Thank you @ruffdraft for shooting me for @sportsillustrated June 2022 issue celebrating Title IX. Growing up playing sports in school I had no idea what Title IX was. Sometimes the next gen not knowing the struggle is an indication of progress. The fact that women can be professional skateboarders today and most young people don't know that just less than a decade ago that was not an option -- I like to consider an indication of progress. It's also important to know the history so we can learn from it. Did y'all know that initially Title IX did NOT include athletics and the NCAA actually fought to keep sports out of it? Of course, unknown to many (including myself) there was an organization called the AIAW - led by women - that had been advocating for women's sports with an entirely different approach: "Founded in 1971, the AIAW purposefully built an entirely different sports culture: one created of, for and by women. It was collaborative, with a decentralized system of governance featuring an elected and unpaid executive board consisting of directors of women’s athletics, coaches and professors... The AIAW rejected the NCAA’s commercial model, with its emphasis on generating revenue. Instead, the organization initially relied upon financial support from the American Association of Health, Physical Education and Recreation and dues from 278 charter member institutions. Subsequently, the AIAW signed selective media contracts and sponsorship deals to meet overhead costs. The AIAW model placed students at its core. It included a system of due process and appeal for athletes, and student representatives participated at every level of governance. Indeed, even at the organization’s annual meetings, students were encouraged to speak up and share their opinions, experiences and ideas." Learn more about the AIAW, link in my bio 📲