The debate over the Michigan’s high school girls’ athletics seasons returns to court Thursday as a federal judge plans to rule on a blueprint to end discrimination in interscholastic sports. The decision will come after years of frustration and debate, and still may not take care of the problems the issue was meant to address.
In December, the Michigan High School Athletic Association landed in hot water when a federal court ruled it was discriminating against female athletes when scheduling sport seasons, allowing boys to play in a more “advantageous season.” The MHSAA, the state’s governing body for high school athletics, now is waiting for a judge to determine if the plan it has proposed solves that problem.
Two mothers of high schools girls sued the association, claiming among other charges that the association discriminates against girls because their basketball and volleyball seasons are opposite their counterparts at the college level, while boys’ sports are aligned with college seasons. This difference, the suit claimed, makes it harder for Michigan girls to compete for college scholarships.
But, citing the wishes of its member schools, the MHSAA is not addressing the volleyball and girls’ basketball seasons in its plan. In fact, the measure seems to avoid the issue of college recruiting entirely, ignoring that some high school athletes - mostly boys - are given a greater opportunity to show off for college recruiters. Although few high school athletes reach the level of playing at a Big Ten school, many play sports at smaller colleges and universities - and get scholarships that help them pay for their schooling. It’s important high schools provide their students with the opportunity of being seen by a college recruiter, and essential those schools seriously examine whether their sports seasons hurt students’ chances of going to the next level.
The MHSAA is not addressing the problem of scouting.
Instead, it’s abandoning many girls as they work to get accepted to college and then find a way to pay for their educations.
