Sports opportunities abound for today’s women

By Rod Evans

In 1972, the year the landmark Title IX legislation to prohibit institutions that receive federal funding from practicing gender discrimination in educational programs and activities was passed, female athletes were barely a blip on the sports radar.

High schools and colleges across the country paid scant attention to offering athletic outlets to women prior to Title IX’s approval. Fast forward 36 years, and while male athletics still dominates, women athletes now enjoy a freedom to participate in sports that their mothers and grandmothers could only dream of.

According to a report by the Women In Sports Foundation, founded by legendary tennis player Billie Jean King, colleges offered a record 8.65 female sports teams per school this year (9,101 total teams), compared with just 2.5 teams per school in 1970.

In the report, the five most frequently offered collegiate sports for women are basketball, volleyball, soccer, cross country and softball. While those sports are the most popular on the nation’s campuses, they are far from the only sports in which women are making their impact felt.

Basketball

The most popular female collegiate sport, basketball is the rare female team sport in which women can play professionally, thanks to the 11-year-old WNBA.

Volleyball

Whether it’s on the beach or the hardcourt, volleyball has attracted some of the most athletically gifted women for decades. U.S. beach volleyball gold medalists Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh were two of the biggest stars at the Beijing Olympics.

Softball

The numbers for the U.S. national team don’t lie: Four Olympic gold medals, eight world championships, six Pan American Games gold medals and one World Cup gold. The U.S. is the undisputed king–make that “Queen”–of softball.

Soccer

With millions of girls playing youth soccer across the country, the sport has provided an athletic outlet for women for years. The U.S. national team is perhaps the world’s best, as evidenced by its gold medal-winning performance at the Beijing Olympics.

Tennis

The sport has produced some of America’s biggest female sports stars. From Billie Jean King to Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova to Venus and Serena Williams, tennis players have long been admired for their combination of athleticism, grace and beauty.

Track & Field

Thanks to the legendary talents of stars like Wilma Rudolph, Florence Griffith-Joyner, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Gail Devers, track & field has long served as a showcase for extraordinary female athletic ability.

Diving

Olympic champion Laura Wilkinson of The Woodlands, along with past greats such as Pat McCormick, Michele Mitchell and Kelly McCormick, have been inspirational performers and role models for countless American girls.

Golf

With a rich history of stars, including Port Arthur’s Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Nancy Lopez and Annika Sorenstam, golf has produced an abundance of world-class performers.

Fitness & Figure

One of the fastest growing sports on the scene, these competitions focus on muscular tone and femininity and are creating a whole new generation of sports stars.

Sweet 15

Former pro tennis player Zina Garrison has enjoyed many career highlights. She ranked as high as number four in the world, won gold and bronze medals at the 1988 Summer Olympics, made it to the finals at Wimbledon (1990) and was voted one of the top professionals athletes in Houston.
But celebrating the 15th anniversary of the founding of the Zina Garrison All Court Tennis Academy ranks as one of her most cherished milestones.
“I was fortunate enough 15 years ago to have the backing of the city and some major corporate sponsors who believed in me and my program,” Garrison says. “Together we came up with the name, Zina Garrison All Court Tennis Academy because it stands for being able to play on all different surfaces, competing in every aspect of life.”
The Academy serves more than 1,200 Houston youth between the ages of four and 18 every year. It is funded by grants along with corporate and individual contributions.
“I really love my job,” said Linda Elliott, who has served as CEO of the program since 2001. “Kids are my passion. I also love tennis and having a job that combines the two just works for me. The people who support the Academy and the board of directors have given us the opportunity to make a real contribution. I have to mention the amazing staff as well, they deserve all the credit for being with the kids, making it happen everyday.”
The Academy isn’t just about tennis. There are tutors available for after school work, community service requirements for participants and year-round classes on tennis and leading a healthy lifestyle. The “Have a Ball” golf tournament is held each year in April and raises about $120,000 a year, while the annual “Have a Ball “gala is scheduled for November 8th at the Westin Oaks Hotel.
Zina, who now lives in Maryland, served as a coach of the U.S. women’s Olympic tennis team in Beijing this summer. Garrison and former Olympic track star Jackie Joyner-Kersee are also training to become life coaches in hopes of taking their message to high school and college kids across the country.

—Lisa Malosky

Clear Lake Hosts Dragon Boat Regatta

If you’ve never witnessed the spectacle and pageantry of dragon boat racing, now’s your chance. More than 50 teams are expected to descend upon Pasadena Lake in Clear Lake Park for the 5th Annual Gulf Coast International Dragon Boat Regatta, scheduled for October 18-19.
Presented by the Texas Dragon Boat Association, the weekend-long festival features racing by the exotic, elaborately-painted dragon boats, along with food and cultural entertainment. The fun gets underway at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Clear Lake Park is located east of NASA on Nasa Rd. 1. For details, call 281-381-7154 or visit www.Texasdragonboat.com.

October Spotlight Event

16th Annual Amica Insurance Try Andy’s Tri
October 12, 2008
Sugar Land
The Race: 300-meter lake swim, 10-mile bike and 3-mile run
Race Director: Andy Stewart
Benefits: Cenikor
Information: 281-242-7700. www.Slfinishlinesports.com

What Makes it Cool: Point-to-point lake swim starts this event in Sugar Land’s First Colony Lake behind the Aquatic Center. The swim is followed by a flat and fast 10-mile bike course over tree-lined streets. The 3-mile run encompasses the lake and surrounding streets. Try Andy’s Tri offers a gift package that includes a Zorrell Dry-Fit shirt, finisher’s towel with race logo, and first time triathletes receive “MY FIRST TRI” medal at finish.
There are lots of prize drawings, including a round trip flight on Southwest Airlines. The race is well known for its spectator friendly course, and for being the choice of many first-time triathletes. The field is limited to 700 participants, and it is currently full. The post-race party offers pizza, sandwiches (made by Aunt Jean) and tons of other food and drink items. Hundreds of enthusiastic volunteers help make sure this event is well done.

—Text and photography by Karen Thibodeaux