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Boosters brace for life under ‘gender equity’
By Chris Joyner 6/23/2001
Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer
MARIETTA — Kathy Albright, president of the North Cobb High School Takedown Club, was unconcerned when the Cobb County School District asked her to fill out some forms documenting how much money the booster club raised for the North Cobb wrestling team.
“I just thought it was another financial form,” she said. “I wasn’t really aware why I was filling it out.”
But now she’s worried after finding out the Cobb school system plans to regulate athletic booster club donations to make sure girls’ sports are getting the same support as the boys.
“It’s crazy to make it harder to give,” Ms. Albright said. “It’s hard enough to [raise money] as it is.”
But school officials say they have no choice. A law passed by the Georgia General Assembly last year requires school districts to begin this summer reporting financial information detailing the amount spent on boys’ and girls’ sports as part of a push for “gender equity” to bring the state into compliance with Title IX, a 1972 law requiring schools provide equal athletic opportunities for both sexes.
System athletic director Tom Price, the district’s gender equity czar, said the change in county policy is “new territory” and no one is sure exactly how it will work.
In the simplest terms, the new policy means school will be required to make sure girl and boy athletes get the same amount of support in goods and services. The policy also means the system will keep a running tally — boys on one side, girls on the other.
If schools get out of balance in private donations to athletics, the school system may be forced to turn down some of the contributions.
“If you are going to buy brand new uniforms every year for the boys, you need to buy them for the girls,” Price said.
Sounds simple, but Ms. Albright is skeptical that her club’s traditional donors will be so willing to open their wallets if she cannot assure them they will be supporting wrestling instead of providing parity funds for girls gymnastics.
“Everybody has their own interests,” she said. “A lot of the businessmen out here may have been wrestlers in high school. That’s why they want to contribute.”
And the accounting can get a little tricky too. Weight rooms, practice fields and some equipment can be used by both male and female athletes, but in such cases state rules require the system to “prorate” shared resources.
The explanation of how to do this could give a school’s athletic director math anxiety. In the State Department of Education’s “Gender Equity in Sports Resource Manual,” a van donated by a booster club to the school’s athletic programs serves as the example on prorating shared resources.
“For example, if the van was donated for both the boys and girls sports programs, the school should estimate the percentage use by each and include those amounts,” the manual states.
“If the van is valued at $40,000 and was used 75 percent of the time for boys teams and 25 percent of the time for girls team, then $30,000 will be added to the male column for transportation and $10,000 will be added to the female column for transportation.”
Along with transportation, the county will be required to assign dollar values and keep track of coach’s pay, tutoring for athletes, publicity and facility construction in separate “male” and “female” columns.
The new policy is already ruffling the feathers of some who think it unfairly picks on sports.
“If you look at a high school most other activities are female dominated,” said Wheeler High School wrestling coach Steve Lattizori said.
At his school, Lattizori said the marching band, chorus, student government and many of the clubs are heavy with female participation. But that is not taken into account when it comes to the gender equity law.
Coaches of boys sports are afraid of losing the support of their booster clubs in the wake of the new accounting policy.
The North Cobb Takedown Club, which Ms. Albright described as “in a rebuilding period,” contributed about $5,000 to the high school’s wrestling program last year. That’s not much when compared to some programs at other high schools, she said.
Lattizori said his Wheeler team could not survive without booster club donations.
“It’s very important,” he said. “My budget doesn’t even cover entry fees and referees.”
The board will vote to receive the new policy at its June 28 board meeting. Final approval by the board is expected at its July 26 meeting.
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2001 U.S. World Team Trials Coverage
Intermat June 22-24
Cintas Center
Cincinnati, Ohio
Click On A Weight Class To View The Complete Bracket For Each Weight
(Brackets Will Be Updated Throughout The Tournament
46 kg/101.25 lbs. Championship Bracket
51 kg/112.25 lbs. Championship Bracket
56 kg/123.25 lbs. Championship Bracket
62 kg/136.25 lbs. Championship Bracket
68 kg/149.75 lbs. Championship Bracket
75 kg/165.25 lbs. Championship Bracket
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Quotes from the winners of the Championship Series from the World Team Trials in Cincinnati
6/24/01
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling
119 GR - Brandon Paulson
“I made a few changes, escaped, got him down and felt confident with my reverse lift. I felt good the whole tournament. I peaked at the right time. I relaxed more this year. I was more prepared mentally. I want to thank the Minnesota Storm and JR Wrestling Products for help and support.”
127.75 GR - Jim Gruenwald
“That’s what I prayed for, two in a row. I kept my game plan. In the past, I lost because I gave up points in the first two minutes. I tried to exercise excellence. I watched tapes of him a lot to get ready.”
138.75 – Kevin Bracken
“I just wanted to be conservative on my feet. I wanted to get him in par terre and take advantage. I have been working in practice on my par terre. When I walked off the mat, my coach said to win the worlds in New York. I’ve beaten a lot of top guys in the world. Now I want hardware.”
152 GR - Marcel Cooper
“All these years, I’ve been wrestling since I was five years old. Now I get to compete at the Worlds. It was all mental in the finals. It’s the second time I’ve gone three times. I used more focus. Thank God.”
167.5 GR Keith Sieracki
“I’ve been waiting for so long. I’m going to go out and prove to everybody that I should have been in the Olympics in 2000 by going out and winning a medal.”
187.25 GR - Matt Lindland
“I’m feeling good. It was less stressful that last year’s Trials. I’m in a new weight class with different opponents. It’s a whole new deal. Dan is very intimidating. I knew I could wrestle with him. I’ve looked past things in the past. I had to focus on the Trials here.”
213.75 GR - Garrett Lowney
“Last year was an amazing feeling. I wasn’t expected to be on the team. This year, we will see about New York City. I know I can accomplish my goal and win it in New York City.”
286 GR - Rulon Gardner
“It’s just the beginning. I feel pretty good now. I picked myself up, to challenge myself. I had good movement out there. I have a loss this year, I was beaten by a Hungarian. I want to claim the title again and win it in New York City.”
101.25 W - Tricia Saunders
“It was a tough match for me. I tore my ribs in the first match today. The doctors helped me so I didn’t have to forfeit. I did not have my best preparation, but she’s a tough wrestler. I’m looking forward to New York.”
112.25 W - Stephanie Murata
“I tried coaching and training at the same time. I need to change strategies, because we wrestle each other so many times. I hope to stay ahead of her.”
123.75 W - Tina George
“I just wanted to get it over quick and go home. I’m very excited. It’s about time to have the worlds here. I have to keep refocusing and staying calm.”
136.5 W - Sara McMann
“She’s a real lanky wrestler, so I hit everything solid and fast. I had to make sure to hit everything solid. It’s in New York. My family can come and so can my friends. I love to have my family there to watch me.”
149. 75 W - Tocarra Montgomery
“I’m 18 years old. I’m disappointed in my last match, but I won. I’ve been training hard and I deserve this.”
165.25 W - Iris Smith
“I’m excited, it’s right here in our back yard. I try not to look ahead. There were some new girls in the class; I just got ready and waited.
119 FS - Stephen Abas
“I can’t describe my excitement. Finally!! I’ve waited my whole life for this. I’m ready to move up to a new level. Akin is a great competitor. I only beat him twice, today is a first for me. Now I want to have some fun in New York.”
127.25 – Eric Guerrero
“Train, train, train before New York City! I looked at myself in the mirror after the 1st match. I really learned something about myself.”
138.75 FS - Bill Zadick
“It’s great (making my first team). Having it in New York will be great. It was a good win. I am never really satisfied. I’m going to start working for the Worlds.”
152 FS - Chris Bono
“Making my first time feels good. I’ll put it behind me and go out and try to win a meda. That was my approach for the weekend. I was prepared for Ramico. I wasn’t scoring. I worked to get him tired and pull him down. I’ve taken second a lot. I have trained for McIlravy. I’m ready for anybody in the world.”
167.5 FS - Joe Williams
“It feels good to be back on the World Team. I go out to wrestle to give my best and have fun. I’m feeling really good going into the Worlds. I hit more action on my feet.”
187.25 FS - Cael Sanderson
“I’m pretty happy right now. It was tough. Eggum is very tough. I’m happy with the way things turned out. I have weaknesses. I need to get better on the mat. I’ll focus on that before New York City.”
213.75 FS - Dominic Black
“It does feel good to come back again. I came back out and won two in a row. It took a lot of confidence. I’m going to New York City. I put off my class for the Army to be able to compete there.”
286 FS – Kerry McCoy
“I didn’t wrestle in the second match. The clinch call made that match. I realized I didn’t wrestle the way I always do. I came out and took advantage in the third match. My mom sent me a note between matches, which helped me realize that things are in God’s hands and it came through for me.”