{"id":3145,"date":"2025-04-24T15:02:35","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T15:02:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/?p=3145"},"modified":"2025-05-01T15:18:17","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T15:18:17","slug":"the-paradox-of-title-ix-how-it-led-to-significant-decrease-in-female-coaches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/the-paradox-of-title-ix-how-it-led-to-significant-decrease-in-female-coaches\/","title":{"rendered":"The paradox of Title IX: How it led to significant decrease in female coaches"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>By: Olivia Sayer<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2221\/2025\/05\/Olivia-Sayer-Final-Audio.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1066\" src=\"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2221\/2025\/05\/AD_4nXcSHfS6P8RuW6srQK6_VzYzMGDqPv9P6vH0GeKN65Ombr-IPQnUtT6V-MapTxUDR3xO59cgm-l4ZQaZXPHFKGJGIXE8W-hQuxO8pqDkcQKtvDG9RoqIpCBiK-9bWl7scpUaaUjgLQ.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3148\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2221\/2025\/05\/AD_4nXcSHfS6P8RuW6srQK6_VzYzMGDqPv9P6vH0GeKN65Ombr-IPQnUtT6V-MapTxUDR3xO59cgm-l4ZQaZXPHFKGJGIXE8W-hQuxO8pqDkcQKtvDG9RoqIpCBiK-9bWl7scpUaaUjgLQ.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2221\/2025\/05\/AD_4nXcSHfS6P8RuW6srQK6_VzYzMGDqPv9P6vH0GeKN65Ombr-IPQnUtT6V-MapTxUDR3xO59cgm-l4ZQaZXPHFKGJGIXE8W-hQuxO8pqDkcQKtvDG9RoqIpCBiK-9bWl7scpUaaUjgLQ-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2221\/2025\/05\/AD_4nXcSHfS6P8RuW6srQK6_VzYzMGDqPv9P6vH0GeKN65Ombr-IPQnUtT6V-MapTxUDR3xO59cgm-l4ZQaZXPHFKGJGIXE8W-hQuxO8pqDkcQKtvDG9RoqIpCBiK-9bWl7scpUaaUjgLQ-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2221\/2025\/05\/AD_4nXcSHfS6P8RuW6srQK6_VzYzMGDqPv9P6vH0GeKN65Ombr-IPQnUtT6V-MapTxUDR3xO59cgm-l4ZQaZXPHFKGJGIXE8W-hQuxO8pqDkcQKtvDG9RoqIpCBiK-9bWl7scpUaaUjgLQ-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2221\/2025\/05\/AD_4nXcSHfS6P8RuW6srQK6_VzYzMGDqPv9P6vH0GeKN65Ombr-IPQnUtT6V-MapTxUDR3xO59cgm-l4ZQaZXPHFKGJGIXE8W-hQuxO8pqDkcQKtvDG9RoqIpCBiK-9bWl7scpUaaUjgLQ-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>Former Michigan softball head coach Carol Hutchins on May 20, 2019 during Michigan\u2019s NCAA regional game against James Madison. (Courtesy\/Alec Cohen\/Detroit Free Press)<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fifty-two years ago, one signature forever changed the trajectory of women\u2019s sports.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Title IX, which was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on June 23, 1972, was created with the goal of providing equal access and opportunities for all students, regardless of their gender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to research conducted by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.business.rutgers.edu\/business-insights\/title-ix-increased-opportunities-women-athletes-theres-still-work-do\">Rutgers University<\/a>, pre-Title IX, just 15% of college athletes were women. Now, 52 years after the law\u2019s implementation, that number is up to 44%.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTitle IX is the reason we play today,\u201d said Carol Hutchins, who retired from Michigan in 2022, as the winningest softball coach in NCAA history. \u201cWhen somebody asks me, \u2018Besides Title IX, what\u2019s the most important thing that ever happened in women\u2019s athletics?\u2019 I can only tell you, \u2018There is nothing.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although Title IX is one of the driving forces behind the success of women\u2019s athletics today, it also has its costs. Since the law\u2019s implementation in 1972, the number of female head coaches coaching female teams in college athletics has dropped more than 55%.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A coveted opportunity&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prior to Title IX\u2019s implementation, coaching women&#8217;s sports was not a coveted position for males. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncaa.org\/news\/2023\/2\/3\/media-center-wecoach-continuing-mission-to-move-the-numbers-and-serve-women-in-coaching.aspx\">research from the NCAA<\/a>, the percentage of women\u2019s teams with a female head coach in 1972 sat around 90%. Now, that number is around 40%.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1236\" height=\"1600\" src=\"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2221\/2025\/05\/AD_4nXfs7mTRGY74xOlKYBth4Z9o2r43Pakoz5QyoihilZCE_EVAMgqfR47T0KVBGurz6L4mR8ZvlEaaMChpBKK0R58CZePesNW8tB48oUWX7ongiAWIxhHLhqzejSNuu_vh-WicN2J5PA.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3147\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2221\/2025\/05\/AD_4nXfs7mTRGY74xOlKYBth4Z9o2r43Pakoz5QyoihilZCE_EVAMgqfR47T0KVBGurz6L4mR8ZvlEaaMChpBKK0R58CZePesNW8tB48oUWX7ongiAWIxhHLhqzejSNuu_vh-WicN2J5PA.png 1236w, https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2221\/2025\/05\/AD_4nXfs7mTRGY74xOlKYBth4Z9o2r43Pakoz5QyoihilZCE_EVAMgqfR47T0KVBGurz6L4mR8ZvlEaaMChpBKK0R58CZePesNW8tB48oUWX7ongiAWIxhHLhqzejSNuu_vh-WicN2J5PA-232x300.png 232w, https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2221\/2025\/05\/AD_4nXfs7mTRGY74xOlKYBth4Z9o2r43Pakoz5QyoihilZCE_EVAMgqfR47T0KVBGurz6L4mR8ZvlEaaMChpBKK0R58CZePesNW8tB48oUWX7ongiAWIxhHLhqzejSNuu_vh-WicN2J5PA-791x1024.png 791w, https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2221\/2025\/05\/AD_4nXfs7mTRGY74xOlKYBth4Z9o2r43Pakoz5QyoihilZCE_EVAMgqfR47T0KVBGurz6L4mR8ZvlEaaMChpBKK0R58CZePesNW8tB48oUWX7ongiAWIxhHLhqzejSNuu_vh-WicN2J5PA-768x994.png 768w, https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2221\/2025\/05\/AD_4nXfs7mTRGY74xOlKYBth4Z9o2r43Pakoz5QyoihilZCE_EVAMgqfR47T0KVBGurz6L4mR8ZvlEaaMChpBKK0R58CZePesNW8tB48oUWX7ongiAWIxhHLhqzejSNuu_vh-WicN2J5PA-1187x1536.png 1187w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1236px) 100vw, 1236px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Researcher and former college athlete Meredith Flaherty said that Title IX brought an aspect of \u201cseriousness\u201d to women\u2019s sports, which made coaching female athletes a more coveted role.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOnce the NCAA opened up to be the governing body of women&#8217;s sport, and it got integrated as a more serious space through Title IX, jobs started to proliferate that had salaries and status attached to them,\u201d Flaherty said. \u201cAs they increased in visibility and seriousness and pay, they became a space that men could step into and benefit from.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Title IX required schools to provide athletic financial assistance that is proportional to their participation rates, which, in most cases, must reflect the ratio of the general student body.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen that happened, things went up, resources got better [and] salaries got better,\u201d Hutchins said. \u201cAnd a lot of men realized, \u2018Wow, this is a field I could coach in.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Marginalized jobs and growing stigmas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Flaherty, not only are women receiving fewer leadership positions, but they are also being \u201cpigeonholed\u201d into roles that require \u201ctaking care of the players\u201d as assistants. This could mean their resumes do not appear as strong as their male counterparts applying for head coaching jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWomen tend to get marginalized or pushed aside,\u201d Flaherty said. \u201cSo even though women are getting jobs as assistant coaches in college sport, they aren&#8217;t translating to head coaching positions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This coupled with the stigma surrounding the ability of female head coaches \u2014 that they have less \u201cinherent value, capability and ability\u201d than males according to Flaherty \u2014 is not a recipe for success for females wanting to enter the coaching industry.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBecause of gender bias, people view men as more knowledgeable, as better leaders than women,\u201d Hutchins said. \u201cAnd the biggest problem I have with that is that too many women view it as that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hutchins shared that she has heard female athletes say they would \u201clike to play for a man,\u201d further emphasizing the preexisting ideas surrounding male and female coaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s like an unintended \u2018ism,\u2019 whether it&#8217;s racism, sexism, you name it,\u201d Hutchins said. \u201cIt&#8217;s unintended because people think the way they think, and they do value men more. It&#8217;s just the way they are. And so when you bring to light the differences, it usually can be one of two things. One, it&#8217;s an \u2018aha\u2019 moment. Or two, it&#8217;s a \u2018Really, now you&#8217;re complaining about this.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Flaherty, who is a youth sport researcher, attributed the stigma to the ideas enforced in youth sports. She said the \u201csocialization\u201d children experience in youth sports leads them to view male sports through a more \u201cserious\u201d lens.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe socialization in youth sport that happens, teaches everybody involved in sport from a very young age that the boy sport is where it&#8217;s at,\u201d Flaherty said. \u201cThat&#8217;s what&#8217;s more serious. That&#8217;s where the opportunity is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the lack of female head coaches supports a sense of skepticism around them, a child\u2019s doubt is not limited to one gender, according to Gillen Schecter, who is the head soccer coach at Clarke Central High School.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cKids do not just assume that you know the topic you&#8217;re teaching anymore,\u201d Schecter said. \u201cSo you really have to prove to them that even though I may not be the best player anymore, I still know the game really well. I think you have to earn their trust.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Up to the athletes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So how does this preexisting idea change? According to Flaherty, it begins with organizational leadership amending their beliefs. If that does not work, a policy similar to Title IX could help drive change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cChange occurs through legislation and people in positions of power in organizations making change that then can be seen by other organizations or other people in power and hopefully snowball,\u201d Flaherty said. \u201cPolicy is one of the most key pieces of it because it sort of establishes what a practice baseline would be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In order to make a change, Hutchins believes, \u201cthe pressure needs to come from the student athletes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNobody gives a d*** about what coaches think,\u201d Hutchins said. \u201cThey don&#8217;t care what we think, and if they don&#8217;t like what we say, they&#8217;ll fire us. The student athletes need to stick up for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hutchins, who now serves as Michigan\u2019s special advisor to the athletic director, shared that reaching a \u201ccertain level of success\u201d allowed her to fight for equality, since she had greater job security. However, she still believes student athletes can spark a change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI was compelled to fight for certain equality things when I knew that they couldn&#8217;t just turn around and fire me for lack of success,\u201d Hutchins said. \u201cWhen you reach a certain status or platform, you need to use your platform, and it needs to be the people that are affected by it, and those are student athletes. Student athletes have the power in college athletics. When student athletes speak up, they listen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Social Justice Statement: <\/strong>This story was created for a social justice journalism at the University of Georgia&#8217;s Grady College. To me, social justice journalism is shining light on topics that are often left in the shadows. It involves focusing on the people who are affected by these topics and giving them a voice.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By: Olivia Sayer Former Michigan softball head coach Carol Hutchins on May 20, 2019 during Michigan\u2019s NCAA regional game against &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4713,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[637,275,36,43,549,40],"tags":[14,627,631,396,188,630,634,635,629,194,632,633,636,628,4,54],"class_list":["post-3145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-social-justice","category-softball","category-womens-basketball","category-womens-gymnastics","category-womens-tennis","category-womens-volleyball","tag-athens-clarke-county","tag-carol-hutchins","tag-clarke-central-high-school","tag-clemson","tag-florida","tag-gillen-schecter","tag-grady-college","tag-grady-newsource","tag-meredith-flaherty","tag-michigan","tag-michigan-softball","tag-social-justice","tag-social-justice-journalism","tag-title-ix","tag-uga","tag-university-of-georgia"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4713"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3145"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3145\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-oliviasayer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}