Page 6 P o rtlan d O bserver, Ju ly 28, 1982
Despite E R A demise:
Ds/n automotive
★ Summer Special ★
Women win sports revolution in sports
by Barbara Miner
Pacific News Service
A m arathon-running nun? The
sight would have been all but un
thinkable a few years back. But not
only does Sister M arion Irvine o f
San Rafael, Ca., don running shoes
regularly, she also holds the world’s
marathon record fo r women over
50. The magazine Running Times
has named her Runner o f the Year
in her age division.
Cheryl M iller, 18, is also breaking
new ground. The high school senior
from Riverside, Ca., last year be
came the only woman known to
have slam-dunked a basketball dur
ing a game. E arlie r this year she
scored 105 points in one tilt—a feat
all the more impressive because a
girls* high school game is only 32
minutes long. The most sought-after
woman athlete ever, Miller has been
called the Kareem Abdul Jabbar o f
women’s basketball.
A decade ago Sister Irvine prob
ably would not have been running
marathons, not because she’s a nun,
but because the American Athletic
Union and other sport groups didn’t
then allow women to run more than
10 miles—it was thought the stress
would harm them physically. Today
women are entering marathons in
record numbers and the Internation
al Olympic Committee has included
a women’ s marathon fo r the 1984
Olympics.
A decade ago colleges would not
have been wooing M ille r, because
the first women’ s athletic scholar
ships for women, worth a total o f $7
million.
Marathons and scholarships are
only two aspects o f the revolution in
women’ s sports. During the last dec
ade, women have demanded and
won the ir place in sports on an
unprecendented scale.
"T h e re ’ s been an explosion, no
doubt about it,” says Jennifer Nupp
o f the W ashington, D.C.-based
SPRINT, a lobbying and inform a
tio na l organization dedicated to
women’s equality in sport.
Sears
What’s more, the sports crusaders
really make active-wear for women.
stress, the revolution is hert to stay.
You had to buy almost everything in
"Fitness is such a part o f the Amer the men's or boys’ department.”
ican experience,” says Nupp, "th a t
Activists can’t pin down any one
women are not going to give up on
factor to account for the fantastic
that. It's just not going to change."
rise in women’ s sports, but several
Eva Auchincloss, executive direc
themes emerge. One o f the strongest
tor o f the California-based W om
reasons, they say, is that women
en’ s Sports Foundation (W SF),
themselves wanted to become in
strongly agrees. "W om en ’ s sports
volved. "Schools were more sensi
will never go back to the way it was
tive to having women in s p o rts ,"
in the 1950s,” she says. "T h e mo
says Ruth Berkey, head o f women’s
mentum is too great.”
sports fo r the N ational Collegiate
WSF was founded in 1976 by pro
Athletic Association, “ but the inter
fessional and amateur women ath est was already there on the part o f
letes and has played an important
women.”
role. Its magazine, W omen’s
Carol Thompson, head o f the Na
Sports, has grown from a 1978 cir
tio na l Association fo r G irls and
cu lation o f 30,000 to more than
Women in Sports, also credits Presi
125,000 today.
dent Kennedy’s Council on Physical
The strength o f women’s sports is
Fitness and the boom it helped gen
evident even in once taboo areas.
erate. A nd, like others, she says
The firs t W omen’ s N ational
Title IX "obviously comes forward
W eightlifting Championships were
as a reason.” (T itle IX , a 1972
held in Iowa last year; the Amateur
amendment to the Higher Educa
Hockey Association says thousands
tion A ct, prohibits sex discrim ina
o f women now play on ice hockey
tion in all educational institutions
teams; and the L'.S. Soccer Federa receiving federal funds.) Women
tion this year included young wom who had found locker room doors
en on its Youth All-American team.
closed now had a tool, and women’s
SPRINT reports that 10 years ago
sports took o ff. "T itle IX broke the
only 7 per cent o f high-school ath
barrier,” says Thompson.
letes were women; today the figure
Christine Grant, women’s athletic
is over 35 per cent. Colleges show
director at the University o f Iowa
the same trend.
and the former president o f the As
The two most popular sports for
sociation for Intercollegiate A thlet
high school women are basketball
ics for Women, calls Title IX "th e
and track. In 1970, according to the
fuse o f the entire explosion. It alert
National Federation o f State High
ed the nation to the fact that we
School Associations, only 4,865
were discriminating against all our
high schools offered women’ s young women.”
basketball; today over 17,000 do. In
Title IX sparked fierce opposition
track the figure has jumped from
among those who feared that foo t
2,992 in 19709 to nearly 14,000.
ball teams would become coed or
The revolution isn’ t lim ited to
that women would want to share
school or team activities. Across the
locker rooms w ith men. The fears
country women executives, house
were unfounded. Today even the 75-
wives and grandmothers are jo g year-old N C A A , which barred
ging, playing tennis and swinging
women u n til 1974, is embracing
squash rackets as never before.
women’ s sports.
To take one indication: the publi
But there are some threatening
cation Sports Styles reports that
storm clouds. In Congress the pro
women now buy 43 per cent o f all
posed Family Protection Act would
active-wear and athletic shoes. “ Ten allow a local school system to pro
years ago,” says Eva Auchincloss of
hibit "th e intermingling o f sexes in
WSF, “ manufacturers d idn’ t even
any sports or other school-related
a ctivitie s." And Sen. O rrin Hatch
(R-Utah) has introduced an amend
ment to restrict T itle IX require
ments to programs directly receiving
federal funds. Since few sports get
direct funds, the proposal could
have a significant impact if adopted.
One step back has already been
taken. The Reagan adm inistration
unexpectedly decided in mid-March
that T itle IX would not apply to
schools where guaranteed student
loans are the only form o f federal
aid. As a result, some 300 colleges
are now exempt.
However, another gray area was
resolved positively when the Su
preme Court ruled that Title IX ap
plies to school employees as well as
students. The ru lin g w ill protect
women coaches, who have often en
joyed many fewer advantages than
their male counterparts.
Despite such problems, "m an y
parties that were against women’ s
athletics are now coming around,”
says Nupp o f S PR IN T, w ith the
N C A A a perfect example. " I t ’ s
even w illing to spend profits from
men’ s sports on women’s sports to
get them started because they realize
the profit-making potential o f wom
en’s sports."
Above all, women’s sports leaders
emphasize, the gains o f a decade are
now too firm ly ingrained, too much
a part o f everyday life for any seri
ous setbacks. " I t ’ s a permanent
transition,” says Auchincloss. " I t
just won’t go away.”
Free Brake Inspection
[ m o s t c a rs )
T u n e u p /D .E .Q . • Electrical
B r® ke re p a ir • T ra n s , s e rv ic e
°ö r
b/ ^ V liN SID E AVE
2318486
It s im p o s s ib le fo r a n y o n e to s ta n d w ith th e ir le ft
shoulder and left fo o t to u ch in g a w all, and th en raise
th eir right fo o t.
— — — — • VALUABLE COUPON— — — — —
Only one
coupon
per ooatomer
Wansmteion^^fe
Maintenance Special
• Change transmission
fluid
• Ad.'usi bands’
• Clean screen*
• Replace pan gasket
• Complete road test
© P A C IF IC NEW S SERVICE 1982
B A TTE R IE S
3
’ *4A
3007 N E U N IO N
?4‘ i (U til
56*9
Hurry while quantities
last. Low rolling-resist
ance helps save gaso
line Two steel belts
for strength and long
wear Radial design
adds quick, responsive
handling.
PRM
MCI
«BB
*879 13
98-7913
0879-14
EB79-14
F879-14
6R79-14
H879-14
687415
HR79-1S
J879-15
1 1879-15
281-2845
'
u.
FK»
MC»
54 M
15 M
M M
71.M
74 M
M M
13.M
9399
$94 99
S IM M
$115 M
$111 M
$124 M
$134 91
$139.M
$139.M
$144 99
$149M
S IM M
99.99
M M
99 M
Fa«
F l f
Md
$199
$297
$2 21
$2 M
$253
$2.99
$2.92
$279
$2.99
$2 M
53 21
T«|
U m eN th e coupons
Oh M 4 « te d te r v k e t
<»
19”
Lube, O il an d Filter
Includes up to 5
quarts of Spectrum
10W-40 motor oil, a
new regular oil filter
and a chassis lubrica
tion
on Sears 36
car b attery
Installation
available
12"
w ith \ i
savings In
coupon book
59’ ’
2-wheel
Regular S69 99
I OFF w ith
coupon book
W e II replace shoes or disc pads, brake fluid, brake
springs and front oil seals Turn and true drums or
rotors Rebuild cylinders or ralipers and repack
front bearings Sears may decline to perform
2-wheel brake jobs if more work is needed to
assure proper brake system operation Replace
ment of master cylinder, power booster, drum/
rotor extra if needed
For most American-made cars and light trucks
w ith passenger car suspensions.
At most Sears Auto Centers
installed MacPherson strut
replacem ent cartridges
0099
I1 1» »•
9 J pair
w ith J10 savings
from coupon book
For the number of miles or months specified.
Sears will upon return, replace the tire or give a
refund, charging a pro-rata charge for the miles
or months received, if wearout occurs and is not
caused by failure to properly maintain the tire
SAVE *5
Reg 1199 9
Brake Job fo r
disc o r drum systems
LIM ITED W A R R A N T Y -T IR E W E A R O U T
Reg. $ 4 4 .9 9
F O R E IG N
A U T O M A T IC S
4X4 s
CLUTCHES
SAVE $88 w ith a Car Care
Coupon
Book
44,000-mlle wearout warranty
A R 7 8 -1 3
W h ite w a ll
R eg . $ 9 4 .9 9
•
•
•
•
___The Transmission Experts —
.
Cantar« throughout tho U.B.-Nattanwtaa Warranty
fin e s t h ig h w a y ra d ia l
R o ad H an d ler®
□
Where apo/icaWe
Replace up to
5 quarts fluid
I
SAVE 40 % o n o u r
W 5 W
The purpose of this
service is to help
'event transmission
problems
2005 NE. UNION
PORTLAND. OREGON |
N h w t i R e c o n d itio n e d
from $1995 ex.
B A TTE R Y
X CHANGE
N ow O pen
S atu rd ays
9 to 5
8 9 .9 9
/
1
Renews s h o ck
absorbing ability
without replacing
entire strut unit
In stalled M u zzier* m u ffle r
24"
A lu m in iz e d
steel muffler
Long wearing
39’ 9
W a ld a d p e r il a . I r a
325 amps cold cranking power
Group 24 For most American-
made cars and many imports
S ate p r k a i t h r o u 'p . a u t «hl« w r t t o n w i ll b a a f f a c U w T u a id a y
2 7 . t h r o u g h S a tu r d a y . J u ly I I , u n i e n o l h a r w l i a «par Ilia d
You can
count on
Satisfaction Guaranteed
PO R TLA N D - PH O N E 23S-2M1
H E GRANO at LLOYD BLVO - F ARK FREE
or Your M oney Back
M a n d a , end Snaey « 2 0 am l e t pm
Iv a a , W ad Thar. » JO art, lo I pm
Saturday • 20 am la S 20 pm S unde, Moen ie S
SEARS. ROEBUCK A N D CO
i
W A S H IN G T O N SQ U A R E - PHONE 820 1610
Hlwey 2 1 7 « GREENBURG RO
PARK FREE
Monde» m-o h id e , to 00 am ie • pm
S a t u r d a y » » am Io » 0 0 pm Sunday Moan w S
J u ly