Opening doors for female athletes

The giddy girls shriek triumphantly, skirts flouncing as they skip around the court, celebrating a Blazer victory. The girls, blouses neatly tucked and hair smartly styled, are neither cheerleaders nor adoring fans; they are Blair's 1967 girls' basketball team rejoicing over their first win of the season.

Five years after the win, Congress passed Title IX. By mandating that any education program that received federal funding must provide equal opportunity for both sexes, the legislation opened new doors for girls' athletics at Blair.

According to The Washington Post, the number of girls playing high school sports increased ten-fold since 1972. Additionally, Title IX guidelines led to dramatic changes in the sports themselves.

In the beginning
In the 1950s and 1960s, the rifle team was the only interscholastic sport offered to Blair girls. Blair also had traditional cheerleaders and majorettes who performed on the sidelines and during halftime at the boys' football and basketball games, but did not compete.

Girls who wanted to participate in a sport could sign up for intramurals. Paula Straughan (‘58) recalls participating in intramural volleyball, bowling, basketball, badminton, softball and tennis. Girls who played in these intramural sports every year of high school became members of the "B" club, and were awarded letters similar to those displayed by male varsity athletes.

The intramural games were organized by the girls' planning committee, led by president Louise Hepfinger (‘58). Jein Sharpless (‘58) recalls the competitions that sprouted from the organization committee that year. "You could earn points for participating in different sports. Everyone competed with each other," she says. Sharpless was one of the seven girls, along with Straughan, who earned membership into the "B" club her senior year.

Eventually, some of the more popular intramural sports, such as basketball and softball, became sanctioned school teams in the late 1960s. These teams competed against other schools, but were designated as "honors teams" rather than varsity and received none of the privileges offered to boys.

Then there was light
The passage of Title IX in 1972 ushered in a number of new girls' teams at Blair, including a tennis squad that went undefeated that year. Judy Novak (‘73), who had played on the boys' tennis team prior to Title IX, led the girls to a first-season 6-0 record. However, due to the lack of recognition given to girls' sports at the time, there were no county standings.

In the winter of 1972, both boys' and girls' swim teams were introduced to Blair. According to current math teacher Milton Roth, swim coach at the time, the girls' team made an impressive start, earning the overall team fourth place at Metros, despite the boys' 0-8 record. Roth admits that he had no experience at coaching or swimming prior to taking the job in 1972. "They needed someone and I got drafted," he explains.

Similarly, girls' field hockey, gymnastics, track and field and basketball struggled to find coaches, settling on teachers with little or no experience. According to Pat Berry, County Athletic Director from 1976 to 1995, girls' coaches received significantly smaller pay than boys' coaches.

Because of the lack of incentive to train girls' teams, the basketball team was unable to find a coach in time for the 1972-1973 season. They were therefore allowed to play only five games, none of which counted in league standings. Resource Guidance Counselor Thomas Blake, who eventually filled the position, "Nobody else wanted to do it, and I wanted the girls to have a team," he explained in the November 1972 Silver Chips,

Leading the way
While struggling to find a supportive staff, Blair girls' basketball also had to cope with the constantly changing rules. Originally, girls played a six-man version of the game, with three players permanently on the defensive side of the court and three on the offensive. The girls turned to the customary five-on-five game after the passage of Title IX, but according to current girls' varsity basketball coach William Lindsey, it took many years for the girls to gain the same recognition as the boys.

According to Berry, when she was hired as County Athletic Director in 1976, the girls' teams lacked many of the fundamental privileges given to the boys. Girls' basketball consisted of an eight-game season, compared to the boys' 20 games, and there was no county or state tournament. While the boys had both JV and varsity teams, the girls had only one squad.

In addition, the girls were forced to play in the smaller gym at the old Blair building on Wayne Avenue until the ‘80s. Lindsey recalls the gym as so tiny that the feet of the girls sitting on the bench stuck out on the court.

Lindsey explains that it was not until the girls' basketball team started winning that they gained respect at Blair. Once the team made it to the state finals in 1981, the school gave them full support. According to Lindsey, who was in his second season as girls' coach, a pep rally was held specifically to send the girls to the tournament. It was followed by a second rally to honor their victory.

Leveling playing fields
Blair Athletic Director Dale Miller believes girls' sports at Blair are now on equal footing with boys'. With the addition of both girls' and boys' lacrosse teams in 1997, Blair continues to develop a strong athletic program across gender boundaries.