UM’s Meier on how women’s sports have changed: They’re no longer ‘just the little sister’ of another product
Title IX, the 1972 federal law mandating gender equity at educational institutions, commemorates its 50th anniversary Thursday.
Katie Meier, 54, is entering her 18th season as the University of Miami women’s basketball coach. She is the program’s wins leader, now 324-210, and was inducted into the UM Sports Hall of Fame in 2017. Her career coaching record: 400-256. She was
co-recipient of the 2013 USA Basketball National Coach of the Year award, and for 2010-11 was named Associated Press National Coach of the Year, sharing the honor with Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma and Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer. Meier starred from 1986-90 for Duke, where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
The youngest in a blended family of four boys and four girls, Hurricanes women’s basketball coach and former Duke star Katie Meier grew up in Wheaton, Illinois, as a
groundbreaking, ceilingshattering athlete — at 8.
“The total beneficiary of Title IX,’’ she said, “is me.’’
Meier, who was 41⁄2 when Title IX was enacted in 1972, hung out with her brothers and the neighborhood boys “all the time.” Sports? She played them all, and was as proficient as any of the guys. “I was good,’’ she said. But when Meier “went looking for teams” to join, because her brothers and neighbors were on those teams, “there were no teams for me,’’ she said.
“So, I said, ‘Well, I’m going to play Tee-ball’” — to which her friends replied, “Girls aren’t allowed to play. It’s a boys league.’’
So, the Tee-ball folks were asked if Meier could play, and they acquiesced.
“There was a draft and only one team wanted me — The Munsters — because they knew my family,’’ Meier said. “They were like, ‘That’s the little Meier-Skolak kid. She’s awesome!’ ”
Years later, Meier, who hated hitting off a tee instead of against live pitching, was the lone female All-Star in Little League and was asked to pitch during the All-Star game. It wasn’t her usual position, but when she “struck out this boy” and began “fist-pumping’’ to celebrate, Meier said the boy’s father charged out of the stands and yelled to his son, “You can’t strike out toa girl!’’
“I stopped cheering,’’ she said, “and still tell the story to my teams. I’m embarrassed I let the socialization of being a girl and how bad that was for the poor boy trump the competitor in me. I understood the moment and how hard it is for a boy to lose to a girl. No one should have that dilemma. Title IX has let women walk into competitions and own them. No politics. No apologies. No permission to fist bump.’’
What has been especially rewarding in living through the evolution of women’s sports and collegiate sports the past 50 years?
“We’ve proven to be a legitimate entertainment option, legitimate revenueproducing model, beyond just, ‘I’m doing this because it’s the right thing to do or because there’s a law that says we must be fair.’ The glory of the last 10 years has been the evolution of not just a pat on the head, like a take-ourcrumbs mentality.
“Of course I’m wrapped up in women’s Olympic basketball, but we all got wrapped up in women’s soccer. Why? There is obviously marketing and investing and putting something forward and saying we feel like this is a legitimate product, not just the little sister of some other product . ... We can stand alone.’’
You’re going into your 18th season as the UM coach. What has that been like as a woman?
“Literally the entire time I’ve been here I’ve felt there was tremendous female leadership. I never had to watch my back. Donna Shalala was the UM president and I wanted the job beyond all belief but I didn’t want to have to fight the fight like my coach at Duke fought while I was playing. When you talk about the experience of my student-athletes compared to comparable men’s student-athletes, we really believe they have the same experiences and opportunities. I’ve been treated incredibly well.”
It’s been 50 years of Title IX. Do your players realize the historical relevance?
“I’m always going to tell the stories of the pioneers and people who pushed through. I feel very honored. But at the same time the fact that my players might not know how inequitable it was 50 years ago or 20 years ago or 10 years ago might be the victory in itself. The moment they don’t have to say, ‘Oh my gosh, thank you for sticking your neck out for me, thank you for throwing me the bone and going against the grain,’ that’s success.”
‘‘ TITLE IX HAS LET WOMEN WALK INTO COMPETITIONS AND OWN THEM. NO POLITICS. NO APOLOGIES. NO PERMISSION TO FIST PUMP.
Katie Meier, UM women’s basketball coach