The USA Women’s Soccer team made history today, winning their 4th Women’s World Cup. There have only been 8 World Cup competitions to date!
Besides their incredible dedication to training, the passage of the Title IX law in America has helped. Title IX basically turned the American educational system into the world’s most successful women’s sport development organization. Our youths have benefited from the equal institutional support, professional development and education that Title IX law provides.
Though Title IX was controversial at the time, its passage was at a time when school-based athletic programs for girls was virtually non-existent. For example, in 1972 there were only 700 girls playing high school level soccer in the USA. Recent 2018 numbers show an impressive increase to 390,482 high school girls playing soccer. This recent win by the USA Women’s team no doubt will only continue to fuel the increase of this number.
Nearly 50 years after title IX became law, a generation of women has reaped the benefits of institutional support, professional development and education that the law provides, and many of them have gone on to successful athletic careers. Those careers were made by policy: title IX effectively turned the American education system into the world’s most successful women’s sporting development organization. The success story of women’s sports under title IX shows how marginalized groups can be given opportunities through policy interventions; how the talents and passions of individuals can be fostered when they have institutional support.