Volleyball | 6/22/2022 8:14:00 AM

Thursday, June 23 is the 50th anniversary of Title IX, which was a federal civil rights law that states: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."
The landmark legislation opened the doors for girls to compete in athletics. This week, to celebrate the anniversary of Title IX, MSUM Athletics is running essays from three female athletes – two from the past and one current Dragon – to talk about the impact this law had on their participation in sports.
The second essay is from MSUM Hall of Famer Sara Lee, who was a three-sport athlete for the Dragons in the 1980s. The Moorhead native was inducted into the MSUM Sports Hall of Fame in 1995 and the NSIC Hall of Fame in 2016. Lee was promoted to Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Athletics/Senior Woman Administrator at Denison University in Ohio in April. She was head women's basketball coach at Denison for 33 years.

By Sara Lee
In 1972, the passing of Title IX opened doors and removed barriers for girls and women in sport.  This law has had a great impact on my life as it allowed me, as a nine-year-old girl, to follow my passion, have strong female role models, and to pursue a successful career in athletics as a player, coach, and administrator.  The life lessons I have learned, and the relationships forged through participation in athletics have been cherished throughout my lifetime.
The following are IX of the most memorable events that Title IX made possible in my life and what this law has provided me, and thousands of others just like me. 

1. 1975 – In sixth grade, I was given my first opportunity to go watch a collegiate women's basketball team (Minnesota State University Moorhead) play. This experience, and many more like it, gave me an opportunity early on in my life to see college women play sports and offered women role models to admire.

 

2. 1976 – I started attending Girls Only sports camps at MSU Moorhead, Concordia and Ottertail. Coed camps were fun and allowed me to compete; however, being surrounded by so many young girls wanting to compete was thrilling and gave me the confidence to do what I enjoyed.

 

3. 1977 –1982 – Having mainly female coaches and PE teachers in junior high and high school allowed me to see a potential career that interested me early on and gave me female role models and leaders to emulate (Fellow MSUM Alum and Hall of Famers MaryAnn Donnay and Karin Schumacher were two of them).

 

4. 1982 – Being a part of the first generation of female student-athletes to be recruited to play on a college sports team and earn an athletic scholarship provided me with multiple college options. Ultimately, I choose MSUM because I could play three sports while still getting a quality education. 

 

5. 1987 – The opportunities provided by the scope of Title IX allowed me to develop a career in athletics, working side-by-side with my male counterparts both as a coach and as an administrator.  It was during this time that I was now being judged on my ability and not my gender.

 

6. 1989 – Hired by Denison University to be their Head Women's Volleyball and Women's Basketball Coach was where I was first provided with a platform to help other girls and young women to gain confidence and learn valuable life lessons through their sporting experiences.

 

7. 1998 – Equal access to professional growth and leadership roles have been influenced by a greater presence of women in the field of sport. The ability to be promoted and be seen as an asset and leader in the teaching and coaching profession has given me a greater voice in advancing diversity and inclusion efforts and the continued fight for equality within our school, community and beyond.

 

8. 2008 – An opportunity to coach women's collegiate basketball teams during the summer months within the USA Athletic International program provided me and the players with cultural experiences abroad.

 

9. Most Importantly, this law and its 37 words have enriched my life by providing me the opportunities to surround myself with strong, brilliant, and aspiring girls and women.  These are relationships I will treasure forever!