[ ♪♪ ] [ Cheers ] >> COME ON.

>> WONDERFUL VIDEO THERE.

THAT WAS A BIT OF THE ACTION AT THE STATEWIDE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING TRACK AND FIELD DAY TODAY AT THE NATIONAL SPORTS CENTER IN BASELINE.

-- BLAINE.

AND WE'RE GONNA KEEP IT IN THE SPORTS REALM FOR RIGHT NOW.

YOU THROW LIKE A GIRL, PHRASE THAT HAS BECOME A CLASSIC CASE OF TAKING WHAT USED TO BE SEEN AS A PUTDOWN AND TURNING IT ITS ON HEAD.

IT'S A TITLE OF A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE HISTORY OF GIRLS AND WOMEN IN SPORTS AND IT'S ON ITS WAY TO EVERY MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL IN THE STATE.

THE VIDEO IS MARY JO KANE'S IDEA.

SHE IS A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA.

ALSO A DIRECTOR OF THE TUCKER CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON GIRLS AND WOMEN IN SPORTS.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

TODAY YOU HAD AN EVENT WHERE, I MEAN, YOU'RE LITERALLY SENDING THEM OUT TO EVERY MIDDLE SCHOOL, EVERY HIGH SCHOOL.

>> UM-HUM.

FOR FREE.

>> FOR FREE.

>> UH-HUH.

THE VIDEO AS WELL, THE NATIONALLY ACCLAIMED AWARD-WINNING VIDEO, I MIGHT ADD, SHE SAID HUMBLY, AS WELL AS A CURRICULUM GUIDE THAT THE TUCKER CENTER DEVELOPED TO AID TEACHERS AND COACHES AND ADMINISTRATORS IN USING THE VIDEO IN THE CLASSROOM.

>> AND THE FOCUS OF THE VIDEO IS?

>> THE FOCUS OF THE VIDEO BASICALLY IS TELLING THE HISTORY OF GIRLS AND WOMEN'S SPORTS IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA AS TOLD THROUGH FOUR DIFFERENT GENERATIONS OF MINNESOTA FAMILIES.

THAT'S ONE PART OF THE VIDEO.

BECAUSE THERE ARE LOTS OF UNSUNG HEROES IN WOMEN'S SPORTS, LIKE IN MEN'S SPORTS, AND SO WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WAS TO PUT THE SPOTLIGHT ON FAMILIES, ON FATHERS AND MOTHERS AND BROTHERS, AS WELL AS COACHES WHO WORKED BEHIND THE SCENES AND ATHLETIC TRAINERS, ALL THE PEOPLE WHO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT FOSTER GIRLS, WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN SPORTS.

>> LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT A CLIP.

IT HAS TO DO WITH A WOMAN WHO IS READING HER GRANDMOTHER'S DIARY.

THE GRANDMOTHER, ONE OF THE EARLY STUDENT ATHLETES AT THE "U."

LET'S TAKE A LOOK.

>> WE HAVE YOUR DIARY FROM BACK THEN.

NOVEMBER 21st, 1922.

YOU SAID, THE ALL STARS PLAYED THE JUNIORS AND WERE BEATEN.

THERE'S A HOCKEY BANQUET IN THE CAFETERIA.

CLEVER AND PEPPY.

GOOD EATS.

GOOD STUNTS.

>> I SAY MY FRIENDS ALL SAID, YOU DON'T HAVE MUCH MONEY BUT YOU HAVE A LOT OF FUN.

AND THAT WAS THE TRUTH OF IT.

>> IT WAS A SOCIAL EVENT AT THAT TIME.

BUT STILL SERIOUS ENOUGH FOR THE U OF M'S HIGHEST ATHLETIC HONOR.

>> AND THIS IS YOUR ACTUAL LETTER THAT YOU WON IN 1923.

ONE OF THE OLDEST LIVING LETTER WINNERS FROM THE UNIVERSITY.

>> I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.

WE WERE PROUD OF BEING FROM MINNESOTA.

WE'RE THE GIRLS FROM MINNESOTA.

OH, MAN.

>> WHEN I TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND I TELL MY DAUGHTERS, WHO ARE BOTH ACTIVE IN SPORTS, WHAT LIFE USED TO BE LIKE FOR A GIRL TEAMS, THAT THERE USED TO NOT BE TEAMS, THEY CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

>> NO.

AND I DO THINK THAT ONE OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS ABOUT TITLE IX, WHICH IS FEDERAL LEGISLATION THAT WAS PASSED IN 1972, DESIGNED TO ELIMINATE DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SEX AND EDUCATIONAL -- IN AN EDUCATIONAL SETTING, IS THAT YOUNG GIRLS TODAY GROW UP WITH A SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT.

IT JUST NEVER OCCURS TO THEM THAT, IN MY GENERATION, AND BEFORE, IT DIDN'T MATTER HOW GOOD YOU WERE, IT DIDN'T MATTER HOW MUCH YOU LOVED SPORTS, THE OPPORTUNITIES WEREN'T THERE.

AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT TITLE IX AND THESE KIND OF VIDEOS AND EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS HAVE CHANGED SO THAT NOW IF ANY GIRL IN THIS COUNTRY IS GOOD ENOUGH AND WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE FOR HER, AND WE ALL BENEFIT BECAUSE OF THAT.

>> I WOULD IMAGINE A LOT OF TEACHERS DON'T KNOW THE HISTORY OF PRETITLE IX?

>> YEAH, I WOULD THINK -- WELL, IT'S NOT JUST THE TEACHERS, IT'S ALL OF US.

AND IT'S TOO BAD BECAUSE JUST LIKE IN MEN'S SPORTS, WHICH HAS BEEN PASSED ON FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION, THE SAME IS TRUE FOR WOMEN'S SPORTS AS WELL, ALTHOUGH OBVIOUSLY NOT WITH THE SAME SORT OF CRITICAL MASS THAT WE HAVE IN MEN'S SPORTS.

>> THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF SUCCESS, A LOT OF INTEREST IN WOMEN'S SPORTS THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

THE WORLD CUP, OLYMPICS, THE LYNX HAD A PRETTY GOOD SEASON LAST YEAR.

>> RIGHT.

>> SO, WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, HOW OPTIMISTIC ARE YOU?

HOW HOPEFUL ARE YOU AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE EQUAL ANYWAY?

>> WELL, I'M VERY HOPEFUL, AND OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE OF WOMEN'S SPORTS.

I DON'T THINK THAT WE WILL EVER GO BACK TO THE DAYS WHEN GIRLS WHO PLAYED SPORTS WERE AUTOMATICALLY SUSPECT OR THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU, WHY DO YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S NOT, EXCUSE ME, NORMAL OR NATURAL FOR A YOUNG GIRL.

SO, I THINK WE NOW HAVE A CRITICAL MASS THAT IT IS WIDESPREAD ACCEPTANCE FOR GIRLS TO PARTICIPATE IN SPORTS AS A PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AT ALL LEVELS, RECREATIONALLY AND NOW PROFESSIONALLY.

>> BUT IT'S THE PROFESSIONALLY, IT'S CLEARLY A SECOND TIER THERE.

MONEYWISE, THE WOMEN DON'T MAKE AS MUCH, THEY DON'T DRAW AS MUCH AS ATTENTION.

ALTHOUGH SOMEONE POINTED OUT TO ME THERE'S NOW A BETTING LINE ON THE WNBA.

>> RIGHT.

RIGHT.

>> SO THAT'S A GOOD THING?

>> WELL, WE HAVE COME A VERY LONG WAY IN A VERY SHORT TIME.

AGAIN, WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME WHAT THE IMPACT OF TITLE IX HAS BEEN, I LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT AT LEAST IN MY OPINION, IN ONE GENERATION, WE'VE MOVED FROM YOUNG GIRLS HOPING THAT THERE IS A TEAM TO YOUNG GIRLS HOPING THAT THEY MAKE THE TEAM.

I THINK THE CRITICAL ISSUE IS WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE AND WHAT PRICE -- WILL WOMEN SPORTS FALL UNDER THE SAME PITFALLS THAT MEN SPORTS FALLS INTO, THAT'S IN FRONT OF US.

>> ANOTHER TOPIC TO BRING YOU BACK.

THANK YOU AT THE FOLKS THE AT