It's Not About the Weight Room....Right? Thoughts on Women in Sports

It's not about the weight room. And yet, it is.

By now, every sports fan in America should be aware of the story that emerged shortly before tip off of the 2021 men's and women's NCAA basketball tournament. University of Oregon basketball player, Sedona Price created a TikTok video to expose the disparity between the weight room facility and resources allocated for the men in Indianapolis and the women in San Antonio. Same sport, same tournament, same difference. Wait, strike that—it's not true.

The difference is remarkable. The NCAA issued and apology. Many were not surprised to see what has long been true.

How's so? Muffet McGraw, former head coach of Notre Dame women's basketball , said "Well, I was happy to see it, and I was happy that people were surprised to see it. Because I think we're shining some light on the inequities that have been there for decades." McGraw would know—she retired from her position in April 2020 after 33 years at the helm.

As an outspoken advocate for women in leadership and a veteran teacher, McGraw offered examples of inequalities beyond the weight room. As written in Notre Dame's Muffet McGraw still shooting for women's empowerment, she said, 

Both the men's and the women's [teams] are playing on some college campuses. But you can't tell on the men's side if they're at Purdue or Butler. Because the NCAA has got a brand-new court with a beautiful March Madness logo in the middle of it. [The women are] playing at three schools in Texas who still have the regular court. So there's a three-point line for men and a three-point line for women. One court even has a volleyball court set up on it, with absolutely no signage. Then the courts in the Alamodome that the NCAA has provided for us simply say, "Women's Basketball" in the middle. The NCAA does not allow the women to use the March Madness [logo]. 

I think some of these things seem small to people watching. But there's so many. It's a pretty long laundry list of things that are inequitable. The problem to me is that they treat us as if we don't deserve better, and they're OK with it.

McGraw isn't OK with it and sports fans know it. As Laskey wrote, "McGraw captured attention outside the sports world in 2019 when her Final Four press conference answer about her practice of hiring only female assistant coaches went viral." Her words were truthful and they were divisive. I heard applause from many and jeers from others—long after "One Shining Moment" was played. Perhaps I should reference something else...that video montage does not feature any women. I guess I now know why...it's riddled with that March Madness logo.

Price concluded her report with the declaration: "If you're not upset about this problem, then your'e a part of it," 

McGraw said, "We have to ... enact change by raising our voices and making a stand, letting people know that we are not second-class citizens and we're not going to take it anymore." 

So where does that leave us? What do you think? What can we do. Here are but two humble suggestions.

1. Talk about your Mount Rushmore. Expand your G.O.A.T.
Sports fan love a bar stool. They relish a good debate, new and old criteria, allowing history to be a teacher—for good, bad and much more. 

As much as I love this arena, I have grown very tired of the endless conversation about the G.O.A.T. My disdain for this topic isn't for the exceptions people make, the bias they carry or even the rules /qualifications they enact. All of that can be fun. No, this conversation is nearly nauseating to me because it seldom, if ever, profiles or mentions women. It should. Why not?

When Sheryl Swoopes turned 50 earlier this month, I heard Michael Wilbon—cohost of "Pardon the Interruption" claim her on his Mount Rushmore. As he said this, my ears perked up. I leaned in. With synapses flying, I said to myself Now we're talking! This something we can all do: change the narrative. Invite the input of others. Press your opinion. Go for it.  

FYI: Swoopes is on my Mount Rushmore, too. I LOVE that she won defensive player of the year and was scoring champion in the same year!

2. Read, Write and Follow a Female Athlete or Women's Sports Team
Supporting, following and celebrating an individual athlete as well as a dynamic team is one of the great joys of sports. Sports marketing 101 proclaims the R.O.I on a popular name and personality or an exciting crew is legion. So why not invest a little time, a little effort in getting to know female athletes. Why don't we make more of an effort to tell a female team's story?

Sixty Minutes' profile of the renowned sportswriter, Dave Kindred is all the evidence you will need. It is one of the best stories I have heard in a long time. He's a tremendous example and his personal story says it all. Enough of me—I can only encourage you to see for yourself.

Dave Kindred has covered the biggest moments and brightest stars in sports for more than half a century, but now he tells 60 Minutes he's found his most fulfilling work: writing about girls high school hoops in central Illinois. 

Back to the Weight Room
Though I haven't been there since March 2020, I love working out in the weight room at my gym. A co-ed space, I've never felt intimidated in this space—but I know many women do and I'm sensitive to their reality. I would like those who are tentative about entering this space to know that most people are more focused on themselves than you. For example, due to my heart health I cannot even lift heavy weight. I've taken some ribbing over the years, but most people never say anything. I'm just happy to be there. I put my weights away. I'm respectful of other people's space. I don't sing with my ear pods in, grunt or scream. I talk a little trash—but never about the weight I'm lifting.

I have noticed in recent years just how many more women—in particular younger women are active and showing up in the weight room. Like their male counterparts, they are focused, hard working, intentional and social. It's a good place to be. And, it's a place I would like to talk about a female Mount Rushmore....women GOATs and March Madness 2021. I have to say, I was sorry to see Oregon lose but happy to see Stanford back in the Finals. 

Credits
First, thanks to Dyan for sharing the story about Dan Kindred!!
Weight Room
Mt Rushmore
Kindred

The Ecstasy and the Agony: Reflections on the Women's NCAA National Championship

6:00 a.m.
Monday morning 
Hour of Power class 
95% male, 5% female (on a good day). Sometimes 1% ;-(
Lot of sport, a little spirituality. I am greeted by my workout buddies to cheers, no jeers. Efforts toward consolation, amidst my desolation. "We're sorry about Notre Dame!" and "Great game for the Irish." I let their words comfort me. I needed them to.

I don't know that I have cried over a loss before. I know athletes do. I get it. And this fan shed a good solid few as the Notre Dame women's basketball team exited the court after a tough loss to Baylor 82-80 in the NCAA National Championship game. When the TV camera caught Arike Ogunbowale walking with her mom, face hidden in her jersey, crying—I lost it. Her tears sparked my own—tears for what could have been and what will be no more. Four of the starting five players are seniors and the one junior is pursuing the dream they each sharing of playing in the WNBA. I realized very quickly this era of Notre Dame women's hoops would be no more. That realization led to several others. Here are but a few worth reflecting upon...

The Ecstasy and the Agony
Because Easter Sunday is so late, our Spring break will take place during Holy Week. I told my students I will miss not being with them during the holiest of days for Christians. I hope they will avail themselves to services around the Triduum. I remind them that Good Friday is a day of fasting and abstinence; I tell them this is always a spiritually challenging day for me. However, come Easter Sunday, everything changes. We enter into the Joy of the Resurrection for 50 days! ....and you get an Easter basket! We shared stories of past Easter baskets, our favorite candy until I tell them that last year, I received the best Easter basket ever. It's known as the Miracle Easter Basket....and it was.....twice!

What Arike accomplished in the semi-final and championship games to help Notre Dame win in the final seconds of both games changed the trajectory of her life. Her favorite basketball player—the inspiration behind wearing #24—sent her a tweet before the game and after. A week later they were united on the Ellen DeGeneres show where he gave her two signed jerseys: one for her and one for her dog, Kobe. She appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the caption "Ice Twice" and was a guest on "Dancing with the Stars." Safe to say that she became a heroine, a social media sensation, not to mention a national champion overnight. Did I mention that she earned the Most Outstanding Player Award in the 2018 NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament, captured a single-season record for highest scoring average in school history during her junior season and contributed to some of the most successful seasons Notre Dame women’s basketball has ever seen?! If that's not ecstasy, what is?

One year later, we thought she might do it again. With 3.9 seconds left in the game, fans had to wonder if Arike could and would do it again. The inbound play was met with great defense by Baylor. Arike drove to the hoop and drew the foul down low. With a free-throw percentage of 81% and ice in her veins—she really could act like she had been there before—she missed the first foul shot. It rolled around the rim and hopped out. Our only hope was left in getting a rebound upon missing the free throw. From the sidelines, it was easy to see Coach McGraw say "miss it." Arike put up the ball only to have it sink in, and "swoosh." With but 0.4 seconds left and Baylor inbounding the ball, the fate was sealed. Baylor won the national championship. Agony. The Irish exited stage left.

Arike Ogunbowale did not lose the game for the Irish. Arike Ogunbowale did not win the game one year prior for the Irish. It's easy for me to say this, but we must remember that a game is won and lost by the collective effort of the team. Society will lead us to think otherwise, but it's too much responsibility, burden, agony, ecstasy, joy and celebration for one person to bear. 

From 3.21 to 0
Being a fan isn't without a cost, both literally and figuratively. Yes, I have paid exorbitant amounts of money on tickets, road trips, and sports ware. I have spent an obscene amount of time traveling for games, standing in lines and (fortunately) attending live sports events! I wouldn't have it any other way. The cost I mention—in light of the national championship game—is stress to my central nervous system...my heart...and some living room furniture.

The Irish came back from a 17-point deficit. With 3 minutes and 21 seconds they took the lead for the first time. They made a few mistakes and Baylor got the ball. Coach McGraw called a time out. I looked at the clock and thought to myself, we can't get to the trophy without going through this 3 full minutes. The pressure was so intense. The anxiety was super high....and I'm not even an athlete on the floor. I took a breath and realized in a few minutes time, there final score would stand. One team would win, the other would lose. I held hope in my heart, put on my seatbelt and said "let's do this." A sick part of me loved the adrenaline rush. That wouldn't exist if it weren't a battle....a great contest...and a match between equals. What a great game. Thank you, ladies.

Kim Mulkey
I have never seen a camera fixate on a single coach in the way it did during the women's national championship game. One could say that with the bright colors, big hair and bold eyelashes, Kim Mulkey is asking for it, but to me, this was egregious. This was a match up between two equally great coaches. Both entered into the arena with two championship titles to their names. Both are strong women at the helm. Both are willing to show their own flare (Irish green made for interesting nail color Coach!). It's too bad the camera didn't feature the all female coaching staff at Notre Dame, more than it did.

I did love the way the Baylor coaches took their time congratulating and talking to the ND women's team when the game was over. They were gracious in defeat and warm in their praise for living up to the billing of the Fightin' Irish. That being said, I never saw how the ND coaches interacted with the players form Baylor because the camera, once again, focused on one coach....

Looking ahead.
It's hard to believe but just three days later, this team made history once again. The Irish become the first program in which all five starters were selected within the top 20 picks. They also join the 2008 Tennessee squad as the only two instances in draft history in which all five starters were selected in a three-round draft. Junior guard, Jackie Young became the second Irish player in program history selected No. 1 overall, joining Jewell Loyd. I am certain their coaches, families, friends and fans couldn't be more proud.

Where do we go from here?
I asked my students what do you do after a brutal loss. "Where do you go from here?" I queried. A thoughtful student said, "you let yourself feel the pain. To get through the pain, you must feel the pain."

Loss takes many shapes and forms. It might be in a national championship title, letting go of a dream, or realizing things won't be the same...but I firmly believe the deeper the pain, the greater the love. That's the only place to go from there....standing in appreciation, in awe, gratitude and thanksgiving for that ride....both last year and this year. No either/or. Both/And. Thank you women of Notre Dame.

Photo Credits
5 Starters
Kim Mulkey

Youth is Not Wasted on the Young--Not in This Year's Tourney!

If you caught the first of Saturday’s NCAA men’s basketball double-header I know what you saw. Youth—right? That’s a given in college basketball (and even more so with players being drafted after their freshman year). What you should say is "green leadership." Both teams were led by 33 and 34 year old coaches. Shaka Smart of VCU made his first Final Four appearance. The opposition was led by a man who probably gets carded anytime he's not wearing his glasses. Brad Stevens and his Butler Bulldogs returned to the Final Four; they play in the championship game on Monday!

And inexperience seems to be paying off these days. An interesting piece from the "Wall Street Journal" raised a question, many people have been asking in March Madness Who Says Experience Matters?

The key to surviving the madness of March, supposedly, is experience. Having senior leadership and players who have "been there before" is often the difference between the teams that wilt in the NCAA tournament and those that move on.

This is college-basketball dogma. But this year's tournament, with a cascade of upsets of senior-laden teams and late-game blunders involving veteran players, is forcing a reevaluation. It might just be that experience is overrated.

I contend it’s not that experience is overrated, but rather that youth is underrated. Wisdom, after all, can be found from a multitude of sources, something that St. Benedict acknowledged when he urged an abbot at a monastery to solicit the opinion of even the youngest member of the community: “By the Lord’s inspiration, it is often a younger person who knows what is best.”

Prior to the Connecticut vs. Notre Dame women’s basketball Final Four game, the media coverage featured, almost exclusively senior forward Maya Moore. No one would have thought sophomore point guard Skylar Diggins knows best. Indeed More held her own she scored 36 points, putting up the third-highest total in a national semifinal. But, it wasn’t enough for a Huskies’ three-peat. Instead, Diggins led the Irish onward to victory with 28 points. This is her first Final Four and championship appearance.

1 Timothy 4:12 tells us Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. I heard Diggins speak after the game and she was full of poise, joy and class. In her personal blog she wrote about her love for her teammates and faith in them.

These young players and young coaches—it is exciting to think of what they have achieved with the Lord’s inspiration. It’s easy to look down upon youth and chide them for their lack of experience or purported wisdom. But if there’s one thing this March Madness has made clear, it’s that youth really is NOT wasted on the young.

Photo Credits
young coaches
Women's Final Four