ESPN"s Documentary Series: Nine for IX
ESPN, the popular sports network, is marking the 40th anniversary of Title IX with a series of nine documentaries about femal athletes and women in sports.
Title IX is the portion of the Education Amendments of 1972 that specifies that no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assitance.
In other words, women are guaranteed the right to participate in college sports, and any other federally assisted sports programs -- equally with men.
Entitled Nine for IX,, the ESPN series of films profiles famous and tenacious women athletes whose career opportunities stemmed from opportunities opened to them by Title IX, and they delve into issues that have and continue to crop up despite -- or perhaps as a result of -- Title IX. Each feature focuses on a different aspect of the post-Title XI leveling of the playing field for women in sports.
The films present the compelling stories of skating star and diplomat Katarina Witt and of outed super hooper Sheryl Swoopes, among other female athletes. One of the films covers the career-imploding physical collision between track champions Mary Decker and Zola Budd at the 1984 Olympics, and another follows the amazing career and accomplishments of freediver Audrey Mestre to her tragic death in 2002.
Additionally, the films look at still-current issues, in particular revealing the difficulties women reporters assigned to cover men's sports have had in gaining access to locker rooms so they could do their job with equal opportunity, and exploring the commercial 'branding' of successful women athletes by marketers who often skew their images of strength and fitness towards sex and sexiness.
The series premiers on July 2, 2013, and runs through August 27, 2013, with one new documentary introduced each Tuesday on the ESPN network. All of the films are directed by female filmmakers!
Here's the lineup of Nine for IX documentaries scheduled to be aired in July:
July 2:
- Venus Vs
- In the Nine for IX series opener, filmmaker Ava DuVernay shows the progression of Venus Williams' career from her earliest attention-grabbing appearances on the court, to the famous 'bead' incident and on to domination of the sport. Most importantly, perhaps, it shows the indomitable spirit of the tennis sister and the unyielding persistence in fighting to win the battle for equal pay for female tennis pros. Williams is interviewed extensively on camera for the film, and there is thrilling archival footage of her at play -- at her best and worst moments. Venus is a winner. And so is the film.she not only came to dominate women's tennis, but also ultimately won her tricky game plan to get equal pay for female tennis pros. Venus Williams is a winner. So is the film.
July 9:
- Pat XO, the second film in ESPN's "Nine for IX" series, is a compelling profile of Pat Summit, the legendary NCAA basketball coach who won more victories than anyone else in the game. In April 2013, Summit suddenly announced that she would retire from her long-standing career as head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team because of her diagnosis with early onset Alzheimer's. Interweaving archival footage of seminal moments in Summit's career and on-camera commentaries from dozens of the coach's friends, colleagues, former team members and her son, filmmakers Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern Winters present a stirring biopic and tribute film that shows Summit's impact on women's basketball and on women's opportunities in sport.
July 16:
- In Let Them Wear Towels, filmmakers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg gather the stories of leading female reporters -- including Lesley Visser, Melissa Ludtke, Claire Smith, Christine Brennan, Robin Herman, Michele Himmelberg, Lawrie Mifflin, Jane Gross, Betty Cuniberti, and Sheryl Flatow -- who covered male sports for major print media -- including the New York Times and other austere newspapers -- who recount their efforts, experiences and frustrations in trying to gain access to male athletes' locker rooms for post-game interviews -- pre-Title IX and, to some extent, after it, too. Even when they were allowed inside the club houses, they were subjected to unacceptably crass behavior by players who clearly didn't want them there. In some cases, they were actually manhandled. One reporter says she was denied admission to the club house's dining room, and had to eat her lunch on the stadium roof -- even when it rained. Still, these talented and dedicated reporters were determined to do their job and found ways around the restrictions -- ways that often resulted in key insider stories with angles none of the men had thought of.
July 23:
- No Limits - Filmmaker Alison Ellwood tells the story of champion freediver Audrey Mestre, who lost her life in October of 2002 while attempting to set a new freediving record of 561 feet. Apparently Mestre reached that depth, but a mechanical problem with her lift balloon caused her to remain at that depth for eight minutes instead of the intended three. Her husband, diver Pipin Ferreras brought her unconscious body to the surface, where she was declared dead. The accident shook the world of freediving, and questions have been raised as to whether Mestre was properly prepared for the dive or had been pushed to hard by Ferreras, who was also her trainer. The film follows Mestre's life and career, and looks at the circumstances of her tragic death.
July 30:
- In Swoopes, sports broadcaster and filmmaker Hannah Storm tells the story of the one and only Sheryl Swoopes, women's basketball star. The film chronicles Swoopes' life and career, focusing on her many triumphs and trophies, and her transition from the court to coaching the women's basketball team at Loyola University, and one of her greatest personal challenges -- her 2005 decision to come out as gay.
Come August, ESPN will air the four remaining films in the Nine for IX series. Most are not finished as yet. There will be additional coverage of them at the beginning of August.
