1998 after the West Valley Softball League complained its girl players received the worst fields, while boys' teams got the best. ``Raise the Bar was a significant step in addressing the issues that were raised on behalf of all girls in the city of Los Angeles
n. See Table at currency. [American Spanish córdoba, after Francisco Fernández de Córdoba (1475?-1526?), Spanish explorer.] Noun 1. . The class-action lawsuit has not been withdrawn, and the West Valley complaint remains unresolved, as negotiations continue toward finding a home for the 30 teams that must shuttle between four different school and city fields to practice and play. Still, Cordoba said the program has ``made a significant step in resolving these claims.'' Efforts to attract more girls include recruiting female coaches, offering free clinics, reducing player fees and adding girls to the advertising campaign for tryouts. ``It's had an incredible effect right away in this season's baseball, T-ball and softball season,'' said Steve Soboroff Steve Soboroff (born August 31, 1948) is a real estate developer and president of Playa Vista. Mr. Soboroff is the Chairperson of the Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University. , president of the Recreation and Parks Commission board. ``I always said it was marketing ignorance, not discrimination,'' he said. ``We had 1950s marketing and advertising for a year 2000 generation.'' So far this season, several parks directors said they are surprised by the turnout of girls so far this year, although no statistics were available. Among the encouraging signs are the high number of girls who have signed up for softball at parks in the North Valley District, an area including Sylmar, Sunland and Lake View Terrace, which failed to draw much interest in the past. ``In certain areas of the Valley there are tradition barriers to overcome,'' said Robin Pearson, senior director at Ritchie Valens Ritchie Valens (born Ricardo Steven Valenzuela, May 13 1941 – February 3 1959) was a pioneer of rock and roll and a forefather to the Latin Rock movement. Career Recreation Center in Pacoima. ``Girls are taught that you go into dance and your brother goes on the ball diamond. He plays basketball and you go into craft classes.'' Ritchie Valens Recreation Center now has two girls softball teams, compared with one last year, in part by lowering the fee to $25 from about $55. Pearson said he is also drumming up interest through a free girls softball clinic. A similar clinic for basketball is expected to get enough girls so they can have their own league, instead of play on co-ed teams. Large-scale promotional events are also being used. Last month, about 1,000 girls from across Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. were brought to California State University, Northridge CSUN offers a variety of programs leading to bachelor's degrees in 61 fields and master's degrees in 42 fields. The university has over 150,000 alumni. It's also home to a summer musical theater/theater program known as TADW (TeenAge Drama Workshop) that leads teenagers through an , for a softball game between the Matadors team and San Diego State University San Diego State University (SDSU), founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area (generally the City and County of San Diego), and is part of the California State University system. . Female role models Key to the city's campaign, organizers said, is to recruit more female coaches who, like Smith, act as both instructor and role model. ``Getting more girls involved in team sports is my reason for doing it,'' Smith said. One day last week, Smith got a chance to size up the Angels, all girls 9 to 12. ``That was a good throw,'' Smith said, encouraging the girls. ``If the ball comes lower, turn your gloves like this,'' Smith said to another girl who was struggling to get the ball in her new mitt. Nicole Jacob, 10, figures being on the Angels ``is just going to be cool'' and give her a chance to meet new friends, get some exercise, ``and the trophies, that's the best part.'' Her mother, Monica Jacob of Sherman Oaks, said Raise the Bar is overdue and should be widely promoted so it has a significant impact. ``They need to make it easier for girls to participate, to try it to see if they like it,'' she said. Organized programs Beyond recruiting more female coaches, more women are being sought to manage the new girls sports programs. The Balboa Sports Center recently hired Liz Lopez, a 25-year-old from Reseda, to fill the new position of sports coordinator for its girls program. The physical education teacher and former college softball College softball is softball as played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education, predominantly in the United States. College softball is played by women at the intercollegiate level, whereas college baseball is played by men. player will set up schedules, make sure games run smoothly, ensure officials arrive on time and field any complaints from players or their parents. ``A woman encouraging other women and girls to play will definitely be a big help,'' Lopez said. ``If I can get kids in there to have fun playing and everyone has a good time, then hopefully more kids will come out.'' Playing fair Finding enough fields remains a problem. A city task force is reviewing how permits are issued for fields, particularly private leagues. Organizers are striving to find homes for new girls teams while not displacing established leagues, said Los Angeles City Councilman Michael Feuer Michael Feuer (1958-)[1] is a Californian politician and lawyer. He now represents the 42nd Assembly District which includes Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and part of Los Angeles in the California State Assembly. He was elected in 2006 on the Democratic ticket. . ``The goal is to expand to the fullest extent possible,'' said Feuer, whose motion last year directed the parks department to review and enhance its girls sports programs in the wake of the ACLU suit. ``Teen sports is important because one learns a number of lessons about teamwork, responsibility and trying your best. For years and years, that was the province mostly of boys and that's not fair,'' Feuer said. Changes in the permitting process will take effect in 2000, said Gary Bear, who is leading the program for the parks department. ``We want a lot more girls to be participating at the (city) facilities,'' Bear said. ``We want them to enjoy the benefits that can be derived from sports - the working together as a team, the setting of goals. What you can learn from team sports is equally important for girls and boys.'' Keeping track of how many girls sign up at individual recreation centers is among the keys to making sure they all can find a team. As an example, a park that attracts just enough girls for one softball team will partner up with other parks in their district so leagues can be formed and teams have a variety of opponents to play, said task force member Ed Bates Bates , Katherine Lee 1859-1929. American educator and writer best known for her poem "America the Beautiful," written in 1893 and revised in 1904 and 1911. , who supervises 11 parks in the North Valley. Recruiting players Park directors are also being encouraged to work together to streamline their recruiting efforts at elementary and middle schools, he said. The city also is working with Los Angeles schools The Los Angeles School of Urbanism is an academic movement emerged during the mid-1980s, loosely based at the University of Southern California and UCLA, that poses a challenge to the dominant Chicago School of Urbanism. to combine resources, so that parks and schools can share ballfields, basketball courts and other facilities. For Chuck Chavoor, senior director of Northridge Recreation Center, the motivation to boost girls sports grew out of work he did at a treatment center for girls who were wards of the court. ``They were potential athletes. They had the ability but no role models, no leaders, and they made the wrong choices,'' Chavoor said. ``Here was wasted opportunity in their youth.'' Chavoor said he believes the values learned in athletics can carry over and have a positive impact on youngsters' study habits and relationships with their peers. ``I think it's crucial to do whatever we can to bring girls in,'' he said. ``This ACLU lawsuit is challenging us to do things toward greater opportunity and encouragement.'' PLAYING FAIR Boosting the number of girls on city sports City Sports, Inc. is an American sporting goods retailer operating mostly on the east coast of the United States. Its chief products include athletic apparel, footwear, and equipment. teams is the goal at a new parks New Parks is an area in the city of Leicester, England. It is in the west of the city, close by the county border (west of which is Glenfield. South of New Parks is the Western Parks area, and to the east is the Newfound Pool area. department program. The number of girls and boys on city baseball and softball teams in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. in 1998 shows the imbalance: GIRLS: 1,971 BOYS: 6,209 SOURCE: Los Angeles City Department of Recreation and Parks CAPTION(S): 2 Photos, Box PHOTO (1--Color) Coach and positive female role model Amy Smith teaches softball fundamentals during practice at the Balboa Sports Center. (2) The Angels softball team practices throwing and catching under the tutelage TUTELAGE. State of guardianship; the condition of one who is subject to the control of a guardian. of coach Amy Smith, part of an expansion in girls sports. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News BOX: PLAYING FAIR (see text) |
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