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Here's an idea to close the gender gap

Sunday, June 23, 2002 Saginaw News

Kent Bailo talks fast, has opinions, and is not afraid to mix the two traits.

As director of the United State Girl's Wrestling Association, a group he put together himself, he just might be talking himself out of a job.

That's because someday, when women's wrestling becomes the popular high school and collegiate sport he thinks it will become, they won't need the USGWA anymore.

That's fine with him.

Bailo, who works out of his house in Ortonville, Mich., began in 1997 with a girls' wrestling state tournament in Michigan and this year had state finals in 35 states.

At the collegiate level, Bailo listed six schools with varsity women's wrestling programs and none are large, recognizable schools.

Of course, he advocates that addition of women's wrestling teams at all high schools and colleges. He's a proponent of the sport and therefore has become involved with the issues of gender equity.

He also has some interesting views on Title IX, the federal guideline that mandates equal treatment for men and women at institutions that get federal dollars.

The law is 30 years old today.

Bailo's solution is one that I had not heard before, and seems only logical.

Many college administrators argue that meeting gender equity guidelines are nearly impossible because football throws off the formula so much it's hard to get back into balance.

So, institute girls football right now, and all the ledgers get balanced almost overnight, Bailo said.

His question to me was this: How long do you think it would take to fill a women's football roster at the University of Michigan?

"Not long," he said.

"Opportunity precedes interest, not the other way around," he said.

Bailo even made a comparison with voting rights for women, noting that even after winning suffrage, the number of females who voted was relatively low.

Now, every politician knows they must cultivate the women's vote or lose elections.

Rowing is an example of opportunity preceding interest. Women's rowing programs are growing at a fast clip in the collegiate ranks as schools scramble to close the gender gap.

Some athletes are even receiving rowing scholarships without ever having participated in the sport before. However, that is giving those girls an opportunity to compete and to receive a college education, Bailo said.

The same will happen in wrestling, he said. The same is happening in women's collegiate hockey.

The same would happen in football. Or would it? Who wants to watch women play football? Yet, there are semi-pro women's teams around, and more women would join the sport if the opportunity - and scholarship money - were available.

Meanwhile, many colleges are cutting the smaller men's sports - wrestling comes to mind as one especially hard hit.

I know hindsight is 20/20, but had collegiate programs instituted the changes slowly over the last 30 years, perhaps they'd be in a better position today. t

Greg Mancina covers sports for The Saginaw News. You may reach him by calling 776-9670.