Opinion: Discrimination alive and shameful on Tahoe fields
By Kathryn Reed
Walk onto a tennis court or dive into a swimming pool – it doesn’t matter what sex you are. The net is the same height, the lines spaced the same; 50 meters is 50 meters.
Walk onto a boys’ baseball field and girls’ softball field – the differences are noticeable because of the pitchers’ mound and the distance between the bases.
Who cares?
No one, probably, when it comes to just these differences.
Who cares about the balance of opportunities offered the two genders as well as the quality of facilities?
A whole heck of a lot of people.
Title IX makes people care, or at least pay attention to potential and real differences, even when they don’t want to. The same goes for California Assembly Bill 2404.
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.
That’s what Title IX, the landmark law signed by President Richard Nixon on June 23, 1972, says.
Personal impact
I had just finished first grade when the president signed that law which will be 40-years-old next month. I knew who Nixon was. I was living just outside of Washington, D.C., that year – even went to his inauguration the following January. But I didn’t know what Title IX was. I don’t know when I first knew about it.
The Babe Ruth field where the STHS boys' varsity team plays comes with an announcers' booth, snack shack and ample seating for spectators. Photos/Kathryn Reed
While Title IX was about making educational opportunities equal for both sexes, its lasting impact when people talk about the law is how it leveled the playing field for boys and girls, men and women.
I’d like to think it didn’t have much impact on my life. I played all the sports I wanted to – still do. Maybe it’s because I had three older sisters and therefore didn’t see any potential discrimination without having a brother.
My guess, though, is plenty of things weren’t fair. I played softball as a third-grader. We were called the Fireflies. I swam competitively for years in AAU, having competed in the Far Western Nationals. I played a year of JV softball. I lettered in tennis all four years in high school. I even played a year of college tennis.
Title IX opened doors that were previously dead-bolted shut to girls. Last year, according to the Women’s Sports Foundation, 3,173,549 girls played a sport in high school. Forty years ago that number was 294,015. Other reports show 1 in 27 girls played a sport pre-Title IX and now 2 in 5 participate. The number of female college athletes has increased by 500 percent in the last 40 years, another report says.
I’ve played softball on some of the fields in Tahoe. A co-ed team practiced at Sierra House Elementary. I’m so glad none of my employees twisted or broke an ankle. It was and still is a scary place to run. And the way the ball skips – well, that would be comical if it weren’t scary as well.
We played our games at the softball field by the middle school.
The softball field under construction at STHS.
I also played on a women’s team at Zephyr Cove. Much better facilities in Nevada.
As for tennis on the South Shore – well, the treatment of non-revenue generating sports is worth another column, as is a private operator making money off the high school courts.
But then again, private entities making money off taxpayer built facilities is the norm around here – whether it’s the city or school district allowing it.
Reality check
With numbers like those presented above the easy conclusion is Title IX has done its job.
Not so fast.
AB2404’s passage in 2005 would not have been necessary if all were fair on the playing fields in the Golden State. The law came into being after a group in Los Angeles fought to have city recreation facilities for each gender be the same quality.
The snack cart the girls get to use.
The inequality of playing fields in South Lake Tahoe has long been a contentious issue. Ask anyone who has played softball or whose child has and they shake their head. They are dismayed about the substantial inequities in the fields in town and embarrassed when playing off the hill and seeing what other towns have.
“Most communities have convertible fields. That is how they are doing it in modern times, but South Lake Tahoe is not in modern times,” Marilyn Breisacher told Soroptimist International South Lake Tahoe when she spoke to the group May 9.
Breisacher was there to talk about Title IX and AB2404 as someone who has been involved with softball for the past 10 years. But she is also on the Fields Advisory Committee for the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Facilities Joint Powers Authority. The committee was formed to make recommendations to the three-member JPA board about how to spend the $500,000 it has that came from turning Measure S into Measure R.
The other members of the committee are:
• Chuck Leonard: committee chair, also chair of the Community Athletic Coordinating Council.
• John Dalton: experience includes soccer coach and Little League.
• Brian Hogan: experience includes Little League, soccer, softball.
• Steve Noll: experience includes Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition, softball, baseball, soccer, fields design.
• Ken Riegal: experience includes CAAC board member, soccer.
• Steve Weiss: former South Lake Tahoe recreation director.
At the April 30 meeting of this committee the agenda item titled “Equity of facilities issue: Review and discuss city attorney’s office opinion on requirements of AB2404 and Title IX as it applies to Measure R funds” was tabled. Presumably it will be discussed at the May 21 4-6pm meeting at Lake Tahoe Airport.
Issues to be resolved include, but are not limited to:
• Whether the half million dollars allocated via Measure R for ball field improvements can go to baseball fields and not softball fields.
• Whether girls’ playing fields would all need to be brought up to the same standard as the boys’ fields before boys’ facilities get a dime.
• Is AB2404 relevant when it comes to spending this money?
• Who has jurisdiction when the fields mostly belong to Lake Tahoe Unified School District, are maintained by the city of South Lake Tahoe, but private money has been used to put in infrastructure like the snack shack at the Babe Ruth fields on Lyons Avenue? With federal money being involved with the district, Title IX becomes an issue. With the city having teams play on the fields and doing the upkeep, it becomes an AB2404 issue. With boys’ baseball dads raising the money and doing the work on upgrades, it becomes a turf war in multiple definitions of that phrase.
Discrimination on the diamond
Have someone who knows the fields take you on a tour. To the uneducated, it’s hard to see the true differences.
Go to the fields on Lyons Avenue by South Tahoe Middle School. To the left is where the boys play. It has a grass infield – just like Big League parks have. Plenty of seating is available for spectators. A large announcers’ booth and snack shack are there.
Look to the right. That’s the softball field. It has a dirt infield. Seating? Keep looking. Announcers’ booth? No. Ability to share the snack shack? On rare occasions, during tournaments, if a fee is paid to Babe Ruth.
A field is being built at South Tahoe High School for softball. Remember, this is 40 years after Title IX was signed by the president of the United States (clearly not united genders) of America.
The dugouts are in, as is the announcers’ booth. But school district officials are scrambling to make the field not be an embarrassment. Steve Morales, facilities director for the district, at the April 30 fields committee meeting said bleachers would be put in in front of the announcers’ booth.
This will allow fans to see action down the first and third baselines. No one sitting to the right of home plate behind the fence and parallel to the dugouts will be able to know if the runner is safe or out at first.
But when the bleachers behind home are in, how will the announcer be able to relay what is going on or the scorekeeper to rule on a play? Another quandary in the world of ball fields in South Lake Tahoe.
JV boys are allowed to play on girls’ fields, but girls may not play on boys’ fields – at least in South Lake Tahoe.
Boys’ fields come with batting cages – even bathrooms. The girls, well, they don’t have equal amenities.
Bigger picture missing
In having attended part of the last fields committee meeting before going to another assignment, I witnessed democracy and open meeting decorum close to the worst I’ve seen.
Leonard, the chair of the committee, clearly has no sense of how to run a meeting. Committee members were allowed to speak at the same time – therefore over each other. How John Upton, the lone paid staff member of the JPA board, could take notes is beyond me. I couldn’t follow the multiple conversations.
These meetings are supposed to follow the Brown Act – California’s open meeting law. Upton, a former elected official to multiple boards, could have kept the gang in check.
It was clearly the men against the woman. I don’t know how many times I heard the guys tell the gal – go raise money and you can have a better field. Neanderthals is the word that came to mind while listening in disbelief to their diatribe.
Do they have a wife, a daughter, a sister, a mother who would want to play on the same quality field as the males in the family?
Each of the committee members seems to have his or her own turf to protect, with little consideration given to what’s best for the greater good of the community. It would have seemed better for the JPA board to appoint people who didn’t have a horse in the race.
A true assessment of the fields and the inventory needs to be done – not Weiss walking around the grounds and reporting back. The committee needs to know what it costs to upkeep each field and what it would cost to improve it. The committee needs to know what kind of money is generated from as well as what the potential income from the fields is.
Why is there no discussion of leveraging the half million dollars into bigger bucks either through going after grants, seeking partnerships or even getting corporate naming rights to a field?
Why isn’t there discussion of how best to spend the people’s money so the people get the biggest bang for their buck?
The $500,000 is taxpayer money.
Measure S dollars were audited once by the county auditor-controller. They can be again.
You have brought to light how screwed up the town can be, everyone has an agenda. From the members on the board for measure R to the City council members. Stay on these guys and support title IX, which most of those board members don’t even know.
Kae, you have opened a can of worms. The fact of the matter is the law outlaws separate but equal, as it was not before Brown vs. Board of Education in another era. But the truth is that “separate but equal” in all sports
has now been mandated in education, even though Title IX says exactly the opposite.
Males cannot compete for any slots on women sport teams otherwise there would be no women sport teams. Mother nature, (in her infinite wisdom?) has decreed males will be stronger, bigger, and more powerful in physical activities therefore equality can never be achieved in any truly physical activity.
Just a for instance, but the number one thousand ranked male tennis professional could easily trounce the number one ranked female tennis player so the tennis players are segregated based on their sex. Try football, rugby, or the 440 dash and tell me which sex would win the competition.
Title IX outlaws discrimination, not. It encourages discrimination based on sex.
Of course maybe I don’t understand the meaning of words or sentences as well as other people and as George Orwell stated “Discrimination is Equality.”
As an aside, this is a strong reason to keep the Feds from meddling with extra-constitutional powers.
Even the great President Nixon made a few mistakes. (This last sentence was added for controversy.)
Several years ago the Babe Ruth board decided to do the impossible and reconstruct the dated/obsolete local field. The state of the field at that time was poor backstop design with no spectator visibility, one set of bleachers, roofs leaking, 30 year old lighting system, no sound system, etc.. Through private donations and Babe Ruth volunteers, we built a current style backstop, all new roofs, paint, new light bulbs for lighting system, two sets of new bleachers, new backstop netting, etc.. Not one dollar came from the school system or measure S, Community Athletic Coordinating Council did match funds for new dugout roofs. Our intentions were to improve an aging facility not to create discrimination in our community.
This is a very interesting issue. As the former president of little league many years ago I can attest to the fact that the board of directors and parents were very aggressive in raising funds and most importantly volunteering. It seemed whatever you needed someone to rake the field, build a new batting cage work the snack shack someone was there to volunteer. In fact many of the improvements in the facility were funded by private support and volunteers.
That being said there is no doubt as the article points out that fields that get used by the girls need additional investment, bleachers, rest room facilities, snack shack, working scoreboards etc. That investment combined with parent involvement should help to fix the situation.
It’s also important to note that there are baseball fields (with infield grass) and softball fields with a dirt infield by design. Typically baseball can be played on both however softball is played on dirt fields not grass.
A careful facility analysis should be done (involving the city recreation department, the school district and interested parties) to assess the situation of all recreation facilities with recommendations to all involved.
Wow. There is a difference between walking around a field, looking at the blight and actually participating on the field where the sport is played. Are the fields in poor shape? Yes they are. Do they all need repair? (not just the boys vs girls field as you describe) Absolutely, all of them. Do we as a community make the best of what is available? You bet, every game every day. Do I hear a kid complain? Never. We as parents/volunteers are the ones who umpire the baseball games, drag the infields, rake the base lines, chalk the lines and coach the players. We do this not because we want the boys to have an advantage over girls. It is so each and every kid can have an experience they will remember forever, just like you mentioned for yourself. They dont look at us and say, wow the snack shack looks a little ratty, I cant play here.
I’ve worked in the inner cities as well affluent communities and the one thing I can say for a fact is the kids are happy no matter what or where they play just as long as they play. Discrimination is the wrong word to describe our sports community problem . What you have here are leagues. None are boys or girls only (minus HS sports). Some leagues are better than others at preparing a facility for players. Some are really bad and full of internal strife. That leads to poor conditions. When is the last time you saw a player or coach drag the infield at the softball field following an adult softball game. You dont. You will see it at the fields where all involved care about the sport, boys and girls. This boy vs girl discrimination call is a wild pitch with no runners on. You cant advance. The focus should be on how to improve what we have and use the most and encourage others to see the potential in improving. It worked for the high school. We need to get the feilds in shape first before we say the girls get less and the snack shack is yucky.
When my kids played sports, I was always amazed at the complete lack of involvement by the Moms. When the field needed to be worked on, the Dads did it. Coaching of both male and female children was done almost exclusively by the men. I hope that this situation has improved.
I was a little nervous about making this observation, which is based on my personal experience, because of possible attacks. However, the truth is the truth. Sadly, often the “victims” are the worst abusers.
“Arizona high school forfeits championship game rather than face girl opponent”
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/10/phoenix-school-forfeits-arizona-title-game-rather-than-face-girl-opponent/#ixzz1uUpSDV00
Now, here is some sick thinking, not surprisingly, the absurdity comes from a “religious” school.
Kae, Thank you for opening the can of worms. Neanderthals is way too nice. Make Babe Ruth field a covertible field, the softball next to it a mirror image of the Babe Ruth complex. Add four convertible fields where little league plays. Then share!!
I am a little “Dumbfounded” by the previous comment. Truth is not truth. More correctly stated; perception is perception.
I have benefited greatly from Title IX. Beginning with the my first organized softball team in 5th grade(1972)through swim, basketball, and volleyball teams. And you know what, even back then… half of my coaches were women.
Giving back for those opportunities and supporting my two daughters (17 and 13) in their athletic pursuits I have coached volleyball, basketball, softball and soccer as have many many MOMs and DADs in our community. And like so many Moms and Dads I have provided team member transportation to practices and games, worked the snack-shack, fund raised, chalked fields, oh, and did I mention fund raising.
Regardless of who is the physically stronger gender, the fact is, engaging our children in sports builds healthy bodies, minds and leaders. All of our fields are in need of tending.
Kae, thank you for your reporting and interest! Hopefully, this will open up the discussion to new ideas and thinking. Our resources can and should be better utilized and cared for! There is all kinds of good and helpful information in these above comments which should be helpful if and when they are addressed by the Fields Advisory Committee.
5 of the 6 board members implicated as “neanderthals” and queried,
“Do they have a wife, a daughter, a sister, a mother who would want to play on the same quality field as the males in the family?”
Yes they do.
John Dalton two daughters and a wife who have actively participated in softball.
Steve Weiss-wife and daughter only.
Brian Hogan-wife and a daughter only.
Steve Noll-wife and a daughter and a son.
Ken Riegal- wife, two daughters and one son.
I know personally that both Steve’s, Brian, and John were/are actively involved in their kids sports. Ken, whom I know personally, and I can assume he was actively involved in his daughters sports if they played, but I don’t know that one for sure.
I don’t know Chuck, but I can say without equivocation, that these men are some of are communities finest and have backed up their placement on this board with a lot of sweat equity, that in fact benefitted their own daughters .
It is grossly unfair to label them publically as something less then stellar proponents of youth sports in our community.
Please re-read Mike McKeen and Carl Ribaudo’s comments, they are true and the real story of how things have gotten done in this town.
I honor these men and what they have brought to the table for our kids here, both boys and girls.
“our” not “are” we need an edit button please!
Little League Baseball and Babe Ruth Baseball have open enrollment. Both leagues have female and male participants. The school district who owns the majority of the fields and the city that is supposed to maintain the fields, provide locations for youth baseball and softball. Al Tahoe school is designated for Little League. Tahoe Valley is designated for softball. Little League is not allowed to use the Tahoe Valley Field as it is designated through CACC for ASA Softball. The difference in fields is the organizations that steward them. All of what has been done at the Little League Field with the exception of mowing and watering has been done by League Volunteers and Donations. ASA could and should do the same at Tahoe Valley. If Meadure S was completed the way the voters thought, there would be a beautiful 8 field multi use facility at the college, but it never happened. Baseball fields and softball fields are different. Baseball has a pitching mound softball does not. Infields for baseball are sometimes grass, softball is usually skinned. Sexism is not the problem and to be accusatory of the members of the committee is ridiculous, in fact all but one have daughters. What we need are top notch fields then we can host events, both baseball and softball. Original measure S would have accomplished that, as would have Measure B. put your finger on why that didn’t happen instead of accusing dads of sexism.
We all have been jerks at times, but that does not make us a jerk. It just makes a jerk at that place and time. Perhaps these men were acting like neanderthals at the meeting. Isn’t that possible? And Dan, I know how you think about that thing Obama supports and you don’t. I could say you are discriminatory with that belief. But I don’t believe universally you discriminate. But the point of the story is the inequities in the fields. Try disagreeing with that … because none you will be able to.
Dan, you know Neanderthals are fictional. What with the short length of time the earth has existed and all…
LOL, well played Fromform.
For the record, you are correct, I am not an Darwinist, but neither am I convinced that the LORD God’s earth is 6000 years old.
Hope that helps.
Sandy the point is as Joby states.
Namely inequities brought about not by the expentitures of public funding but rather by the more zealous efforts and funding of private citizens.
To that end alone I could disagree with the article’s tone.
I’ve been out there, I saw how these things got done by private citizens, not public funding.
Where genuine inequity lies, the girls softball team field at the high school as an example, I’d say the public funded their current upgrade, whereas the Babe Ruth field to the high school boy’s teams good fortune, was made what it was by volunteers of babe ruth over the years, far more then any school funding to upgrade that facility.
I stand corrected, all of the members of the committee have daughters.
I just want to say I happened to go to a bunch of games at those fields by the middle school tonight as my friend’s kids were playing. I noticed more than a few girls playing on each team. At the softball field I noticed there was a co-ed softball game going on, and they were sharing facilities with the babe ruth field, there was also a sign saying that the softball field was not open. The only difference I could tell at these 5-6 fields having not read your article was that … well nothing.
Kae Reed- this is an opinion article and you’re allowed your opinion of inequity between the fields. I have a problem with you attending one meeting and forming your opinion after reading about Title IX. Had you taken some time to speak to people involved, you might have formed a different, less accusing opinion. The statements of Mr Mckeen, Cefalu, Ribaudo, and Wilvers point to the truth. Mrs. Briesacher has been fighting this fight for years and has been given the facts but seems to not believe them and still feels entitled to a handout from the JPA, City, or CACC to solve the ASA problem.
Had you done your homework you might have discovered the truth. I think you owe some of these people an appology for the incorrect accusations stated in your opinion.
Scott, How is someone allowed their opinion, but then you want them to apologize for it? Maybe you should discover the truth. And read the comments again. And your mom was sitting at Kae’s table at Soroptimist. Did you know that? What does she have to say about the truth in the reporting. And clearly Kae was at more than one meeting. So now it’s an ASA problem. You’ve shown your colors Scott — as you usually do. It shouldn’t be about ASA v. Babe Ruth. It should be about what’s best for all the kids — and that would be equality in facilities.
In an effort to focus on a solution I would propose the following. Why don’t we create a community driven “recreation facility review process” including those interested parties and invite the city and the school district to cohost host a meeting in the fall where all the facts could be laid out so everyone could have a common view of what has been funded from what sources of funding and how we have arrived at the current situation.
From that point all parties can figure out what steps need to be taken to fix any changes that need to be done.
A great idea…..work towards a solution and clear up misconceptions which is one of the first steps in conflict resolution and problem solving – understanding the situation.
Info- What are my colors? Ask the High School softball team if my colors are anything but Blue and Gold? What does my mom have to do with this? Who are you?
Carl- the info does need to be clarified, and we already have committees. JPA, CACC, City rec dept, ASA, Little League, Pop Warner, Babe Ruth, AYSO, etc. are all committees. Enough committees, just get the correct info out so the name calling and accusations can end and some progress can be made.