I want to share a new ruling by the NCAA which is a huge step forward in the acceptance of girls playing baseball. With a formal recognition that baseball and softball are not the same sport, perhaps more doors will open for women to play baseball at a higher level.
NCAA Baseball and Softball
Talking Points
February 2009
NCAA legislation governs NCAA amateurism regulations, allows student‐athletes
to use four seasons of competition in any one sport and limits outside athletic
activities in the student‐athlete’s sport (amateur team participation, etc.).
Previous interpretations of NCAA legislation stated baseball and softball were the
same sport for NCAA amateurism and outside competition regulations. Therefore, a
softball student‐athlete could not participate on an organized baseball team during
the academic year, for example, without jeopardizing her eligibility in softball.
The Women’s Sports Foundation asked the NCAA Committee on Women’s
Athletics (CWA) to review the issue of softball and baseball being considered the
same sport. The CWA asked the divisional interpretive bodies to reconsider the
interpretations.
Based on the information gathered, including a West Virginia court case that
treats the sports as different, NCAA Divisions I, II and III voted to reverse the
interpretations.
The reversal now allows a softball student‐athlete, for example, to participate on a
baseball league and vice versa, within other NCAA rules and bylaws.
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Yesterday, I sent a message to Jen and others regarding the opportunity for women to play baseball at the collegiate or university levels.
ReplyDeleteThe word I previously received from the most reliable source indicated or implied that Baseball is now a real option for women, either among men or on their own terms, in their own league.
I received further clarification from Karen Morrison, Director of Gender Initiatives, NCAA, and Stephanie Bacan, Coordinator, Office of Academic & Membership Affairs at NCAA, on the purpose and state of the rules interpretation described in the post by Jen, above.
The recent change addressed the issue of allowing women to play both: Softball – on campus, on official teams, in the NCAA sanctioned leagues by Division – and Baseball, off-campus in other leagues, including professional. If a women were playing Baseball, professionally, outside of college, prior to and during their time at the college or university, it would not affect their Amateur status in Softball. Otherwise, it is a general interpretation that the two sports are considered different and not interchangeable by law.
This leads to the bottom line: can women play Baseball in college or the university? The answer I received this morning is that it is up to the "individual institution" – college or university – and their rules if they permit women to play Baseball: it is not the responsibility of the NCAA to make that determination nor enforce a rule that would protect a woman's right to play baseball with men.
But, if you were to contact The Office for Civil Rights, as part of the federal government's Department of Education:
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/help.html
You may discover a more comprehensive and legal explanation as to if, or, why or why not women are permitted to play Baseball at the college and university levels.
If you have any questions you would like to ask a qualified NCAA representative, feel free to call them, email them, to ask specifics. There contact info is below.
On the matter of NCAA developing a Women's Baseball division: that is considered an entirely different matter by NCAA:
Please review the following web site:
Emerging Sports for Women, or
http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?ContentID=40539
An initiative to create a a Women's Baseball division requires a minimum of 10 presidents or chancellors, within one of the three Divisions of the NCAA, I, II, or III, to sign off on the plan. It is up to us to make this a reality...
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Contact info:
Calling the switchboard at NCAA:
317-917-6222
you can reach anyone by name and leave a message in their individual voce message box.
For more on Emerging Sports for Women:
Karen Morrison, Director of Gender Initiatives,
kmorrison@ncaa.org
For clarification on legislation interpretation, the Membership Affairs department includes:
Amy Huchthausen, Director of Academic & Membership Affairs at NCAA and, her assistant:
ahuchthausen@ncaa.org
Stephanie Bacon, Coordinator, Office of Academic & Membership Affairs at NCAA
sbacon@ncaa.org
You can email anyone at NCAA with the convention: first initial of first name then last name @ncaa.org -– see above.
I hope you have a terrific time in Hong Kong, Jen - knock one out of the park for all of us!
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Jim Nemerovski
jim@girlsplaybaseball.com
http://www.girlsplaybaseball.com/
http://www.girlsplaybaseball.org/