Join the Discussion I've heard lots of things regarding college men's swimming programs and Title IX. Among them are: Title IX has resulted in a loss of swimming opportunities for men - it is discriminatory. Title IX has resulted in great advances for women in many areas, including swimming in college. Title IX should not have any influence on sports in college, but it is - why? Men's swimming is the Title IX scapegoat for weak athletic directors. What do you think - is title IX the problem? Is it something else, or a combination of factors? Can it be fixed, and if so, how do we fix it?

Related Resources • Schools. Colleges, and Universities

From Other Guides • Title IX • Fairness and Discrimination

Elsewhere on the Web • Playing field still isn't level • Commission to look closely at Title IX • Title IX Opponents A Bunch of Sad Sacks • Women’s Sports Foundation Title IX Advisory

The College Swim Coaches Association of American is asking all dedicated swimming  people in the Southeast United States to help in the effort to save Men’s swimming and other Olympic sport programs.  The government has created a Commission on Opportunity in Athletics to review the Title IX law. This Title IX commission offers swimming and other sports a one-time chance to voice their views about Title IX and suggest changes to the way the law is enforced.

A Town Hall meeting on Title IX will be held in Atlanta, Ga. on Tuesday, August 27 and Wednesday, August 28. The meeting will be at the Wyndham Downtown, at 160 Spring St. The general public will have an unique chance on both days to provide information and ask questions of the commission concerning the Title IX issue.

ATLANTA: WYNDHAM DOWNTOWN TOWN HALL MEETING

• Aug. 27
  9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - Three panel discussions, each with four invited speakers
  2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Presentations by the general public
   
• Aug. 28
  9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Presentations by the general public

Swimming has lost more than 70 Division I college programs in the 30 years since Title IX was passed. Gymnastics is now down to just 20 men's college teams. Many of sports including wrestling, track and field, golf, baseball and others have also lost numerous teams. Leaders within swimming and other Olympic sports oppose "proportionality," the enforcement rule that is a strict gender quota based upon enrollment. The commission needs to hear this sentiment, and learn the stories of the thousands of athletes who have been denied opportunity due to the enforcement of Title IX.

Swimming has a great story to tell in the Southeast. Although a strong and growing sport in the Southeast, we are losing varsity college teams in the region. The commission needs to hear how the young swimmers from the region are forced to leave their states to compete in college, or, if they stay near home, must go to college without the chance to swim on the varsity level.

There will be four Town Halls across the United States. The other three will be:

• Chicago, IL (Sept. 17-18)
• Colorado Springs, CO (October 22-23)
• San Diego, CA (November 20-21)

Swimming will need a strong presence at these as well. However, the first one is in Atlanta, and this is the only one that the public will be able to speak during both days. This Town Hall will set the tone for the entire work of the commission. The Swimming and the rest of the Olympic sport community need its people to come out in force and tell its story.

Anyone who wishes to submit comments for the record of these meetings, who cannot attend in person, to do so by writing to the following  addresses:

EMAIL - Opportunityinathletics@ed.gov

Mail - Write to:  Secretary's Commission on Opportunity in Athletics
                          Office of the Commission on Opportunity in Athletics
                          U.S. Department of  Education
                          400 Maryland Ave. SW ROB-3 Room 3060
                          Washington, D.C. 20202

Please, please help us. We may never get this chance again!!!

Bob
Robert T. Groseth
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.  USA

For more information, contact Bob Groseth at 847-491-4276 or email Bob at r-groseth@northwestern.edu

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