MHSA to look at equity in sports

“Badminton anyone?”

Or, how about bowling, gymnastics or skiing.

It might happen for the state’s high schools.

The Executive Committee of the Montana High School Association appointed a committee at last week’s regularly scheduled January meeting to study adding another competitive sport for girls.

While those four were up for discussion, the MHSA is open for suggestions on others.

Adding competitive cheerleading as a sanctioned sport was another proposal.

The proposals came from School District 5 (Glacier and Flathead high schools).

The MHSA membership approved appointing a committee to study each proposal.

School District 5 initiated the proposals in an effort to narrow the gap on the number of boys and girls participating in sanctioned sports in its two high school programs.

Glacier High School Activities Director Mark Dennehy and Assistant Superintendent of School District 5 Dan Zorn attended the meeting.

“Dan Zorn spoke to the AA caucus about the proposals we had,” Dennehy said.

“He did a nice job providing them with the information.”

Dennehy said the participation ratio at Glacier and Flathead currently sits at 55 percent for boys and 45 percent for girls.

“Our No. 1 goal in our district and Glacier High is to offer as many participating opportunities as possible for both genders,” Dennehy said.

“We have come close to doubling our participating opportunities.”

The regional Office of Civil Rights in Seattle is the driving force behind the proposals. They are auditing sex equity in regards to activities for School District 5.

“They want you to move towards 50-50,” Dennehy said.

“However you can do that, so be it.

“What we’ve operated on, even before the OCR audit, is the Ridgeway Agreement,” Dennehy said.

“We have equity in schedules, coaches, coaches’ pay, facilities, etc. We have followed the principle of that agreement and gender equity.”

Dennehy said that was also taken into consideration with the construction of Glacier High School and the remodeling of Flathead High School.

“Our locker rooms at Glacier High almost are a mirror image of the other,” he said.

“We welcome OCR and their perspective,” Dennehy said.

“We’ll always strive to provide gender equity and look for other opportunities.”

OCR initially sent a form letter to School District 5 regarding the audit and followed that up with a call.

Flathead and Glacier both offer nine sports for boys and girls.

“I like to think we’re on the cutting edge of providing opportunities for our kids,” Dennehy said.

“We’re one of the few schools out there in AA that runs a fifth volleyball team, both Flathead and Glacier. Butte does as well, but most don’t run that fifth.”

    Frank Jobe, Activities Director at Flathead, says School District 5 has a great reputation for promoting girls athletics.

“Long before I got here, it was one of the leaders in doing things for their girls,” he said.

“They’ve always been out front trying to add and improve.”