Tucker Center Newsletter, 2014 Fall
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Tucker Center Nonprofit Org. School of Kinesiology U.S. Postage University of Minnesota PAID 1900 University Avenue SE • 203 Cooke Hall Minneapolis, MN 55455 Minneapolis, MN Permit No. 155 FALL 2014 Tucker Center Collaborates with espnW to Letter from the Director Develop Innovative Educational Content A new semester has begun, a new fall season is just beginning and change is in This summer we an insider perspective the air. Our Distinguished Lecture Series collaborated with espnW on how a championship highlights the dramatic changes occurring to develop relevant and team culture is created. throughout collegiate sports. While critics in-depth discussion guides In order to highlight of big-time intercollegiate athletics applaud for the Emmy-nominated the rich film content, the such recent developments as a “pay for Nine for IX film series. Nine for IX Knowledge play” model that reflects the realities of an This unprecedented series Center—an innovative increasingly profit driven model, others features nine documentaries resource center for Dr. Mary Jo Kane about pioneering female college administrators, lament that such change—focused primarily athletes and women’s coaches, educators and on football and men’s basketball—will end the traditional and sports directed by Oscar- student-athletes—was time-honored student-athlete educational model and mission. nominated, Emmy and created on espnW.com. As a leading research center dedicated to girls’ and women’s full Peabody Award-winning Laura Gentile, Vice participation in sports, we have been asked about the impact of women filmmakers. It President of espnW (a brand these changes on women’s sports in general and Title IX protections premiered in 2013 as part extension of ESPN serving in particular. Join us on Tuesday, October 21st when a panel of of ESPN’s celebration of the women who love sports leading experts will share their insights and suggestions for how TuckerCenter.org 40th anniversary of Title available across television, rapidly moving legal and governance issues may impact the brave IX. The films include stories films, events, and digital new world of college sports. about Venus Williams’ and social platforms) stated In the midst of change some things remain very much the SAVE THE DATES! same. The Tucker Center continues to be at the forefront of research and educational outreach initiatives both nationally The 5th Annual Tucker and locally. Our partnership with tptMN—where we produced Center Film Festival will a groundbreaking documentary, “Media Coverage and Female be held the first week of Athletes”—has been awarded a Regional Emmy. A second February to celebrate collaboration, this time with espnW and spearheaded by Associate National Girls & Women in Director Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi, resulted in the creation of the Nine Sport Day. We are currently for IX Knowledge Center. This unique center serves as a repository for timely and insightful material related to the award-winning accepting submissions at our Nine for IX film series developed by espnW in 2013 to honor the website tuckercenter.org fight for equal pay at about the Nine for IX 40th anniversary of Title IX. Wimbledon, the largely series, “espnW continues to Speaking of being at the forefront, on the next page you unknown history of figure innovate by working closely will learn about two major studies we conducted regarding the skater Katarina Witt and her with industry thought- occupational employment status of females in head coaching link with East Germany’s leaders like the Tucker positions in intercollegiate athletics. Did you know that in the wake secret police, legendary Center to create the Nine of Title IX, there has been a dramatic decline in the number of women’s basketball coach for IX Knowledge Center. female head coaches nationwide from 90% prior to its passage to Pat Summitt, the 1999 Since we launched our just under 40% currently? In order to bring attention to this rather Women’s World Cup original Nine for IX Films alarming trend, the Tucker Center developed a “report card” system team, and “selling sex” last summer, we’ve been and assigned a failing or passing grade to each of the 76 Division I in marketing campaigns inspired by the positive featuring elite female feedback we’ve received and sports programs which make up the Big Five athletic conferences Given the overwhelmingly such as the Big 10 and the SEC. positive feedback on our athletes. All films provide the desire of our fans to engaging, informative, continue the conversation.” We look to and honor our past in the Learning our first-ever Women Coaches relevant, and timely content This Center offers Legacy column on page 2 which features the experiences, Symposium (WCS), we are for a variety of classroom film trailers, summaries, accomplishments, and contributions of five amazing women making it an annual event. and athletic team purposes. discussion guides and a who are African American sport pioneers. Reading about their For updated information For example, The ‘99ers simple sign-up to receive a respective histories I am once again reminded that change is on the April 2015 WCS, explores how women’s soccer free Nine for IX DVD set. inevitably and importantly connected to our past. Finally, to keep current on all of the work we do at the speakers and program, go to in particular, and women’s A critical component of the sport in general, has gone Knowledge Center is the Tucker Center on behalf of girls and women, their families, and our website at tuckercenter. through dramatic social development of discussion communities, visit us at tuckercenter.org and follow us via social org or our Facebook page at change since the 1999 World guides designed to generate media. Happy fall! facebook.com/tuckercenter. Cup, and also provides “espnW Collaboration” cont’d page 3 page 2 Research Update: Reports on the Employment Status of Women Coaches One of the Tucker Center’s sports conferences (ACC, BIG primary lines of research 10, Big 12, Big East, PAC 12, involves women in sport SEC). Over a one-year period, leadership positions in general the percentage of women head and coaching positions in coaches declined from 40.2% in particular. To date, we have 2012-13 to 39.6% in 2013-14. released four groundbreaking In addition, only one school research reports (outlined from the entire sample—the below) that document the University of Cincinnati at status of women head coaches 80%—was awarded an A for at various levels of sport. We its percentage of women head were inspired to engage in coaches. Nine (11.8%) of the 76 this particular research due to institutions examined received a an alarming statistical trend failing grade. regarding the occupational employment status of women: Forty plus This summer, we completed two additional reports that document years after the passage of Title IX, the percentage of females coaching the percentage of women coaches at the NCAA Division-III level in women’s sports at the collegiate level nationwide has declined from the 13 schools belonging to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic 90+% pre-Title IX to less than 40% currently. Conference (MIAC), and also within the Minnesota State High School To address this dramatic decline, the Tucker Center developed a Coaches Association (MSHSCA). Compared to the Division-I data report card system and assigned a grade to each NCAA institution in highlighted above, the percentage of female head coaches in the MIAC our college sample, in order to explore how each academic institution was slightly lower (38.1%), while MSHSCA was slightly higher (42.1%). fared when it came to the number of females who served as head The important (and disappointing) finding is that across all three coaches in their respective athletic departments. This approach allowed datasets, women head coaches at every level of competition remain in us to highlight the importance of the issue, generate public awareness, the minority. provide a catalyst for a national dialogue, and offer a publicly available To read and download the research reports, as well as the report accountability mechanism as we move forward. card infographic—and to see which of the 76 D-I and 13 D-III In December 2013, we released the Women in College Coaching institutions received passing or failing grades—visit our website at Research Series and Report Card in collaboration with the Alliance of tuckercenter.org. This link also gives you the opportunity to match Women Coaches (AWC), an organization dedicated to increasing the your passion with our mission by donating to the Women in Sport number of women in the coaching profession. We examined data from Leadership Research Fund, a fund dedicated to equity and education 2012-2014 on the number of female coaches in women’s sports from throughout the sports world. This fund will help us release a new all 76 “big time” NCAA Division I athletic programs in the six largest Division I Report Card this coming December. Learning Our Legacy: Twin Cities Metro Area African American Women Sport Pioneers It’s a good day when you get to meet and interact with just one amazing pioneer in women’s sport. But when you get to hear a whole panel...well that’s a great day! Last August, Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi was invited to attend the newly formed Sports & Education Alliance’s monthly breakfast to listen to Twin Cities-area women’s sport pioneers talk about their experiences. This amazing group of African American women span decades but share a very common bond: The love of basketball, a game they all played at the collegiate level and which has inextricably drawn them together and shaped their lives. They are a testament to the tremendous potential of sports to be transformative, empowering, and instrumental in shaping developmental outcomes and positive life trajectories.