Thursday, December 10, 2009

Invitational in DC to focus on athletics and equity

We can tell there has been the proverbial changing of the guard in Washington in many ways including the upcoming and inaugural Title IX Holiday Invitational and Conference Classic. Part of its goal is to "celebrate the fact that the Nation’s Capitol is focusing on raising gender equity and program parity with national norms and best practices."
The conference part of the program is on Sunday, December 27. Registration for adults is $15 and only $2.50 for students with IDs. The conference is being facilitated by Phyllis Lerner, a Title IX educator and public policy expert.
The basketball tournament runs from the 28th until the 30th and features some of the best girls' basketball teams in their respective states.
According to the website, the goals of the conference and invitational are to :

Showcase: the academic and athletic accomplishments of our visiting state champions;
Increase: awareness of, interest in and access to the benefits of school based team sports from the elementary to post secondary level;
Educate: parents, players, coaches, administrators and legislators about the need for increased Title IX awareness and compliance.
Learn: about the tools and techniques used to attract and produce academic and athletic champions (national norms and best practices).
Empower: female student athletes, coaches and parents to advocate for program parity and Title IX compliance.