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Potential resolution in Florida interscholastic athletics

By Erin Buzuvis, Sudha Setty, and Kristine Newhall

After being given a 10-day window to come up with an equitable solution to cutting sports contests, the Florida High School Athletic Association will announce two options for schools. In April FHSAA said it would cut all varsity contests by 20 percent--except football. The football exemption disproportionately affects girls and Title IX advocate/scholar and lawyer Nancy Hogshead-Makar along with a group of parents said they would file a lawsuit unless the organization addressed the inequity immediately.
FHSAA listened and will announce tomorrow that schools can either cut football contests by the same 20 percent or retain the number of contests for certain girls' sports (basketball, volleyball, softball, and soccer are the ones that have been mentioned). In other words, if there are 55 boys on a football team and a school elects to keep a full schedule, it must keep a full schedule for 55 girls--whether those girls are on one 55-person squad or a combination of 2 or 3 teams.
I have seen two articles on this solution. One does not have a comment by Hogshead-Makar and the second quotes her as being displeased by the solution--but it does not explain why.
I suspect there are more issues here and sides of stories that are missing. For example, the issue of "competitive" cheerleading was raised but I am not sure it has been resolved. I suspect we will know more when the official announcement is made.

Full post as published by Title IX Blog on June 11, 2009 (boomark / email).