City Celebrates National Girls and Women in Sports Day with Mural, Declaration

Beverly Wiley remembers a time before the passage of Title IX. When Wiley, now the commissioner of the Rhode Island Amateur Softball Association, attended University of Rhode Island in the 1960s, girls teams were comprised of individual clubs. Wiley recalls having to take a cabs to and from the games while boys teams took the buses and stayed at hotels.

That was before the passage of the 1972 law stating that “No person in the United State 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.’’

Community members joined Female atheletes and youth on Wednesday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Title IX and honor National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The event, which aimed to acknowledge the achievements of female athletes and encourage participation in sports, also served as an opportunity for the unveiling of a new mural on the gymnasium wall. YWCA competitive gymnasts did a brief performance and Mayor Leo Fontaine presented a certificate officially declaring Feb. 1 National Girls and Women in Sports Day in Woonsocket.

"At one time, they didn't let girls do certain things," Fontaine told a group of YWCA toddlers gathered for the celebration. "People had to do hard work to get to where we are today."

In addition to Wiley and Fontaine, guest speakers included YWCA Board Member Susan Donahue; Attorney for Title IX Case, Brown vs. Cohen, Lynette Labinger; and Stephanie Reilly, Head Coach Bryant University Track & Field program, 2011 world track and field championship participant, and 2012 London summer Olympic games qualifier.

“We are pleased to host this celebration to acknowledge the importance of sport participation for women and girls,” said Deborah L. Perry, President/Chief Executive Officer of YWCA Northern Rhode Island. “We know that when young women are involved in physical fitness, they do better in school, learn about teamwork and goal setting, and have higher self-confidence.”

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the landmark Title IX legislation, a law prohibiting the exclusion of women or men in educational programs based on their sex.  Title IX is best known for creating more opportunities for women and girls to play sports.  The law requires schools and colleges receiving federal funds to give women and girls an equal chance to play sports and to treat men and women equally when it comes to athletic scholarships and other benefits like equipment, coaching, and facilities.

"We still have a long way to go in terms of fairness," said Wiley.  

“Forty years later, Title IX’s role in athletics is not yet finished,” said Labinger. “Resources for women’s athletic programs continue to lag behind men’s and Title IX must be vigilantly enforced just to maintain the gains we have achieved.”

Following the passage of Title IX, the number of male and female atheletes has  greatly increased.  The National Women’s Law Center cites that the number of female athletes increased almost five times from 31,852 in 1972 to 150,916 in 2001.  The number of high school girls playing competitive sports has increased from fewer than 300,000 before Title IX to 2.78 million in 2001.

“More opportunities exist for girls and women now than 40 years ago,” said Reilly.  “I support and applaud the continuing efforts to expand the horizons for girls and women in sports.”  

The event was held in the center's newly renovated gymnasium, and a detailed 10-foot high black and white mural depicting 18 renowned female athletes surrounded the group, providing a potentially inspiring backdrop. Artists Justin and Jordan Dubois were on hand to discuss their work.

"We've done a lot of these," explained Justin Dubois. To start the project, YWCA organizers handed the artists a shoe box full images of competitive female athletes and the boys choose famous faces for the walls, including Serena and Venus Williams, and volleyball pro Misty May. Painting all four walls in the 83 foot by 52 foot gym took the brothers seven months.

The artists, both former students of , have become known for such projects, designing murals which grace walls across Woonsocket, from to City Hall. Soon, the pair will begin their latest contract, painting walls at yet another well-known city building: the Woonsocket Police Station.