User:MaggieMaloney11/sandbox

The Turning Point
The 1970s and 1980s in American history was a turning point for women and their participation in sports. After Title IX was passed in 1972, women began to strive in every area of sport. Many influential women began to showcase their talent on and off the playing field in the 1970s and 1980s in America. These women both established and broke records while impacting the surrounding community as well. In addition to these influential women, new legislation and rules were passed to impact and further give women the opportunity to compete in sports. The 1970s and 1980s in America was a turning point for women in athletics. The opportunities women were granted paved the way for girls and women to participate and compete in sports as the do today in 21st century America.

1970s & 1980s Timeline for Women's Sports in America:

 * 1971: AIAW was formed
 * 1971: Women were allowed to play 5 on 5 full court basketball
 * 1971: Billie Jean King first American female athlete to win $100,000 in 1 season of tennis
 * 1972: Title IX
 * 1972: Nina Kuscisk was the first women to win the Boston Marathon
 * 1973: Billie Jean King wins the Battle of the Sexes
 * 1973: Robyn Smith was the first woman jockey to win a high stakes race
 * 1973: US Open offered equal prize money to women
 * 1973: Terry Williams Munz was the first woman given an athletic scholarship to college
 * 1974: Girls are allowed to join Little League Baseball
 * 1974: Billie Jean King created the Women's Sports Foundation
 * 1974: WPFL (Women's Professional Football League) is created
 * 1974: Lanny Moss became the first woman to manage a professional men's basketball team
 * 1976: Rowing, Basketball, and Handball were now open to women to compete in the Summer Olympic games
 * 1977: Janet Guthrie qualified for the Indy 500
 * 1977: First women's soccer team is started at Brown University
 * 1977: Lucy Harris was drafted by the Utah Jazz
 * 1978: Ann Meyers first American woman to sign an NBA contract
 * 1979: Ann Meyers first woman drafted in the Women's Professional Basketball League
 * 1979: Billie Jean King wins her 20th title at Wimbledon
 * 1980: Women were now allowed to compete in Hockey in the Winter Olympics
 * 1980: Mary Decker was the first women to run a mile under 4:30
 * 1982: NCAA began to sponsor women's basketball
 * 1984: Shooting and Cycling were open to women in the Summer Olympics
 * 1984: Georgeann Wells-Blackwell first American women to dunk in a collegiate basketball game
 * 1984: Joan Benoit first American women to win an Olympic marathon
 * 1984: USA women's basketball team, coached by Pat Summitt, wins gold in 1984 Olympics
 * 1984: Billie Jean King first woman to run a professional league
 * 1985: U.S. National Soccer team is formed
 * 1986: Three point basket was allowed in women's basketball
 * 1986: Nancy Liberman first American women in play in the NBA
 * 1987: National Girls & Women in Sports Day
 * 1988: Women could now compete in tennis, table tennis, and sailing in the Summer Olympics
 * 1988: AWBA (American Women's Baseball Association) forms in Chicago

Title IX
Created as a part of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title IX is federal legislation that prohibits discrimination in areas that receive federal funding, including sports. Meaning that sex discrimination could no longer prohibit girls and women from exercising and competing in sports, they were granted from this legislation the a equal opportunity in sports in the United States. This legislation gave girls and women opportunities in various aspects of education and most importantly in athletics In 1975, educational institutions were given 1-3 years to comply with the new regulations Title IX enforced Women since the enactment of this groundbreaking legislation started to participate and compete more in sports than ever before in the United States. Title IX requires schools to treat both men's and women's athletics equal on three fronts: participation, opportunities, scholarships, and equal treatment of all male and female teams Before 1972, before Title IX was passed 1 in 27 girls participated in sports Today, in the 21st century that number has increased to 2 in 5 girls participate in sports Title IX created the opportunity for girls and women in the United States to break barriers and excel in a predominately male area such as sports.

NCAA and Women's Basketball
The 1970s and 1980s in America was a turning point for women in basketball. Before this time, women who played the game were not allowed to hold the ball for more than three seconds, there was a bounce limit for the amount of times a player can dribble the ball, and players were not allowed to steal the ball from other players Coaching from the sidelines was also prohibited in the early days of basketball and substitutions could be made but once the player left the game she could not return The amount of players per team began with eleven people and throughout the years decreased In addition to this, players originally did not wear distinguishing numbers they did not seem necessary due to the fact that at this point in history basketball was not a contact sport It was not until 1971-1972 that women were allowed to play full-court five on five basketball with a thirty second shot clock similar to the game played today in the 21st century From this point on, the game of basketball continued to improve and morph into the game we know today. The game gained so much popularity that the NCAA began to sponsor the game of women's basketball on the collegiate level in 1982 Women now had the opportunity to earn a scholarship and compete on the collegiate level in the game of basketball as well as to compete for a National Championship.

Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King is a accomplished tennis player most commonly known for her defeat of Bobby Riggs in "The Battle of the Sexes" in 1973. Throughout her career, she won twenty Wimbledon titles, thirteen U.S. titles, four French titles, and two Australian titles She won a total of thirty-nine Grand Slam titles throughout her career even earning three in one year In addition to defeating Bobby Riggs, Billie Jean fought for equality for women on the tennis court. She demanded and fought for equal prize money for women in tennis tournaments Billie Jean did this by forming the Women's Tennis Association, where she was the president and led the fight for equal prize money in Grand Slam tournaments Billie Jean is also an activist for girls and women in sports. She co-created the Women's Sports Foundation where she encourages girls to become leaders through their participation in sports Billie Jean King continues to be an advocate for girls and women in athletics.

Ann Meyers Drysdale
Ann Meyers Drysdale is an influential women in the history of basketball. While still in high school, Ann was selected to be a part of the US National team She was the first woman to be selected and compete while still in high school She attended UCLA for college and was the first woman there to be given a four year athletic scholarship Ann led her UCLA team in scoring, assists, and rebounds and led UCLA to a National Championship in 1978 Toward the end of her career at UCLA, in 1979, she was offered a contract to play in the NBA for the Indiana Pacers Even though she did not make the Indiana Pacers, she however signed a contract with the New Jersey Gems and played with them for three seasons After her career, Ann became a sports analyst where she called games for thirty years Ann was the first woman to broadcast a NBA game She currently is the vice president for both the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA as well as the Phoenix Suns in the NBA

Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Jackie Joyner-Kersee was the first women to win a gold medal in track and field for the USA Jackie, similar to Ann Meyers Drysdale, was given a full scholarship to attend UCLA. In 1984, while still in college, Jackie competed in the Olympics at Los Angeles, California She won a silver medal heptathlon at these games Four years later at the Olympic games in Seoul, she won the gold medal in the heptathlon as well as the long jump Jackie went on to compete in the next two summer Olympic games winning a gold and two bronze medals in those games Jackie, after her athletic career ended, help to found the organization Athletes for Hope where they help other athletes to do good in their communities

Nancy Lieberman
in 1986, Nancy Lieberman competed in the men's basketball league and played for the Springfield Fame She became the first woman to play in a professional men's league Before this accomplishment, Nancy became the youngest basketball player to play and compete in the Olympic games In 1976, she played on the USA national team and helped the USA win a silver medal in the Olympic games In addition to her professional accomplishments, Nancy was also an accomplished collegiate athlete. She helped to lead her team at Old Dominion to AIAW Championships two years in a row Nancy Lieberman is the only player who won the Wade Trophy two times After her college career ended, Nancy was the top overall draft pick of the Dallas Diamonds in the Women's Professional Basketball League Finally, in the first season of the WNBA, Nancy played for the Phoenix Mercury in 1997