Because of Title IX: Chris Plonsky

Women's Athletics Director / Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Services, University of Texas

Finish this sentence: "Because of Title IX..."

... access to higher education and advancement opportunities for women and individuals of color are plentiful.

How have the athletics and academic opportunities afforded to you because of Title IX impacted your life? Can you imagine your life without them?

I was a sophomore in a northeast Ohio high school when Title IX was enacted in summer of 1972. My teammates and I pondered if there ever would be scholarships offered to women student-athletes, as many of our male classmates and peers were being recruited as such. The fact that women educators, leaders, and coaches continued to forge forward, from NGDWS to AIAW administration, to provide opportunities for talented females at the collegiate level should not be lost on anyone today. How many of us thought about those trailblazers as we witnessed a sold-out volleyball NCAA final in Columbus, Ohio, shattering of collegiate, American, and world records during the NCAA Swimming & Diving championships, and the most electric NCAA women’s basketball final four in recent history in Dallas? None of us SHOULD imagine these events, these wonderful student-athletes performances, and those who provide them, without considering those who took the tenets of Title IX and committed seriously to them. Thank you!

Tell us about a woman who championed you in pursuing your goals. How did her influence inspire or affect you and your career?

My mother, who was an athlete (dancer) and moral compass influencer. My college coach and women’s AD, Judy Devine, at Kent State University (professor, coach, administrator, can-do leader). Donna Lopiano and Jody Conradt at The University of Texas. What a duo in the early 1980s, creating a juggernaut of women’s athletics at a world-ranked academic institution and football-serious state. The concept of serious student, serious athlete and serious preparation for leadership/careers started at Texas in this time frame. They set the world on fire and validated experiences for the elite female student-athlete.

How are you continuing to champion the next generation of women and girls in sports, and raise awareness on the importance Title IX?

I am proud to serve in an administrative and leadership role at The University of Texas, where it was proved that women’s athletics can be viable, have a fan base, generate revenue and donor participation, and produce talented, dedicated and productive citizens of the future…keep on keeping on!

If you could send an empowering tweet to every woman and girl across the country, what would you send?

Don’t Just Dream It….Be It!

See all our #BecauseofTitleIX stories here! »
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