Kentucky Sports Equity Project, 1984-2013 | Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

By Neil R. Kasiak

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Collection Overview

Title: Kentucky Sports Equity Project, 1984-2013

Primary Creator: Kentucky Sports Equity Project (1986-2013)

Other Creators: Citizens for Sports Equity (1984-2013)

Extent: 1.75 Cubic Feet

Arrangement: Unless noted, all materials are arranged chronologically. When possible duplicates are included if they contain handwritten notes that add an additional layer of content to the collection. Although correspondence is arranged and foldered first by organization and then by level of involvement (i.e. board, committee, etc.), some correspondence remains with the original document sets in which the collection was received.

Date Acquired: 11/02/2013

Subjects: Athletics., Citizens for Sport Equity, Scholarships., Title IX., Women's sports., Women's Sports Foundation (WSF)

Languages: English

Abstract

The documents in this collection represent the dedicated grassroots movement that local girls and women's sports advocates developed in response to the sports equity component of the Title IX Statute of the Educational Amendments of 1972. The Kentucky Citizens for Sports Equity (KCSE), as the organization came to be known after an August, 1992 name change, helped to raise awareness for local Kentucky girls, coaches, officials, and administrators. The KCSE also attempted to organize and highlight girls sports participants and volunteers in order to address equity concerns. KCSE recognition events networked members and participants with other sports equity proponents, and, more specifically, they underscored the performance of Kentucky's girls sports participants, officials, advocates and volunteers. The KCSE quickly organized prominent local women into leadership roles, and their subsequent actions helped to advance and institutionalize sports equity in Kentucky. KCSE goals and efforts are reflected in the numerous banquets and events that recognized female participants and volunteers. The organization's regular events attempted to sync local Kentucky equity programs with other state and national sports equity movements. In particular, the KCSE collection captures the numerous conferences, awards banquets and grant programs that were promoted and offered in conjunction with a healthy working relationship with both the Kentucky Education Department (KED) and the Kentucky chapter of the Women's Sports Foundation (KWSF). The KCSE and KWSF promoted equity and opportunity in female sports in Kentucky through recognizing individual performance and leadership abilities.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The following collection contains correspondence, documents, and publications from the Citizens for Sports Equity Project, a United States Department of Education funded program that initially functioned under the Women Educational Equity Act (WEEA). The collection also contains materials from the Kentucky Women's Sports Foundation (KWSF), a subsidiary of a nationally recognized foundation that sought "to improve the physical, mental and emotional well-being of all females" through instituting educational services that addressed women's athletics and other relevant social issues.

More than ten years after the organizing board signed off on the original articles of incorporation, Brigid DeVries, the acting KCSE President, explained the KCSE's goals best when she detailed how the organization was "designed to recruit, train, motivate, and promote women to fill leadership positions in sports and athletics." [2013-020-b.1-f.1] During the same year, Dr. Agnes Chrietzberg commented that "the purpose of the organization [was] to provide a network for [the] promotion of sports for girls and for [the] advancement of women in sports leadership." [2013-020-b.1-f.2]

Based on the evidence in the following collection, KCSE fulfilled DeVries' stated goals by sponsoring numerous awards luncheons and conferences that provided Kentucky women with an opportunity to network with like-minded individuals, as well as other equity organizations. In general, the collection reflects how the Title IX ruling resulted in grassroots efforts that continued well beyond 1972.

Collection Historical Note

The documents in this collection underscore the public maneuvers that girls and women's sports advocates took to overcome the male dominated fields of coaching and organizing women's sports programs in Kentucky. In addition to focusing attentions on stimulating local citizenry participation in Title IX compliance, Kentucky Citizens for Sports Equity (KCSE), with the help of the Kentucky Women's Sports Foundation (KWSF), also emphasized relevant programs and strategies that attempted to remove the rampant disparities between men's and women's sports programs at the high school and, to a lesser extent, collegiate levels. All the related materials capture the outstanding efforts that local Kentucky women put forth in their attempts to raise public and private awareness.

The Kentucky Sports Equity Project Collection underscores the methods that community members developed in response to the Title IX ruling. The collection also highlights local advocates' volunteer driven approach to resource allocation, such as funding opportunities and potential protocols for measuring Title IX compliance. KCSE organizers, such as Teresa Ann Isaac, Dr. Martha Mullins, and Brigid DeVries, maintained a steady focus on achieving sports equity in Kentucky. The materials in this collection also highlight the volunteer driven dedication that many women depended on when they began challenging the relatively weak public and political support that girls and women experienced in sports. The numerous conferences, luncheons, and awards ceremonies that are documented in the collection allows researchers to reconstruct a clear narrative for the unwavering efforts that Kentucky women put forth in pursuing equity in all fields of girls and women's sports.

In addition to the KCSE records that are housed in this collection there are also numerous folders that contain Kentucky Women's Sports Foundation materials. The KWSF worked closely with KCSE under many circumstances. The KWSF shared membership and sometimes held awards luncheons in conjunction with KCSE events, mainly due to the inclusive and grassroots nature of the two organizations. In respects to developing an accessible grant program for young female athletes, the KWSF served as the main financial resource for KCSE grant program connections, and both organizations worked together to promote common interests. The KWSF records that are housed in this collection compliment the KCSE materials in such a way that researchers may have trouble distinguishing between the two organizations. Perhaps the least represented in the collection, but nonetheless important, are the roles that Wendy Poore and Mary Marshall of the Kentucky Education Department played in organizing the appropriate funding opportunities that each organization promoted and utilized.

Of special local interest are the records addressing a Montgomery County sports equity investigation that took place in 1993-94, and the KWSF and KCSE materials that trace their involvement with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council. The collection consists primarily of documents that relate to unique conferences, awards ceremonies, and luncheons. The organizations day to day functions are captured in the newsletters and minutes that detail how volunteer dependent and grant supported groups mobilized vigilance and action committees to improve potential outcomes for a growing Kentucky girls and women's sports culture.

*Special Note: There are many other organization records housed in the EKU Special Collections and Archives that relate to this collection. For instance, Drs. Mullins and Chrietzberg are both prominent in a variety of collection such as, but not limited to, the Kentucky High School Athletics Association (KHSAA) Records (1981-024), KWIC Records (1981-038), AIAW Region II Records (1983-010) and the EKU Women's Gymnastics Program Records (2002-038), and Ms. DeVries's public presence and longstanding career in prominent leadership roles is reflected in both the KCSE and Kentucky High School Athletics Association collections.

Biographical Note

The Kentucky Sports Equity Project developed into the Kentucky Citizens for Sports Equity (CSE), an organization that worked closely with the KHSAA and Women's Sports Foundation, as well as other organizations that addressed equity in athletics and other social issues.

Subject/Index Terms

Athletics.
Citizens for Sport Equity
Scholarships.
Title IX.
Women's sports.
Women's Sports Foundation (WSF)

Administrative Information

Repository: Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

Acquisition Source: Mullins, Martha

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Box:

[Box 1: KCSE Main Materials],
[Box 2: KCSE Main Materials (cont.), and Conferences and Luncheons],
[Box 3: KWSF Main Materials],
[Box 4: Publications and Miscellaneous Materials],
[Box 5: Miscellaneous (cont.) and KCSE Financials],
[All]

Box 1: KCSE Main Materials

The following box contains folders that relate primarily to the Kentucky Sports Equity Project, and, the eventual formation of the Kentucky Citizens for Sports Equity (KCSE) organization. Box one contains correspondence and documents that relate the organization's creation, first as a grant funded research project and then later as an officially recognized corporation.

Barcode: 31234014044760

Folder 1: Formative Materials and Bylaws, 1986-1998

The items contained in this folder are all related to the formative years of the Kentucky Sports Equity Project, and its eventual incorporation in January, 1987. The original grant applications and Eastern Kentucky University approval forms, the group's articles of incorporation, as well as the KCSE bylaws and articles of amendment are found in this folder. When investigating the internal changes of both the KCSE and the greater sports equity movement the bylaw revisions may prove a fruitful resource. Also, the letter to members that is cited in the scope and content description for the collection may be found at the front of the folder. All other materials are arranged chronologically.

Folder 2: Funding and Grant Proposals, 1986-1998

The following folder contains relevant grant proposals that resulted in the funding that was required to get the KCSE project up and running. There are also grant proposals from later dates that address the numerous funding opportunities the KCSE used to further their conference promotions and develop the appropriate resource networks that were necessary to promote and fulfill KCSE goals. For instance, there are federal funding applications and grant proposals from a variety of years. In particular, the KCSE was brought under the fold of the Women's Educational Equity Act Program (WEEA). In order to underscore the processes the KCSE board took when developing their committee strategies, some correspondence remains with the original document sets as they were received. The KCSE depended heavily on federal support and numerous renewals of said support, something the materials in this folder confirms. All materials are arranged chronologically.

Folder 3: Meeting Reminders and Membership Dues Materials

This folder contains the internal organizational correspondence that thoughtfully reminded members of upcoming meetings and events. Included are committee and board meeting reminders and correspondence between members and the executive board. All materials are arranged chronologically.

Folder 4: Board Meeting Agendas, 1989-2001

The documents in this folder contain the Board Meeting Agendas that accompanied the collection when it was received. The agendas were separated from the minutes to provide a clearer picture of which meetings had a set agenda prior to the proposed starting times. To add an additional layer of content, there are duplicates that contain handwritten notes when appropriate. All materials are arranged chronologically.

Folder 5: Minutes (KCSE), 4 Feb 1987 - 25 Mar 2000

The Minutes (KCSE) folder contains all the available KCSE minutes. The materials in this folder are perhaps the most valuable resource in the collection since they track the actions that the executive board and relevant committees took when producing the major events and functions that the organization sponsored.

*NOTE: box one folder six in this collection contains the Action Planning Minute Reports from 1986-87. It was decided that these minutes reveal the early goals and inspirations of the KCSE, and, consequently, they are foldered separately for easy access.

Folder 6: Action Planning (1986-87), 11 Nov 1986 - 30 Oct 1987

The materials in this folder compliment the previous folder in this collection by providing a clear understanding of the challenges the KCSE attempted to overcome. The Action Planning Committee minutes that are housed in this folder highlight how the KCSE determined which issues to address, and, why they were critical for the KCSE's future prospects as a viable organization. There are also committee lists and other membership lists that provide an understanding of who was involved in steering the KCSE towards its stated goals. Since the materials reflect the KCSE's actions in the first few years of the organization's existence they were foldered separately for ease of access and to better underscore KCSE goals.

Folder 7: Steering Committee Correspondence, 27 Oct 1986 - 22 Feb 1989

To gain a clearer understanding of the KCSE's goals and internal functions the materials in this folder should be considered and researched in conjunction with the two preceding folders in this collection. The materials were not sorted with regular committee correspondence, which can be found in the folder that follows, because, much like the previous folder in this collection, the Steering (or Action Planning) Committee is of great importance when attempting to understand KCSE goals and functions. Steering Committee correspondence is arranged chronologically.

Folder 8: Committee Correspondence, 29 Oct 1986 - 4 Apr 2000

The correspondence in this folder relates to the equity advisory, membership, and awards committees. The materials range from internal communications through external solicitations for input and/or advice on a variety of related topics. The materials are arranged chronologically.

Folder 9: Organizational and Miscellaneous Correspondence, 16 Apr 1987 - 7 Apr 1998

The materials in this folder contain information about a variety of topics that could not be logically categorized in the two previous folders of correspondence. Generally, the communications are from non-KCSE affiliates or vendors, or they consist of mailers, letters and solicitations from other equity organizations or universities. All materials are arranged chronologically.

Folder 10: Executive Board Correspondence, 3 Feb 1987 - 8 Mar 2002

The correspondence that is in this folder relates to KCSE executive functions. A majority of the items contain internal board communications, however, there are also multiple letters addressing multi-state equity issues and other developments. The Executive Board Correspondence corroborates the fact that many KCSE members and executives were in regular contact with other local and national movements that addressed Title IX and sports equity issues.

Folder 11: Reports to Membership, May 1990 - May 1999

The materials that are in this folder consist of the KCSE Reports to Membership. The reports were developed by the KCSE Board in order to maintain an ongoing record of future actions, programs, and goals. The Reports to Membership track the subsequent changes and developments that took place after the KCSE was well established. The documents in this folder provide additional content to the Minutes reports and correspondence from previous folders. To ensure the collection's accuracy, each report should be crosschecked with corresponding dates and topics in the KCSE Minutes.

Folder 12: Advisory, Committee and Executive Board Lists, 1987-90, 1993-96, 2001

All the available lists of members and committees that were processed can be found in this folder. However, it should be noted that other lists in the collection that could not be logically categorized remain with the document sets in which they were received. For instance, the Reports to Membership often contained lists in their findings; these lists remain in their original context.

Folder 13: Membership Lists, no date, 1992-94, 1996-99, 2001

The materials in this folder contain the extensive membership lists that the CSE maintained throughout its existence. Although they are incomplete they do provide a clear picture of member information for the provided years. All materials are arranged chronologically.

Folder 14: Internet Materials

The few items in this folder cover the limited internet presence the CSE maintained during the organization's latter years.