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By Shannamar Dewey

Just when you thought you were safely submersed in the world of basketball I'm going to go there. It seems the norm is for Athletics and Politics to be carefully kept apart. Perhaps they should be, but all too often I see this resulting in young athletes who avoid knowing current events unless they run on Sports Center. Since this is a women's basketball news letter, (and because what is at the core of athletics but teamwork, leadership and responsibility?), I'm going to take a second or two to congratulate the United States on the placement of our first female Speaker of the House. Nancy Pelosi has reached the highest political office held by a woman in over 200 years of United States history, as she steps to the helm of a House that is 16% women. The U.S.A. trails 79 other countries in the category of female-held political offices, (Ohlemacher). As Speaker of the House, Pelosi is now second in-line to president after Vice President Cheney.

Not only is she the first female Speaker of the House, Pelosi is also the first Californian Speaker of the House. This surely must be doubly noted by our group of California Community College female athletes and supporters. Although I could find no information on Pelosi's childhood beyond her familial connections and exposure to politics, it is fact that Nancy Pelosi was a keynote speaker at the American Association of University Women (AAUW), Purpose, Power and Progress Convention in 2005. The AAUW is a lead supporter of Title IX and continuously fights efforts to weaken its effectiveness. In a Press Release on June 22, 2005 in which Pelosi recognized the 33rd anniversary of Title IX and the opportunities it has created for the girls of our nation she said:

"As a mother of four adult daughters, I have personally seen the dramatic results of Title IX. Some are visible, such as the growing number of girls on soccer fields and basketball courts. Equally significant is the message that Title IX sends to girls: your education is crucial and your future is limitless". - Pelosi

So let us congratulate the United States as we continue to move, (though not necessarily as world leaders), out of the dark ages and into the age of growing equal opportunities. Congratulations to Nancy Pelosi for a continuing successful presence in politics and for what that means to the young women and girls of our nation. As for me, I can say that the world will surely be a better place when the athletes from this season take their team oriented and winning attitudes on to the rest of their lives. . .wether they are future politicians, teachers, moms or. . .(the possibilities are endless), our girls will continue winning even after Tom Powers' coaching guidance is but a valuable memory.

for more information on Title IX and/or AAUW go to:
http://www.aauw.org/issue_advocacy/actionpages/positionpapers/titleix_athletics.cfm#end7
for Nancy Pelosi's complete Press Release 6/22/05 go to:
http://www.house.gov/pelosi/press/releases/June05/TitleIX.html

 

Mar's Million Cents Worth
-And Is It Worth It!-

I've been a Head Coach at various levels of basketball, so I'm here at COS trying to learn the finer points of the game at the collegiate level. The year was going great, I was learning from Coach Hagarty, and our record was 4-3. Our next game was the home opener versus Umpqua. Being an assistant here has been great; living in the mountains, no pressure. Then all of a sudden with 12:38 left in the second half Hagarty gets himself tossed out of the gym with his second technical foul. Now I have to assume command and we're down two points.

Now I didn't come up here to be head coach and I'm thrust into a position where the team is trailing, the refs don't like us, and all this unforeseen pressure is creeping back into my life. Fortunately, the team came back and won by nine, and everyone congratulated me on a job well done. But I'm still madder than heck at Hagarty for                           bringing all that pressure back into my life. Coach Hagarty has got                           to learn to control that wild temper. I'm sorry, but that's just the                           way I feel!

                          Ted Goodykoontz

(Re-run from January 1995 issue in memory of Ted Goodykoontz)