Minnesota bars female from tryout as kicker

Columbus Dispatch ^ | 19 April, 2003 | Wire Reports

[Deadeye Division]

Minnesota bars female from tryout as kicker
Saturday, April 19, 2003
wire reports

Mary Nystrom followed her brother as a place-kicker in high school and thought that she might do the same for Minnesota after spotting an advertisement by the football team for a "quality kicker/punter.''

But the younger sister of Dan Nystrom, who ended his Golden Gophers career last fall as the Big Ten's career leader in field goals made and in scoring by a kicker, didn't make it past this week's tryouts.

In fact, the team wouldn't even let her try out.

"It's men's college football, and it is not a coed sport,'' said Tim Allen, university assistant athletics director of football operations.

The Golden Gophers were not obligated to give her a tryout because, under Title IX legislation, schools can prohibit women from participating in men's contact sports.

But once a woman is allowed to participate, she must be treated equally.

Last winter, New Mexico's Katie Hnida became the first woman to play in an NCAA Division I-A game when she had an extra-point attempt blocked against UCLA in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Mary Nystrom said Golden Gophers coaches cited the situation involving Duke, which was sued by Heather Sue Mercer, a female kicker who made the football team in 1995 but was cut one year later.

Mercer claimed she was dropped from the team because she was a woman. She won a $2 million sex-discrimination lawsuit but lost the money on appeal two years later.

"I don't know why I couldn't try out,'' Nystrom said. "But I'm not going to fight it. It's not that big a deal.''

Nystrom said more than 20 kickers showed up for the tryout. She said she was allowed to kick on her own, without being part of the official tryout.

Nystrom, who was a regular kicker in high school, said she felt she would have "ranked right up there'' with the other place-kickers.

"I'm going into education, and one of the things I believe in is encouraging kids of all ages, male and female, to try stuff -- whether you're nervous or scared or if you don't think you have a possibility of making it,'' she said.

[Drango]

So, let'em get tackled. If she knows the risks, and is willing to play by the same rules, I say let her try out. Women come in all shapes and sizes. Seems to me that some could make pretty good players.

and your view of the tall guys who want to play on the women's volleyball or basketball teams?

[mewzilla]

What are you guys so worried about? But now that I think about it, maybe co-ed everything would be a good idea. Would certainly put paid to all the Title XVIII bushwah.

[Founding Father]

This girl was on a national sports talk show yesterday and she actually sounded very level headed: kicks 40 yard field goals, missed only 2 extra points in high school and made no big deal over not being able to try out---just thought she was as good as anyone else and wanted to give it a shot---and let the best kicker win.

[Cicero]

Mercer claimed she was dropped from the team because she was a woman. She won a $2 million sex-discrimination lawsuit but lost the money on appeal two years later.

This is certainly a good reason not to let a woman onto a man's team. One of the unintended consequences of antidiscrimination legislation is that organizations can be reluctant to hire minorities or women because if these hires don't work out they can be impossible to fire.

Mercer lost on appeal, but I'll bet the lawyers' fees cost her school a bundle.

[Deadeye Division]

Bump

[Deadeye Division]

Bump

[watchme]

yeah, I agree. If she wants to play and she's good, let her play. She obviously knows football and is aware that it's a rough sport. So let her play!