EARLY SAGE GIRLS SPORTS HISTORY

BRIEF HISTORY OF SAGES GIRLS SPORTS
This fall Monticello High School had close to 50 girls participating on golf, volleyball and cross-country teams. The number is typical. These girls, along with many others, will join basketball, soccer, track, and softball teams in the remainder of the school year. Athletic competition is available for girl athletes.
Things weren’t always that way. At one time High School sports belonged to boys only. A new law in 1972, opened the doors for women in sports.
No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational programs or activity receiving federal financial assistance. ( From the preamble to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972)
Monticello high school fielded its first girls’ extramural athletic teams in 1972-73. Prior to that time, girls who enjoyed sports, were members of the Girls Athletic Association and had intramural games and occasionally had a Saturday play day that included other schools. In that first year, Monticello had volleyball, basketball, and track teams for girls. Physical Education teacher, Julie Schmidt, coached all the teams.
Monticello girls had their only tennis team in 1974. None of the teams played a full schedule. The girls basketball team only played four games the first year and six games the second year.
Carolyn Williams, took over the program in the second year. She had just graduated from ISU where she was a sprinter on the track team. She coached for five years.
At the time there were many who questioned the need for girl’s sports. Suddenly sports facilities were crowded and school athletic budgets were expanding.
I must admit I was one who questioned. I was writing all the sports for the Journal-Republican and ignored the girls’ teams for the first few years. I was very wrong.
The early 70s were turbulent times, and to many, Title IX, was causing more problems than it was solving. Many people were having trouble accepting changes. Sharing gyms and athletic fields had to be worked out.
As the problems were being solved, and the quality of play and coaching improved, the popularity of girls’ sports increased. In 1979-80 Coach Tom Young took the Sages girls to the basketball super-sectional as the team posted a 23-5 record. The girls track team finished ninth in the state meet that spring. It was obvious to all that girls’ sports were here to stay.
Because it took so long for girls’ sports to get their deserved recognition, some of the early outstanding athletes got little publicity.
Kim Burke, a 1976 graduate, dominated girls’ basketball. She led the team to an 11-1 record and averaged 26 points per game. Burke, at one time, held individual one game scoring records for both Parkland and Northern Illinois University.
Melanie Perry, Kim Padgett, Teri Stoerger and other girls would have left a clearer mark, had these early teams played complete schedules and got the press coverage given to today’s female athletes.