Title IX, Pat Summitt, and Tennessee's Trailblazers: 50 Years, 50 Stories

by Mary Ellen Pethel

In June 1972, President Richard Nixon put pen to paper and signed the Educational Amendments of 1972 into law. The nearly 150-page document makes no mention of “gender,” “athletics,” “girls,” or “women.” The closest reference to “sport” is transportation. In fact, the bill did not appear to contain anything earth shattering. But tucked into its final pages, a heading appears, “Title IX—Prohibition of Sex Discrimination.” These 37 words would change the world for girls and women across the United States. On its face, Title IX legally guaranteed equal opportunity in education. In time, Title IX would serve as the tipping point for the modern era of women’s sport. Slowly but surely, women’s athletics at the high school and collegiate levels grew to prominence, and Tennessee fast emerged as a national leader.
 
In Title IX, Pat Summitt, and Tennessee’s Trailblazers, Mary Ellen Pethel introduces readers to past and present pioneers—each instrumental to the success of women’s athletics across the state and nation. Through vibrant profiles, Pethel celebrates the lives and careers of household names like Pat Summitt and Candace Parker, as well as equally important forerunners such as Ann Furrow and Teresa Phillips. Through their lived experiences, these fifty individuals laid the foundation for athletic excellence in Tennessee, which in turn shaped the national landscape for women’s sports. The book also provides readers with a fuller understanding of Title IX, as well as a concise history of women’s athletics in the pre- and post-Title IX eras.

With interviewees ranging from age 20 to 93, Pethel artfully combines storytelling with scholarship. Guided by the voices of the athletes, coaches, and administrators, Pethel vividly documents achievement and adversity, wins and losses, and advice for the next generation. This book represents the first statewide compilation of its kind—offering readers a behind-the- scenes perspective of Tennessee women who dedicated their lives to the advancement of sport and gender equality. Readers will delight in Title IX, Pat Summitt, and Tennessee’s Trailblazers: 50 Years, 50 Stories.
 

376 pages, Paperback

Published October 18, 2022

Reviews

[Nelda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is on Title IX, an educational law from 1972 that helped “even the score” on women’s athletics so they are now able to receive scholarships and equipment on a par with men. It is also about the athletes who benefited from the law. Mary Pethel’s book is probably deserving of 4 stars or higher--but only if you're a sports fan. It's actually well written, with engaging stories about Pat Summitt and a host of other Tennessee athletes, coaches, and administrators. The author writes what I call the package story, where the conclusion harks back to something from the introduction, creating a tidy and satisfying package all tied up in a bow. Pethel does make a few errors which should have been caught by an editor or proofreader, for example, a doubled sentence (p. 290 about Alex Walsh), some doubled or incorrect prepositions, in one case leading to a school being put in the wrong town (p. 307 about Ashley McElhiney Ayers), etc. These are rare, however, and thus, forgivable.

The three rating mainly stems from this being a book about sports, which I don't really care for, mainly because I was chosen last in all those crazy recess team sports. Fifty years later I still feel humiliated, ha. Yeah, I know. I should be over it by now, but I think that may be the root of all my angst over sports. I don't even watch the Olympics. Maybe a peek now and then. This is a book club selection, so the book was a forced one. I almost didn't check it out of the library. Still, the presenter was so excited about her selection that I decided to grin and bear it.

I did admire the perseverance and hard work of all these athletes. They deserved the honors bestowed on them.