Title IX is a federal law designed to broadly eliminate sex discrimination in schools and to increase access to educational opportunities for girls. This includes equal opportunity in sports. Title IX rules specifically state that nobody should be “treated differently from another person” based on their sex.1 The Supreme Court has ruled that laws that prohibit sex discrimination also protect sexual orientation and gender identity.2
Title IX has dramatically increased the number of girls who play sports in high school and in college. Girls’ participation has increased more than tenfold since the passage of Title IX. In 1972, fewer than 300,000 girls participated in high school sports.3 In 2019, over 3 million did. Access to college sports has also improved. In 1982, ten years after the passage of Title IX, 64,390 girls participated in NCAA championship sports in all divisions. In 2020, 221,212 did.4
Increased opportunities in sports have provided huge benefits to kids. Sports can help kids develop positive relationships with their bodies, improve self-esteem, lower depression and anxiety, and improve physical health. Participation in sports is associated with higher academic achievement and better social relationships with peers.5
