Girls' Athletic Programs Alive And Well

When a U.S. District Court judge ruled girls could particípate in high school varsity sports, one of the first questions raised was what effect the ruling would have on girls' athletic programs in Michigan. There were some who feit the decisión might signal the end of interscholastic sports for girls. Since the court action, however, that opinión has changed considerably and now some are claiming the girls' program in the state will grow by leaps and bounds. "I really think you're going to see a surge in the promotion of girls' athletics," said Huron Athletic Director Ed Klum. "You'll probably see it given a big push by the state association (the Michigan High School Athletic Association- MHSAA) and by individual schools throughout the state. "I don't think their program will ever get as large as the boys, but I'm almost certain they will move near a complete program." The MHSAA already is making plans for the introduction of more state tournaments for girls. The state athletic body has scheduled a girls' tennis and swimming meet for this fall and winïand has plans to hold a track meet and golf tournament next spring. Lonnie Lowry, an assistant director of the MHSAA, said the girls interscholastic sports program is a lot bigger than most people realize. "It's more than likely going to get bigger," he said. "We're in favor of holding a state tournament in almost any sport the girls are interested in. "We have a girls' sports committee made up of women from all areas and all sizes of schools throughout the state. They make recommendations based on what they find the girlsj really want in the form of a state meet. "Basketball is the largest of the sports but surprisingly there was little interest shown in holding a state tournament." Lowry said that the girls' gymnastics meet held in Hillsdale in March was a great success and will be continued next year. The state also holds a ski meet, which has been held since the early 1960s. "We've scheduled a tennis and swimming meet for the fall, although the sites are still undetermined," said Lowry. "In December we'll finalize plans for the track and golf meet." It is Lowry's opinión and that of the state association that I the recent court ruling will have no great effect on the girls' sports programs. "People suddenly found out that girls do compete on an interscholastic level, instead of just intramurals," Lowry continued, "and I think they now realize that the programs will continue to grow." Lowry noted that girls' sports program are even bigger , in outstate areas than they are in the large metropolitan arpas "The outstate schools have a tremendous progiam and it's more vaned then in the large metro áreas," he explained "The S,f Genessee County, Traverse City and " Grand SS iroLaL"and suburban) just to name a have exAccording to the MHSAA, basketball is the largest of the Ss SP 388 SChOlS comPeting on an interscholastic incliide-8' SPrtS 8nd the nUmber f high Schools ParticiPating j Basketball 388, softball 182, track 150, volleyball 120, tennis 87 swimming 81, gymnastics 52, skiing 39, field hockey 36 golf 20, speedball 12, bowling 10 and badtainton 7 ' rpSn7s Jjrüú&ítí ra 5 ÏJë PiPes in basklSt Thomas, which was forced to elimínate the girls' ?rograam!fSanPr0gram tWS SCh01 year' wiU reinstat the direS'afsi11 BIikken'. "xt 5ars physical education director at St. Thomas, said the school hopes to field a team or o" 3n interschoIastic level wdl as an intramraï theS'ïbofS a iSssssRaSK' Huron' - that the ss "The response by the girls has been excellent thus far " "were trying to S2 i'Tíf-.OnlI things that wU1 determine its growth are the SltiïScSftaÏÏ; ? course the budget alloi comLSoufrfnrUtehn0íthat.WhÍIe generalIy " is the same SMs follóos6 DUmber f gÍrIS particPatng in each sport are as swiSvXeybaï hCkey 28' traCk , ".AetWl PIONEER-Basketball 20, volleyball 18, softball 18, track 15 Several of the area schools field interscholastic teams in the popular sports like basketball, softball and track But most of the programs are intramural. n liS area, schoIs have intramural teams that may plJ a linuted number of games against other schools but are noti considered an interscholastic team by the MHSAA ] , n?T6Vier' ltJl Senerally agreed that as interest grows ij Üïïf re 3n Merscholastic Program fogMs' A Much depends, of course, on how much local boards ol ïducaüon budget for the programs "uras M Miss Harney noted that the budget for girls' sports aL Wrantl Huron was ?i.5]9 oach and S3irl th;,t n,M 'vcarthJ scbuuJs will be asJcmg tor $3,000 eah" Í 1 better than the boys'TarSttup ma"y C3SeS pays offl the ShTeetLr SCfoDrkSeerrS L 6Xplained that whiI J ball, and ÍESPÍE LL? T SUCh S foaU, basket-l keeps the othei -sports gotag r6VenUe Whkh' in effect. and sS LSö2S ?heVeboaySsUCh USe the ment sport!kMdrsatrVraensSr gMS' ÍnCreaSÍ int-st in mISIT." than Refere, butl