Proposed bill would level the playing field for girls’ sports at Tennessee schools

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A bill making its way through the Tennessee legislature would ensure female athletes have the same access and opportunities as their male counterparts.

Sen. Raumesh Akbari, of Memphis, introduced the Equal Opportunities for Girls’ Sports Act, which would provide state funding for girls’ sports programs in public schools.

“Girls’ sports are just as important as boys’ sports,” said Akbari. “We want to give our girls the exact same opportunities to succeed and to achieve on the court and really off the court as well. A lot of times we here in the General Assembly say we’ve got to protect our girls in sports. And so for us, the main way to protect girls in sports is to make sure that they have access to the same facilities and equipment and resources. Give them the resources so they can succeed.”

Sen. Akbari points to research from the Women’s Sports Foundation that shows girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys due to a lack of resources, facilities and inadequate coaching support. Nationally, girls have 1.3 million fewer opportunities to play high school sports than boys.

The Tennessee Equal Opportunities for Girls’ Sports Act will:

• Dedicate state funding to ensure equal access to practice and competition facilities for girls.
• Provide funding for equipment, uniforms, and training resources.
• Ensure fair compensation for coaches of girls’ teams.
• Support travel accommodations and per diem allowances for female athletes.
• Promote girls’ sports to increase participation and visibility.

“It has been a long time coming,” said Kandis Banks, whose daughter plays several sports for Overton High School. “They should have been, you know, finding the girls’ sports because how else would they want them to succeed you know they need the help.”

“I think that’s a great amount of encouragement to show that the outside community is looking at them and recognizes them and what they’re doing,” said Ken Wallace, a senior at Overton High School.

Wallace was on the bowling team and took pictures for several sports teams for the school. She says she’s always noticed a difference in resources for the girls’ and boys’ teams.

“I’ve noticed that, like, the media and the recognition that the boys’ sports teams get, it just seems like there’s a lack of enthusiasm in general with the women’s side,” said Wallace. “So I think that also translates over to the funding that they get as well. I’ve also notice the lack of equipment or the lack of useful and up-to-date equipment is also something that, you know, should be changed.”

The bill also creates a clear process for addressing inequities. Parents can file a complaint with the Department of Education, which will be required to investigate and provide additional funds to fix the issue. And school districts must report participation rates and funding levels to ensure compliance.

“It’s great because they finally have a chance to be shown at a equal footing as the other competitors,” said Wallace. “I think it’s a great opportunity and it just shows more faith and belief in our youth.”

The bill is scheduled to be discussed in a committee on Wednesday. You can read the full text of legislation here.