The recent Title IX conference at Northwestern University features L to R: Christine Brennan; Kristina Minor, Kate Drohan, Janna Blais, Kelly Amonte Hiller.

“There is not anything that empowers girls and women the way sports do,” says Donna Lopiano, President and Founder of Sports Management Resources, at the recent conference, “Title IX at 50: Past, Present, Future,” spanning three days of events at Northwestern University.

““There is not anything that empowers girls and women the way sports do,” says @DonnaLopiano, President and Founder of Sports Management Resources, at the recent conference, @NUTitleIX50 spanning three days of events at @NorthwesternU. #TitleIX #genderequity”

Lopiano was speaking to a crowd of more than 200 students, faculty, university administrators and area residents about equity, leadership, inspiration and mentorship, at one of three panels moderated by USA Today columnist Christine Brennan.

“Title IX is a law about producing better citizens” says Brennan, also a CNN commentator, alum of NU ‘s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications and member of NU’s Board of Trustees. “This is not just about sports. It’s a mindset. This is about our cultural, national history,” Brennan says.

““Title IX is a law about producing better citizens” says @Cbrennansports, also a CNN commentator, alum of NU ‘s @MedillSchool, and member of NU’s Board of Trustees. “This is not just about sports. It’s a mindset.” #femaleempowerment #NUTitleIX50 ”

Adapted in 1972, Title IX states, “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.”

With Title IX as the norm, Brennan says, “We will feel more comfortable voting for women for Senate. A common denominator for many women leading this nation is they played sports because of Title IX.”

Unfortunately adherence to Title IX is not the norm, with “90% of institutions not in compliance,” says Lopiano, sharing the stage with Ketra Armstrong, Professor of Sport Management at the University of Michigan; and Amy Wilson, Managing Director of Inclusion at NCAA.

To push for Title IX accountability requires the involvement not just of student athletes, parents and coaches, but also of administrators, funders, policy makers and citizens.

“To push for #TitleIX accountability requires the involvement not just of student athletes, parents and coaches, but also of administrators, funders, policy makers and citizens.”

“There is a role for everyone to play,” says Armstrong, also Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, and Director of the Center for Race & Ethnicity in Sport in the School of Kinesiology at UM. The good news, she says, is, “We’re saying things out loud that we used to whisper.”

To address the issues of gender and racial inequities in sports and beyond, Armstrong says, “No matter what domain you are in, (Title IX) is creating an environment where women can thrive.” She adds that the question needs to be, “How do you create a culture where everyone can rise together?”

Representation across all identities including gender and race are critical. “We can’t be what we can’t see,” says Armstrong. “We have failed because we have not nurtured Black girls and socialized them into sports.”

“#Representation across all identities including #gender and race are critical. “We can’t be what we can’t see,” says @UMKines professor Ketra Armstrong. “We have failed because we have not nurtured Black girls and socialized them into sports.””

Another panel discussion featuring Kelly Amonte Hiller, NU Lacrosse Head Coach; Janna Blais, NU Deputy Director of Athletics; Kate Drohan, NU Softball Head Coach; and Kristina Minor, NU Senior Associate Athletics Director for Compliance, was focusing on mentorship and the role of Title IX and sports in the trajectories of women leaders.

“It’s not just the law, it’s the right thing to do,” Minor says. The life lessons she gathered playing tennis in high school and college apply to her life after law school and beyond as a leader.

“Title IX really wasn’t about the sport, but it was the foundation for everything else. You learn how to fail beautifully and move forward,” Minor says.

Blais tells the audience that included the girls’ flag football team from Lane Tech High School, that access to sports for everyone can influence who they are and help form who they become.

“I had a softball coach who held up a ball and said, ‘This little ball can change your life. With it, I found resilience and perseverance. All the things that I need in my job today are because of that softball.”

She adds, “I learned how to compromise. How that translates when you are in a boardroom, is you ask, “Do I belong here?” Because of sports, she says, she knows, “I have the ability to stand up and speak. I have learned how to speak in these rooms because of the lessons I learned in sports.”

“ Because of sports, @JannaBlais says, “I have the ability to stand up and speak. I have learned how to speak in these rooms because of the lessons I learned in sports.” #femaleleaders #TitleIX”

NCAA reports, “In Gallup’s 2020 study of nearly 5,000 former NCAA student-athletes and 69,000 nonathlete graduates from the same colleges about their college experiences and current well-being. on the college experiences and life outcomes of college graduates who competed in NCAA athletics in Divisions I, II or III, data showed NCAA student-athletes engaged in important undergraduate experiences at higher rates than their nonathlete peers. Former student-athletes were also more likely to be thriving in many post-college domains.”

Blais says she gives back as a mentor to other student athletes as well as to coaches and leaders. “Inspire is my favorite word in the English language.”

Drohan, who has gained national recognition for the winning record of NU’s women’s softball teams, says, “When we talk about women, we do not want to teach them to be afraid, we want to teach them to be brave.” She adds that sports taught her, “When you hit adversity you look within. You learn how to believe in yourself and be vulnerable.”

The leadership lessons Drohan shares from sports can be applied to leadership in any industry. “I know my mission is to create an environment where people can go and make mistakes, and it’s OK to look within, OK to falter and amazing to get back up.”

“The #leadership #lessons @Katedrohan shares from sports can be applied to leadership in any industry: “I know my mission is to create an environment where people can go and make mistakes, and it’s OK to look within, OK to falter and amazing to get back up.””

Community and support in organizations is also key to women succeeding as leaders, the panelists concur. “Some things you can’t be taught, but you can listen and watch someone work. Find organizations to join so you don’t have to struggle to find your way,” Minor says.

Later a panel of five former NU student athletes explain the impact sports has had on their lives in a panel moderated by Meghan McKeown, a former NU women’s basketball player who graduated in 2014.

“Being given a platform now and being involved in this is completely different than what happened in 1995 when I arrived here,” says Dionna Latimer-Hearn, who played soccer at NU until he graduated in 1999. “In 2022, I can see progress. I am not the afterthought I was.”

“Title IX broke the mold,” says Latimer-Hearn. “We’re not here to repeat. We’re here to build upon the past.”

Chinazo Opia Cunningham, who graduated from NU in 1990, after playing softball there since 1986, says compliance to Title IX in universities, business and industry “must move beyond checking the box.”

Opia Cunningham adds, “It is not enough to take pictures and have mission statements. It’s who is at the table, who’s in leadership. You have to show the changes structurally across the organization.”

McKeown, a broadcast analyst for Big Ten Network, and contributing broadcast analyst at ESPN, agrees much progress has been made in the five decades of Title IX. Moving ahead, she says, “It is so important to have mentors.”

“@MeghanMcKeown_, a broadcast analyst for @BigTenNetwork, and contributing broadcast analyst at @ESPN, agrees much progress has been made in the five decades of #TitleIX. Moving ahead, she says, “It is so important to have #mentors.””

Opia Cunningham says she encourages women and girls to support each other in sports and life. “Make sure you know you are not alone. In all of your life, surround yourself with those who can problem solve. Have mentors to help you through.”

The three-day event kicked off Thursday with a panel including Mary Carillo, a former Grand Slam mixed doubles champion with partner John McEnroe, and analyst and Contributor at NBC, HBO and the Tennis Channel; and Katrina Adams, former CEO of United States Tennis Association, former chair of the U.S. Open, Fed Cup and Gender Equality in Tennis Committee. Melissa Isaacson, assistant professor at Medill, and organizer of the event, served as moderator.

The history of Title IX was the topic for a Friday panel moderated by Medill Professor Ava Greenwell, diving into how it eventually “became the primary means of redress for gender-based violence within American universities.” Panelists included Sherry Boschert, author of the 2022 book, 37 Words: Title IX and Fifty Years of Fighting Sex Discrimination; Nancy Cantalupo, Associate Professor, Wayne State University and Allison Robinson, Postdoctoral Fellow, New-York Historical Society.

The passage of Title IX and its impact on women’s career was the topic for a subsequent Friday panel moderated by Danielle Bell, Assistant Professor, Northwestern University including all NU alums, Tamara Bohlig, Board Director, Chief Marketing Officer, Axos Financial, Inc.; Aminah Charles, Head of Sports Marketing, Beats by Dre; Jasmine Lipford, Head of Marketing, NBA G League; and Kate Smith, Assistant Athletic Director, Northwestern University.

“I had high expectations, and this has touched such a nerve, not just with women, but with all students, faculty, community and high school students,” Isaacson said at the close of the conference Saturday.

Caryn Ward, associate professor at Medill, who served on the event’s committee, said, “We absolutely accomplished our mission to look at the past, where we’ve been, where it stands now and what work still needs to be done.”

“@Carynward123, associate professor at @MedillSchool who served on the @NUTitleIX50 committee, said, “We absolutely accomplished our mission to look at the past, where we’ve been, where it stands now and what work still needs to be done.” #TitleIX50 #genderequity”

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Michele Weldon is editorial director of Take The Lead, an award-winning author, journalist, emerita faculty in journalism at Northwestern University and a senior leader with The OpEd Project. @micheleweldon www.micheleweldon.com

Title IX at 50: Sports Drive and Inspire Women Leaders to C-Suites

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