Girl Power and Smart Scheduling

Score one for the girls. The Los Angeles City Council last month approved a plan to increase the participation of girls in municipal sports programs--the first step toward settling a lawsuit alleging that girls get second-class treatment at public parks and playing fields. The American Civil Liberties Union sued last year on behalf of the West Valley Girls Softball League, claiming that boys’ sports get preferential treatment when reserving playing fields.

It’s true. The lawsuit prompted a study that revealed that in the San Fernando Valley alone, boys outnumber girls in city sports programs 4 to 1--14,304 boys versus 3,503 girls. Clearly, access to playing fields is not the only reason more boys than girls participate in sports. A few hundred years of history and gender politics play a role.

Nonetheless, the city agreed to embark on an ambitious program dubbed “Raise the Bar” in which it would provide more sports clinics for girls, assign more women to administer sports programs, recruit more women coaches and keep an ongoing tally of participant gender. Although a good start, the council’s action still does not address the discrepancy in access to playing fields.

An investigation late last year suggested that the problem may be as much about scheduling as it is about space. As much as 20% of the Valley’s recreational space is not fully used. Smarter scheduling can create more time for more sports--boys and girls. For instance, seven recreation centers in the Valley have at least 20 after-school hours available for new programs. Another six have land that could accommodate more fields. The ingredients for change are there.

An ACLU lawyer said the West Valley lawsuit will not be dropped until the city improves access to the fields. That makes sense. It’s wise to keep the pressure on until the city can do the right thing. The right thing is to follow the current course, but to also make better use of the playing fields and parks already in the city’s inventory.