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Title IX
Dear Wrestler, Coach, Fan, Mom & Dad:
I am writing to ask you to join (or continue) your fight to save Wrestling
and other Olympic sports by joining the National Advisory Board of the
National Coalition for Athletics Equity.
This organization's genesis was the Task Force to Protect Wrestling (started
by The National Wrestling Coaches Association, USA Wrestling, and other
leaders in our sport). We have joined with representatives from several
Olympic sports and even though we are less than a month old the coalition
includes; USA Wrestling, College Gymnastics
Association, American Swim Coaches Association, American Baseball Coaches
Association, College Swim Coaches Association, and The National Wrestling
Coaches Association.
We expect to add many other sports, local clubs and individuals that
recognize that sports play in important role in the development of our
nations youth.
Because of ever-increasing state and federal regulatory pressure on our
schools along with budgetary constraints, sports opportunities for our youth
are being eliminated on a large scale. The Coalition believes that this loss
is detrimental to our nation's health.
The current state and federal quota approach being imposed on our athletic
programs added to the skyrocketing cost of an education and the expense of
extra curricular activities is a deadly combination for Olympic sports. We
must fight for a fair, common sense approach to providing athletic
opportunity.
Most 501 c 3s are in the business of staying in business. We have a limited
shelf life of about 18 months and a budget of $1.5 million dollars. Those in
the amateur sports community have talked too much about their sports
problems and not acted enough.
I believe that this bipartisan coalition will help all student/athletes. We
are looking for a broad base of support and input from the national athletic
organizations and individuals such as you. Our funding comes from sports
groups, and from individual, corporate, and foundation giving. Without
direction and help from people like you, amateur sports will be severely
damaged. The NCAE is about ensuring fair sports opportunities in our schools
for
all children no matter what their, race, gender, or economic status.
Enclosed you will find our mission statement. Please contact me today.
Wrestling is counting on you!
Michael C. Copperthite
Executive Director
P.S. We will be honoring Dan Gable at a tribute dinner during the NCAAs in
March. All proceeds will go to help this endeavor.
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National Coalition for Athletics Equity (NCAE)
Mission Statement
The National Coalition for Athletics Equity (NCAE) has come together in
response to a deepening crisis in amateur sports. Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972 has resulted in tremendous progress for women athletes.
At the time Title IX was enacted there were just 31,852 women athletes in
the NCAA and fewer than 300,000 high school girls played sports. Today the
women of the NCAA number 123,556 and their little sisters in the nation's
high schools are millions strong.
Unfortunately, the manner in which Title IX is now enforced is resulting in
less, not more, athletic opportunities for young Americans, girls as well as
boys. The drive for "proportionality" on college campuses and in high
schools—athletic participation that mirrors the split between women
and men in the student body as a whole -- is resulting in few gains for
women and significant losses for men. Schools are increasingly being
presented with the choice of artificially inflating their women's
participation or finding ways to cut the number of men who compete.
Tragically, budget pressures are forcing them to choose the latter option.
NCAA data show that member institutions have on average eliminated over 10
percent of their male opportunities in the last five years-- a loss of
20,896 male athletes with a corresponding gain of just 5,816 female
athletes. Opportunities for minorities and "the non blue chip" athlete are
being reduced at an alarming rate. This fixation on numbers is divisive and
unnecessary.
The NCAE is devoted to protecting opportunities for all people with a love
of sport, regardless of their gender. Athletics not only provides a safe
after-school harbor for millions of grade school and high school children;
it opens the door to higher education for thousands as well. Sports
participation helps promote a host of benefits for the student/athlete and
for society at-large.
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Related Information
That's why the NCAE is working with the Independent Women's Forum, a
Washington, D.C.-based national women's organization, to advance a simple
message: fairness dictates that all kids who are willing to work hard should
have a chance to compete.
Title IX was passed twenty-five years ago for precisely this purpose. The
goal of the NCAE is to restore Title IX to its original intent: to stop
discrimination in sports. Period.
However, before this can happen, parents of athletes, coaches, athletic
directors and athletes themselves must be assured that opportunities for
women and girls can and will be protected without depriving men and boys of
the chance to compete. The NCAE has launched a national pubic education
campaign for precisely this purpose. Through media and public relations
outreach, a rapid-response legal team and a public and congressional
education program, we will work to see that Title IX is preserved and
protected by ending the unjust denial of opportunities to hardworking,
dedicated athletes of either sex.
Title IX has been justly celebrated as an engine of opportunity in
athletics. But the drive for proportionality is increasingly making this law
the symbol of the denial of opportunity for thousands of athletes. For Title
IX to survive, this injustice must stop.
The IWF's Project Fair Play is headed up by a woman named Jessica Gavora, a
very capable and articulate public policy authority who has been on top of
this issue for a few years. She is assigned full time on this project. She
is working hard on every angle of this issue, from minority males losing
educational opportunity, to high school boys now being cut from athletic
programs for proportionality in Florida, to the plans to use Title IX
proportionality in other areas of our schools.
The NCAE Executive Director is Michael Copperthite. Mike, who wrestled for
Tennessee in the 1980's and saw the wrestling program dropped, is committed
to this issue on a personal level. He brings several important ingredients
to our cause. He is an experienced political campaign operative, and
fund-raiser, with extensive contacts throughout the Democratic Party. He has
experience in moving public opinion, and parlaying that movement into
political and legislative action.
We believe this D.C. effort featuring the combined talents of a prominent,
politically influential, extremely capable, women's group and a broad-based
coalition reaching out to every level and sport will be a formidable force.
The full time efforts of Ms. Gavora and Mr. Copperthite will keep the ball
moving downfield. We are certain that anyone who looks at the IWF and the
NCAE will realize that both organizations are critical to a successful
campaign to stop the gender quota destruction of sport opportunities.
TO HELP AND FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL OUR NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS AT (202)
496-1298.
"Dedicated to ensuring sports opportunities for all"
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