Title IX was established to create equal opportunities between men’s and women’s sports in both high school and at the collegiate level.
On Sept. 7, that so-called “level playing field” was violated during a women’s field hockey game between the University of Maine and Temple University.
In a game that was scoreless after regulation, and after the first overtime half, the second half of overtime was about to begin. That was until officials from Kent State stopped the game and both teams declared it a no-contest.
The entire reasoning behind ending the game before an official winner was declared was because of the Kent State football game, which had a firework display prepared for the game on the field hockey game’s field.
The University of Maine’s athletic director, Ken Ralph, released a statement which said that Kent State announced in May the field that the field hockey game was on could not be used past 10:30 a.m., but the game was allowed to start at 9:00 a.m.
If a field hockey game was played to regulation time with no stoppages whatsoever, the game would last 60 minutes, split up by 15-minute quarters with small breaks in between quarters. The overtime period is split into two 10-minute halves.
With the University of Maine and Temple University, the game had gone for 70 minutes, not including any stoppages or breaks in between periods. This most likely resulted in a time conflict with the 10:30 time frame that Kent State put out.
In the statement, Ralph said, “Once you allow a game to commence, you are obligated to allow the game to continue to conclusion.”
This brings up the issue of allowing men’s and women’s sports to equally compete. What kind of message is this sending not only to the field hockey teams, but any women’s sport in general, about how schools feel about their program?
Frankly, this sends the message to young female athletes in high school that some schools do not care about their female athletic programs, or choose to place a priority on men’s sports – ones that might make more revenue for the school. At what point does money play more of a factor than equality between genders?
And quite honestly, I would much rather watch an intense overtime game of field hockey than noon fireworks the beginning of a football game.
