Date of Award
11-1983
Culminating Project Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Education: M.S.
Department
Teacher Development
College
School of Education
First Advisor
Boyd Purdom
Second Advisor
Russell Schmidt
Keywords and Subject Headings
Title IX, Sports, Girls' Intramural Sports
Abstract
Youth sports programs have flourished for many years despite nearly 30 years of criticism from educators and the medical profession. Various estimates place the number of participants in these programs at 16.5 to over 20 million (Park, 1973; Seefeldt & Haubenstricker, 1978).
Besides the basic enjoyment of participating in sports, many lessons and skills are learned which are transferrable to school situations and everyday life. The St. Cloud School District has for many years offered an elementary after school athletics program which was considered to be successful by those involved.
With the passage of Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 and the regulations to implement the law becoming effective· in July of 1975, athletic programs sponsored by institutions receiving federal funds had to be evaluated to determine if they were in compliance with the Title IX regulations. St. Cloud's after school program was found to be in noncompliance.
The problems addressed in this study were the concerns of the St. Cloud Title IX Committee that a new program be developed and offered that would meet the needs and interests of as many students in the district as possible. The new program would need to be in compliance with Title IX and be consistently implemented district wide assuring that the philosophies and goals of the program were uniformly applied throughout the district.
The literature reviewed dealt with the impact Title IX and Minnesota Statute 126.21 has had on youth sport programs, how the socialization process affects youths, the benefits children can gain from sports, and what activities and programs are considered to be effective for children.
Participation figures covering the 1973 to 1983 school years of the St. Cloud after school program were analyzed to evaluate the old program and assist in the formation of a new one. A survey was constructed and administered to approximately 35% of the fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students in the district starting in the 1978-79 school year and the following four years. The survey was developed to discover what the students in the district wanted offered in an after school athletic program. This data was also used to help develop the new after school program.
The major findings of the study were that the new program, developed and implemented district wide in the 1981-82 school year, was meeting the needs and interests of more students with increased participation on the part of females and males. The percentage of females participating in flag football, basketball and track and field increased slightly.
Recommended Citation
Schafer, Guy, "Steps Taken to Increase Participation, Especially of Females, in the St. Cloud Elementary After School Physical Activities Program" (1983). Culminating Projects in Teacher Development. 67.
https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/ed_etds/67
