Eye to Eye. Julie K. Rubini

of Christine Brennan

      On a family vacation to Pearl Harbor in 1974, Christine’s dad stood in front of the wall of the memorial above the sunken USS Arizona, with all the names of those who died on December 7, 1941, the day of the attack on the American forces by the Japanese during World War II. The rest of the family was ready to take the shuttle boat back to shore. Not her father. He stood there, reading every name and thanking them for their ultimate sacrifice in serving their country.

      Until high school, Christine never played on an organized girls’ sports team. There simply weren’t any. That was about to change. In June 1972, a historic amendment to the United States Department of Education laws was passed. The amendment read, “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.” This amendment is known simply as Title IX: Title Nine.

      Title IX covers many activities, but it is best known for providing more opportunities for young women to participate in sports. Although it was passed in 1972, it took several years for the amendment to be fully put into practice.

      At Ottawa Hills High School, Title IX wasn’t in full swing until after Christine graduated. Most of the girls’ teams played just a handful of matches each season. It wasn’t until her junior year that anyone even considered keeping statistics on the players. Equipment for the girls’ teams, or the lack thereof, was often an issue. “It was a good thing I liked my jersey because it was the only one I had my freshman and sophomore year. I wore it for basketball, volleyball, and softball, which meant my mother was washing it nearly every night,” Christine said.¹²