![Karissa Niehoff](/sites/default/files/2021-05/KarissaNiehoff_2H.jpg)
Title IX Continues to Fuel Growth of Girls and Women’s Sports, Olympic Dominance
By
Karissa Niehoff
NFHS Executive Director
September 24, 2021
To say that American female athletes dominated the recent Olympics in Tokyo would be an understatement.
Among the 66 medals earned by American female Olympians – most by any country in the history of the Games – were gold-medal performances by the U.S. basketball, volleyball, water polo and beach volleyball teams. Eighteen medals were earned by the U.S. women swimmers, female track and field athletes claimed 15 medals, and the U.S. women’s softball and soccer teams won silver and bronze medals, respectively.
In the past 30 years of the Olympic Games, the United States has dominated the women’s team sports of basketball (nine golds), soccer (four golds, one silver, one bronze) and softball (three golds, two silvers) — not to mention the untold number of medals in track and field. And this past summer, the U.S. women’s volleyball team claimed its first gold medal.
These performances by some of our nation’s most skilled female athletes never would have been possible without the passage of Title IX and the offerings of these sports through our nation’s schools. With the chance to play afforded by the landmark Title IX legislation in 1972, girls participation in several high school sports skyrocketed in the years that followed.
When the NFHS conducted its first participation survey in 1971, basketball and outdoor track and field were the primary girls sports, comprising about two-thirds of the 294,000 total. However, with the opportunity to play additional sports, girls flocked to volleyball and softball first, along with cross country and eventually soccer.
Soccer, in fact, has had the most remarkable growth. In 1971, only 700 girls were playing high school soccer. Twenty-five years later, that number had climbed to almost 210,000; and as the 50th anniversary of Title IX approaches, there are now almost 400,000 girls playing high school soccer – a staggering 56,200 percentage increase in 50 years. Soccer now ranks fourth in popularity among girls high school sports – all because of that opportunity in 1972.
There are many other success stories, however. The pre-Title IX survey in 1971 indicated that 1,719 girls were participating in cross country. With increases every year until 2015, today, there are 219,345 girls competing in high school programs and the sport ranks sixth in popularity.
Although participation numbers have leveled a bit the past 10 years, fast-pitch softball is another sport that flourished after the passage of Title IX. With fewer than 10,000 participants in 1971, the numbers quickly rose to 220,000 by 1985 and 343,000 by 2000, and softball is currently fifth among girls sports with 362,038 participants.
Since track and field and basketball were the primary sports in the early days of girls sports programs, increases in those sports have not been as dramatic; however, they remain the first and third most-popular sports, respectively, today. Volleyball, however, much like soccer, continues its upward climb.
Without a doubt, volleyball has seen the steadiest increases among girls high school sports the past 50 years. After starting with 17,952 participants in 1971, the numbers jumped to 300,810 by 1990 and 409,332 by 2010 and 452,808 by 2018. During its climb, volleyball surpassed basketball as the No. 2 girls sport.
And among the top six girls sports from 2010 to 2018 (numbers are not available the past two years due to the pandemic), volleyball has gained the most participants (43,476), followed by soccer (32,549). And all of this has occurred thanks to legislation passed in 1972 that was not fundamentally meant to address opportunities for girls to participate in high school sports.
The NFHS is leading a yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of Title IX, which officially occurs on June 23, 2022. “Title IX at 50 – Celebrating and Growing Opportunities” is highlighting the law’s impact by celebrating the inspirational individuals and landmark moments in the history of Title IX, and continuing to grow the educational and competitive opportunities for the future.
More information, including a Title IX Timeline, Title IX Milestones, The History and Importance of Title IX, Title IX Fact Sheet, Title IX Frequently Asked Questions and several Title IX videos, can be accessed on the NFHS Website.
Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff is beginning her fourth year as executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in Indianapolis. She is the first female to head the national leadership organization for high school athletics and performing arts activities and the sixth full-time executive director of the NFHS. She previously was executive director of the Connecticut Association of Schools-Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference for seven years.
![](/sites/default/files/imported/Photos/7_MHSAATVSig3.jpg)
This Week on MHSAA.TV
October 22, 2014
Just in time for a heavy month of postseason tournament coverage, three month-long subscriptions to MHSAA.tv will be given away this week using the Association’s social media presence.
On Thursday, one winner will be drawn at random at 3 p.m. from Twitter users retweeting information about the giveaway. On Friday, two winners will be randomly selected at 3 p.m. from an Instagram post asking users to “Share” or “Like” the giveaway on Facebook. Complete details can be found on each platform.
The passes will be good for 30 days, and will allow winners to view more than 125 hours of live MHSAA tournament action in cross country, football, boys soccer, girls swimming & diving, and volleyball, plus other live events across the country on NFHSNetwork.com. A Month Pass sells for $14.95 on the MHSAA.tv
Live coverage on MHSAA.tv of the MHSAA Boys Soccer Tournament continued Tuesday with Regional Semifinal activity at four sites. Four more games are available live tonight:
Div. 1 at Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central
Saline v. Grand Haven – 5 p.m.
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central v. Okemos – 7 p.m.
Div. 3 at Clare
Elk Rapids v. Grant – 5 p.m.
Ludington v. Tawas – 7 p.m.
All live games are available on MHSAA.tv on a subscription basis. Subscriptions run either $9.95 for a Day Pass or $14.95 for a Month Pass. Games will become available for free on-demand viewing three days after they have been played.
Subscriptions support individual school programs, and many schools are now offering discounted annual passes through their portal pages, which will also allow for live viewing of nearly 300 live MHSAA postseason tournament events throughout the school year.
Below are highlights cut from last week’s live soccer games, with links to the games in full:
RODRIGUEZ SCORES FOR NORTHVILLE - With 5:39 left in the second half, Johnny Rodriguez lofts a shot over the goalie to give Northville a 1-0 victory over Walled Lake Central.
FIRST SPRING LAKE GOAL - Ryan Zietlow finds the back of the net in the first half of Spring Lake's District Semifinal win over Fruitport. Watch the whole game by Clicking Here.
KEEGAN GEORGE GETS SECOND SPRING LAKE GOAL - Spring Lake scores quickly after a Fruitport goal kick early in the second half on this blast from Keegan George. Watch the whole game by Clicking Here.
HASTINGS GAME WINNER - Caleb Sherwood gets the only goal of the game for Hastings in its District semifinal win over Battle Creek Harper Creek. Watch the whole game by Clicking Here
ETHAN GREEN SCORES - Ethan Green steals the ball from the Battle Creek Central keeper and scores late in Plainwell's win in the District Semifinals. Watch the whole game by Clicking Here.
DEREK SNYDER SCORES - Plainwell scored at will in the last 20 minutes against Battle Creek Central. Derek Snyder scores off a restart to give the Trojans the lead to stay. Watch the whole game by Clicking Here.
ANTHONY POLLACK SCORES FOR FRASER - Anthony Pollack gets the first goal of the game when Fraser met Grosse Pointe South. Watch the whole game by Clicking Here
Following are events from last week now available on-demand:
Soccer
- Grosse Pointe South vs. Fraser at St. Clair Shores Lakeview
- Warren DeLaSalle vs. Grosse Pointe North at St. Clair Shores Lakeview
- Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern vs. Comstock Park at Forest Hills Northern
- Muskegon Reeths-Puffer vs. Muskegon at Sparta
- Fruitport vs. Spring Lake at Sparta
- Battle Creek Harper Creek vs. Hastings at Middleville Thornapple Kellogg
- Battle Creek Central vs. Plainwell at Middleville Thornapple Kellogg
- Montrose vs. Corunna at Montrose
- Grayling vs. Elk Rapids at Grayling
- Novi vs. Detroit Catholic Central at Novi
- Walled Lake Central vs. Northville at Novi
Volleyball
- Mason at Owosso
- Watervliet at Lawton
- Holt at East Lansing
- Oscoda at Lincoln Alcona
- Rogers City at Hillman
- Calumet at Negaunee
- Fairview at Whittemore-Prescott
- Fife Lake Forest Area at Central Lake
- Rogers City at Hillman
- Tawas at Pinconning
- Montabella at Central Montcalm
- Pinconning at Whittemore-Prescott
- L'Anse at Calumet
- Atlanta at Rogers City
- East Jordan at Grayling
Football
- Marquette at Negaunee
- Flint Beecher at Montrose
- Mancelona at Central Lake
- Oscoda at Rogers City
- Manton at Lincoln Alcona
- Grand Ledge at East Lansing
- Brimley at Posen
- Pickford at Onaway
- Whittemore-Prescott at Hillman
- Harrison at Clare
- Dowagiac at Paw Paw
- Greenville at Cedar Springs
- Allendale at Comstock Park
- Saginaw Heritage at Davison
- Detroit Consortium at Mason
Swimming and Diving
- Grand Ledge at East Lansing
MHSAA.tv Highlights: This week's package includes clips from the Clare/Harrison and Flint Beecher/Montrose football games and Stanton Central Montcalm/Blanchard Montabella volleyball match.