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Game Changers Conference: Sheila Johnson Reflects On The Impact Of Title IX

When lawmakers enacted Title IX into law in '72, most people did not consider the effect it would have on athletics. “This was done on purpose,” said Monumental Sports & Entertainment Vice Chair Sheila Johnson during a keynote address at the '14 Game Changers Conference in N.Y. “It was done by design. The bill’s champions knew that if word got out about how it would impact sports so dramatically, it would be a lot harder to get congressional support.” Johnson, who is also CEO of Salamander Hotels & Resorts, said it was not until the new law was implemented that the country realized its significance for women and girls. “For some people, this was great news,” Johnson said. “But for others, mostly people with Y chromosomes, it was reason to worry.” After discussing the fears that schools and universities had at the time over giving equal funding to women’s athletics, Johnson said, “Guess what? Today, four decades later, civilization still stands, and men’s sports are still doing just fine.” Despite the changes in the last 40 years, Johnson said, “We’ve come a long way, but it’s also true that we haven’t moved as far or as fast as we would like.” She said that one of the biggest challenges is making sure that women’s sports have adequate resources. After buying the WNBA Mystics and stepping foot in the locker room for the first time, Johnson said she was disappointed with its poor condition and the message that it sent. “It said women are not valued or taken serious,” she said. “You’re going to have to work just as hard for half as much. That basic disparity is true for the team outside the locker room, too, especially when it comes to corporate sponsorships. I have to work twice as hard to get the sponsorship and I have to work even harder to keep it.”

SUPPORT NEEDED TO SUSTAIN WNBA: Johnson discussed the “vicious cycle” of corporate sponsors’ demands for a larger fan base while struggling to draw an audience with limited sponsorship funding, a problem she says is found all across the WNBA. “We need more people to rally behind this league if we want it to flourish and grow,” she said. “We’ve seen countless women athletes’ dreams deferred and destroyed because even though they’re willing to invest their lives in the sport, society is not willing to invest in them.” Johnson called on the audience to channel their ideas “into a PR campaign for women’s sports unlike anything the world has ever seen.” She said, “Let’s get the world talking about women’s sports,. “Let’s make sure everyone understands why it should have a place on the agenda and why it should be a priority. Let’s make this different. Let’s expand the conversation.”

See our On The Ground blog for more Game Changers coverage.

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