Defenders Bridget Gleason (right) and Alexandra Troiano (left)
Opportunities for success increase for women who participate in high school athletics as a result of the implementation of Title IX, according to a November 2013 study from Yale Law School.
The study comes at a time where coverage of women in sports has been on the rise with the most recent being the Sochi Olympics. Title IX also extends to college sports as it engages more women in athletics.
Passed in 1972, Title IX requires educational institutions that accept federal funds to restrict any discrimination based on sex in different programs. Athletics is one area covered by the law and the report mentions how women who have participated in sports after its implementation have become more independent as a result of their environment.
“It is possible that by empowering women and making them more confident and independent, participating in sports appears to lead them to reject potentially patriarchal institutions such as organized religion and marriage. Feeling that they have more control over their lives, former athletes allow history and tradition to have less control,” the report said.
Based on a 2013 Equity in Athletics Data Analysis report — data collected for the Department of Education on student athlete operations — 123 female students participated for various QC varsity teams.
The head coach for the women’s soccer team, Carl Christian, highlighted that the squad has had success both on and off the field. He remarked student athletes need certain attributes to be successful in college.
“To be a successful student athlete, you got to have organizational skills. You got to have commitment. You got to have some toughness — physically and mentally,” Christian said.
Alexandra Troiano, a senior and co-captain for the team that plays defense and Bridget Gleason, a sophomore and also a defender for the team, both used strong terms to describe one another and their role on the team. They mentioned words like “tough, determined, leader, motivating and ambitious.”
Troiano felt the results of the study, specifically how individuals become more successful as a result of being active in sports, aren’t only exclusive to women, but to men as well.
“I don’t think this is true [only] for women. I think this is true for everyone and not even team sports, sports in general teach you a lot,” Troiano said.
Christian stated by participating in the team, the players get “a degree of confidence, a degree of motivation” and “an investment.” Moreover, he highlighted the success of the entire athletic department in the classroom.
“The athletics department has a GPA above 3.0 and our graduation rates are higher than that of the student body,” Christian said.
According to the 2013 Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act report, the entire athletics department featured 238 student athletes for the 2012-13 academic year. The student body at QC has, based on the 2012-13 QC Fact Book, 11,300 undergraduates and 3,913 graduate students.
Gleason recommended students should opt to join a group, even if it’s not a sports team. She stated it provides opportunities for those attending colleges in a collective group.
“If you’re not active or you’re not an athlete, just join something. Be a part of something,” Gleason said. “Make something of yourself in college.”
