DePaul University Athletics
National Girls and Women in Sports Day Inspires DePaul
2/3/2021 11:33:00 AM | ATHLETICS, WOMEN'S BASKETBALL, WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Day-long tribute to the trailblazers who fought for gender equality in sports
CHICAGO – For DePaul women's volleyball coach Marie Zidek and women's basketball coach Doug Bruno, Wednesday's celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day feels like a festive combination of Thanksgiving and the 4th of July.
Both Zidek and Bruno are keenly aware of the seismic shift that took place in 1972 with the signing into law of Title IX legislation mandating gender equality in collegiate sports.
They give thanks while applauding the huge growth that took place in women's sports at every level---but especially for all the young girls and little sisters who could now dare to dream of a college athletic scholarship just like their big brothers.
Bruno has been around the college game for more than 50 years, starting out as a scholarship player for the legendary DePaul basketball coach Ray Meyer back in the late 1960s. He was a senior at that "Little School Under the El" when Title IX was enacted.
Of anyone at DePaul, he knows how far women's sports have come---and how much farther it has to go.
"This is really a special day for everyone," Bruno said. "At DePaul, we try to make every day National Girls and Women in Sports Day. On Wednesday, our players and coaches will have a social media day reaching out to girls basketball programs and teams recognizing and celebrating this special occasion.
"The opportunity for a young girl to be educated through sports via a college scholarship is a civil right, not a quota. To watch so many professional women who were the first generation of girls having grown up and become tough and talented leaders in all areas of our society is an unbelievable sight to behold."
Zidek was practically raised at the Windy City Volleyball Club where her mom was the club director. In fact, a number of the all-time best DePaul volleyball players came through Windy City, and as Zidek says: "There are many hilarious pictures of me in diapers being taken care of by those same players."
It's no wonder there has always been a family feel to Chicago volleyball for this coach's kid who has been around the sport since infancy and is the origin for the kind of coach and person she is today.
"I am very honored and lucky to have the opportunity to lead the DePaul women's volleyball program and to use the platform of collegiate athletics as a vehicle to prepare the next generations of women to become impactful members of society," Zidek said. "DePaul volleyball believes our pursuit of championships and sustained excellence on and off the court using America's unique blend of education and college sports can pave the way for young women and inspire them to impact the world in positive ways."
The volleyball team substituted a day of practice to participate in the BIG EAST-sponsored virtual event celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Tuesday evening featuring Kathy Carter (CEO, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties for the LA Olympics), Susan Cohig (Executive Vice President, National Hockey League), and Terri Jackson (Executive Director, Women's National Basketball Players Association).
The team has also established an alumni mentorship program partnering former Blue Demons who blazed the path with a current student-athlete.
National Girls and Women in Sports Day is a time to reflect on the relatively brief history of women's collegiate sports in comparison to men's college sports that has been around for more than a century. It is a time to be grateful for the opportunities while at the same time envisioning how women's sports can continue to grow and evolve.
Now we're talking Independence Day where passionate advocates such as Bruno and Zidek set off fireworks with their never-ending battle to bring about complete gender equality in collegiate sports.
Certainly by the letter of the law, colleges and universities must provide equal representation on their athletics programs for men and women. For the most part, athletic scholarship opportunities are divided in half.
"But the battle for gender equality in this country and all over the world is an ongoing struggle that has only just begun," Bruno said.
One of the more graphic examples was the 2019 lawsuit brought against the U.S. Soccer Federation by the World Cup champion Women's National Team for gender inequality citing the pay gap between the men's and women's teams along with inequitable working conditions.
The second part of that suit was settled last December with the sport's U.S. governing body agreeing to charter flights, hotel accommodations, venue selection and professional staff support equal to the men.
"As much as women's athletics has grown since Title IX in 1972, the proven statistical fact is that only four-to-eight percent of mainstream media coverage is devoted to female athletes and women's sports," Bruno said. "It demonstrates how much more work still has to be done.
"Being in the trenches with these women every day witnessing first-hand their fight for equality in sports media coverage, equal opportunity and equal pay in all professions inspires me to never let up in this quest."
Both Zidek and Bruno are grateful working at a university that takes diversity, equity and inclusion quite seriously and whose Vincentian heritage makes that a part of DePaul's mission.
"DePaul Athletics joins the celebration and recognition of our women student-athletes, coaches, spirit squad members as well as our administrators on National Girls and Women in Sports Day," said Senior Associate Athletics Director and Senior Women's Administrator Jill Hollembeak who was inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame after winning six world tumbling championships and 11 national titles in power tumbling and platform tumbling.
"The day highlights the positive impact sports have on the lives of girls and women when they are given the opportunity to participate, compete and succeed.
"National Girls and Women in Sports Day is a time to express gratitude to the women who have paved the way before us, honor our outstanding women coaches, staff and alumni and celebrate the remarkable group of women student-athletes who excel every day in the classroom, on the field of play and in our DePaul and Chicagoland communities."
Hollembeak cited an annual report by the Tucker Center for Research at Minnesota after the 2019-20 season called the Women in College Coaching Report Card. The center assigns grades based on the percentage of female head coaches of women's teams.
DePaul was No. 10 out of the 87 schools surveyed from seven select conferences---AAC, ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC. The Blue Demons earned a "B" grade having 55-69 percent female head coaches on women's teams.
"A big reason why DePaul has always been so attractive has been the combination of tremendous leadership at the highest levels of NCAA sports and the fact that a lot of these leaders driving the train were women," Zidek said.
"In my experience, (retired athletics director) Jean Lenti Ponsetto has been a tremendous leader and shaper of collegiate athletics. Before her retirement this past summer, she was a national trailblazer and champion for the fight to provide opportunities for women in sports. Of the seven women's sports we have here, four are coached by highly successful women. Before she retired in 2017, Betty Kaufmann coached the men's golf team.
"Of the leadership positions, many are held by women who are some of the sharpest in their field nationwide. Jeanne had provided a department where women can receive network access, training and support to hone their craft at the highest levels while also promoting a family-based atmosphere.
"There has always been high expectations in the athletic arena, in the classroom and in the community---but all the high expectations are centered on caring for one another and your family."
Thirteen years after DePaul was founded in 1898, the school took a radical step.
"The Vincentian fathers in the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul were the first Catholic school in the U.S. to enroll women back in 1911," Bruno said. "They continued to demonstrate their support of women in their fight for gender equality by embracing Title IX upon its inception 49 years ago.
"DePaul has had many champions working to create gender equity since Title IX. Dr. Patricia Ewers, Dr. Jean Nordberg, Millie Shemluck, Tina Brown, Jeanne Ponsetto and Gene Sullivan all played vital roles in the creation of gender equality in DePaul athletics.
The Vincentian presence throughout the university puts a high premium on family.
"Coaches' kids are often seen running around the Athletic Center," Zidek said. "Everyone knows each other's names and their families, and there is a collective identity here that we take care of each other.
"I know it may sound like every athletics department has that, but this is a pretty unique place where you can stay focused on your team while also focusing on taking care of your family. I think that's appealing for a lot of women and dials down the stress of how women who care about their families are perceived in the workplace.
"This also benefits men. Dads can be present dads. They can talk about their kids at work. They can be present in the department with their father identity. Overall, a gender equity, forward-looking and diverse workplace elevates everyone's experience. A more balanced head coach usually leads to a more balanced and successful program."
Truth be told, Zidek has a vested interest in DePaul's culture.
"Making collegiate athletics a more viable workplace with some semblance of work-life balance will allow women and men to be more balanced human beings," she said. "I know for my little guy on the way (I'm 24 weeks pregnant), I'd want the most balanced adult coaching and shaping my kid during his or her most formative college years."
Both Zidek and Bruno are keenly aware of the seismic shift that took place in 1972 with the signing into law of Title IX legislation mandating gender equality in collegiate sports.
They give thanks while applauding the huge growth that took place in women's sports at every level---but especially for all the young girls and little sisters who could now dare to dream of a college athletic scholarship just like their big brothers.
Bruno has been around the college game for more than 50 years, starting out as a scholarship player for the legendary DePaul basketball coach Ray Meyer back in the late 1960s. He was a senior at that "Little School Under the El" when Title IX was enacted.
Of anyone at DePaul, he knows how far women's sports have come---and how much farther it has to go.
"This is really a special day for everyone," Bruno said. "At DePaul, we try to make every day National Girls and Women in Sports Day. On Wednesday, our players and coaches will have a social media day reaching out to girls basketball programs and teams recognizing and celebrating this special occasion.
"The opportunity for a young girl to be educated through sports via a college scholarship is a civil right, not a quota. To watch so many professional women who were the first generation of girls having grown up and become tough and talented leaders in all areas of our society is an unbelievable sight to behold."
Zidek was practically raised at the Windy City Volleyball Club where her mom was the club director. In fact, a number of the all-time best DePaul volleyball players came through Windy City, and as Zidek says: "There are many hilarious pictures of me in diapers being taken care of by those same players."
It's no wonder there has always been a family feel to Chicago volleyball for this coach's kid who has been around the sport since infancy and is the origin for the kind of coach and person she is today.
"I am very honored and lucky to have the opportunity to lead the DePaul women's volleyball program and to use the platform of collegiate athletics as a vehicle to prepare the next generations of women to become impactful members of society," Zidek said. "DePaul volleyball believes our pursuit of championships and sustained excellence on and off the court using America's unique blend of education and college sports can pave the way for young women and inspire them to impact the world in positive ways."
The volleyball team substituted a day of practice to participate in the BIG EAST-sponsored virtual event celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Tuesday evening featuring Kathy Carter (CEO, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties for the LA Olympics), Susan Cohig (Executive Vice President, National Hockey League), and Terri Jackson (Executive Director, Women's National Basketball Players Association).
The team has also established an alumni mentorship program partnering former Blue Demons who blazed the path with a current student-athlete.
National Girls and Women in Sports Day is a time to reflect on the relatively brief history of women's collegiate sports in comparison to men's college sports that has been around for more than a century. It is a time to be grateful for the opportunities while at the same time envisioning how women's sports can continue to grow and evolve.
Now we're talking Independence Day where passionate advocates such as Bruno and Zidek set off fireworks with their never-ending battle to bring about complete gender equality in collegiate sports.
Certainly by the letter of the law, colleges and universities must provide equal representation on their athletics programs for men and women. For the most part, athletic scholarship opportunities are divided in half.
"But the battle for gender equality in this country and all over the world is an ongoing struggle that has only just begun," Bruno said.
One of the more graphic examples was the 2019 lawsuit brought against the U.S. Soccer Federation by the World Cup champion Women's National Team for gender inequality citing the pay gap between the men's and women's teams along with inequitable working conditions.
The second part of that suit was settled last December with the sport's U.S. governing body agreeing to charter flights, hotel accommodations, venue selection and professional staff support equal to the men.
"As much as women's athletics has grown since Title IX in 1972, the proven statistical fact is that only four-to-eight percent of mainstream media coverage is devoted to female athletes and women's sports," Bruno said. "It demonstrates how much more work still has to be done.
"Being in the trenches with these women every day witnessing first-hand their fight for equality in sports media coverage, equal opportunity and equal pay in all professions inspires me to never let up in this quest."
Both Zidek and Bruno are grateful working at a university that takes diversity, equity and inclusion quite seriously and whose Vincentian heritage makes that a part of DePaul's mission.
"DePaul Athletics joins the celebration and recognition of our women student-athletes, coaches, spirit squad members as well as our administrators on National Girls and Women in Sports Day," said Senior Associate Athletics Director and Senior Women's Administrator Jill Hollembeak who was inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame after winning six world tumbling championships and 11 national titles in power tumbling and platform tumbling.
"The day highlights the positive impact sports have on the lives of girls and women when they are given the opportunity to participate, compete and succeed.
"National Girls and Women in Sports Day is a time to express gratitude to the women who have paved the way before us, honor our outstanding women coaches, staff and alumni and celebrate the remarkable group of women student-athletes who excel every day in the classroom, on the field of play and in our DePaul and Chicagoland communities."
Hollembeak cited an annual report by the Tucker Center for Research at Minnesota after the 2019-20 season called the Women in College Coaching Report Card. The center assigns grades based on the percentage of female head coaches of women's teams.
DePaul was No. 10 out of the 87 schools surveyed from seven select conferences---AAC, ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC. The Blue Demons earned a "B" grade having 55-69 percent female head coaches on women's teams.
"A big reason why DePaul has always been so attractive has been the combination of tremendous leadership at the highest levels of NCAA sports and the fact that a lot of these leaders driving the train were women," Zidek said.
"In my experience, (retired athletics director) Jean Lenti Ponsetto has been a tremendous leader and shaper of collegiate athletics. Before her retirement this past summer, she was a national trailblazer and champion for the fight to provide opportunities for women in sports. Of the seven women's sports we have here, four are coached by highly successful women. Before she retired in 2017, Betty Kaufmann coached the men's golf team.
"Of the leadership positions, many are held by women who are some of the sharpest in their field nationwide. Jeanne had provided a department where women can receive network access, training and support to hone their craft at the highest levels while also promoting a family-based atmosphere.
"There has always been high expectations in the athletic arena, in the classroom and in the community---but all the high expectations are centered on caring for one another and your family."
Thirteen years after DePaul was founded in 1898, the school took a radical step.
"The Vincentian fathers in the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul were the first Catholic school in the U.S. to enroll women back in 1911," Bruno said. "They continued to demonstrate their support of women in their fight for gender equality by embracing Title IX upon its inception 49 years ago.
"DePaul has had many champions working to create gender equity since Title IX. Dr. Patricia Ewers, Dr. Jean Nordberg, Millie Shemluck, Tina Brown, Jeanne Ponsetto and Gene Sullivan all played vital roles in the creation of gender equality in DePaul athletics.
The Vincentian presence throughout the university puts a high premium on family.
"Coaches' kids are often seen running around the Athletic Center," Zidek said. "Everyone knows each other's names and their families, and there is a collective identity here that we take care of each other.
"I know it may sound like every athletics department has that, but this is a pretty unique place where you can stay focused on your team while also focusing on taking care of your family. I think that's appealing for a lot of women and dials down the stress of how women who care about their families are perceived in the workplace.
"This also benefits men. Dads can be present dads. They can talk about their kids at work. They can be present in the department with their father identity. Overall, a gender equity, forward-looking and diverse workplace elevates everyone's experience. A more balanced head coach usually leads to a more balanced and successful program."
Truth be told, Zidek has a vested interest in DePaul's culture.
"Making collegiate athletics a more viable workplace with some semblance of work-life balance will allow women and men to be more balanced human beings," she said. "I know for my little guy on the way (I'm 24 weeks pregnant), I'd want the most balanced adult coaching and shaping my kid during his or her most formative college years."
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