The challenges of reporting on women's tennis

[vu72]

 I originally posted something not terribly flattering about a recent 7-0 loss to Western Michigan.  Apparently I can't remove a topic which I started so I just deleted the message.

These young ladies, no doubt are trying very hard to win.  I certainly would never demean their efforts and if anyone read the message I apologize.   

[wh]

Is it not enough that Title IX's "proportionality standards" are unfairly destroying male collegiate athletic programs across the country?  Now we have to apply separate standards for judging athletic performance?  If the athletes are male, it's ok to criticize the results.  If they're female, we're limited to applauding the effort; otherwise, we're meanies.   

The Title IX activist campaign against men's sports

Now, '72, whoever whined about your post really has something to get their knickers in a knot about.  You're welcome! 

[vu72]

Thanks wh.  The video was instructive.  I didn't know, or had forgotten the "proportional" rules.  It is another good reason why schools like Valpo continue to have football teams, as it adds males to the school body mix.  Valpo is 52% female, 48% male.  That's pretty good.  Butler, for example, is now 61% female.  That is a big problem for them.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

That is a big problem for them

except in recruiting

[usc4valpo]

I think Title IX needs to be revisited because in the grand scheme of things it is not producing fair results.  Several successful wrestling programs have been removed because of a required balance of programs that is likely not needed.

In the 70's, there was a need for balance.  I believe today there is a need for what is necessary and what makes sense. Besides meeting Title IX standards, why is there a collegiate women's tennis program necessary at Valpo?  Do students go to Valpo because of women's tennis? 

[FWalum]

Being involved with both High School and College athletics, I know a lot of young ladies who were excellent athletes in High School who chose not to play college athletics even at the D1 level.  I can think of one right off the top of my head that is currently at VU, perhaps even some of the posters or viewers on this forum know her.  After leading her team to a state championship, and some other state statistical categories, she decided not to play ball despite being pursued by a number of schools.  Being very academically minded and not seeing a future in professional sports she is concentrating on an international business degree and is a top 4.0 student just as she was in high school. In other words she is still very competitive just not in college athletics. I can't think of very many young men receiving offers that did not play collegiality.

[valpopal]

It would be interesting if there were an attempt to impose proportionality upon all academic departments as rigidly as in athletics and include those units in the arts that are predominantly female. Also, I have always thought that every university should be permitted to count groups like the cheerleaders and Crusaderettes toward the proportionality numbers as sports participants. Have you ever watched the gymnastic tumbling moves of the cheerleaders?

[ValpoFan]

Imagine if the valpo admissions office had to apply title IX to balance the female/male enrollments at the university.
Imagine telling a young woman that she has what it takes to succeed in college but she won't have that chance because there are only X men, and therefore only X women will be admitted!!!!

That's exactly what title IX does to young men who are golfers, swimmers, wrestlers, or even soccer players.

[VULB#62]

It would be interesting if there were an attempt to impose proportionality upon all academic departments as rigidly as in athletics and include those units in the arts that are predominantly female. Also, I have always thought that every university should be permitted to count groups like the cheerleaders and Crusaderettes toward the proportionality numbers as sports participants. Have you ever watched the gymnastic tumbling moves of the cheerleaders?

According to a  business associate, his daughter is on a full ride to Michigan State as a cheerleader.  I don't think that is calculated in Title IX mix, but schools that make big buck$ have the discretionary funds to underwrite stuff like....... pretty, athletic cheering squads.

[a3uge]

Thanks wh.  The video was instructive.  I didn't know, or had forgotten the "proportional" rules.  It is another good reason why schools like Valpo continue to have football teams, as it adds males to the school body mix.  Valpo is 52% female, 48% male.  That's pretty good.  Butler, for example, is now 61% female.  That is a big problem for them.

I feel like "we're 61% female" would be a great thing to advertise to 17 year old high school boys.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Thanks wh.  The video was instructive.  I didn't know, or had forgotten the "proportional" rules.  It is another good reason why schools like Valpo continue to have football teams, as it adds males to the school body mix.  Valpo is 52% female, 48% male.  That's pretty good.  Butler, for example, is now 61% female.  That is a big problem for them.

I feel like "we're 61% female" would be a great thing to advertise to 17 year old high school boys.

That is a big problem for them

except in recruiting

[bbtds]

Specifically, about Butler, I believe their majors in general tend to attract females. Butler's theater, dance and vocal performance majors tend to attract females in greater numbers than males. Also their pharmacy major which was once a male dominated field has swung to a fairly neutral field as far as male/female numbers. As I've mentioned in the past whenever I go into a pharmacy in the Indy area I see a lot of Butler pharmacy majors working with the registered pharmacists. In my neighborhood, at least, there seem to be more females working in the pharmacy that have "Butler University" printed on their white smocks.