PACK THE HOUSE - Wrestling people needed to attend important Title IX Town Hall meeting in Atlanta,

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
08/08/2002


Calling all wrestlers, coaches, fans, parents!!!     USA Wrestling and the National Wrestling Coaches Association are asking all dedicated wrestling people in the Southeast United States to help in the effort to save wrestling.    The government has created a Commission on Opportunity in Athletics to review the Title IX law. This commission offers wrestling and other sports a one-time chance to voice their views about Title IX and suggest changes to the way the law is enforced.    A Town Hall will be held in Atlanta, Ga. on Tuesday, August 27 and Wednesday, August 28. The meeting will be at the Wyndham Downtown, at 160 Spring St. The general public will have an unique chance on both days to provide information and ask questions of the commission concerning the Title IX issue.    Wrestling has lost more than 400 college programs in the 30 years since Title IX was passed. Gymnastics is now down to just 20 men's college teams. Many of sports including swimming, track and field, golf, baseball and others have also lost numerous teams.    Leaders within wrestling and other sports oppose "proportionality," the enforcement rule that is a strict gender quota based upon enrollment. The commission needs to hear this sentiment, and learn the stories of the thousands of athletes who have been denied opportunity due to the enforcement of Title IX.    Wrestling has a great story to tell in the Southeast. Wrestling is a strong and growing sport, yet there are no varsity college teams in Georgia or Florida, and few in the neighboring states. The commission needs to hear how the young wrestlers from the region are forced to leave their states to compete in college, or, if they stay near home, must go to college without the chance to wrestle on the varsity level.    There will be four Town Halls across the United States. The other three will be in Chicago, Ill. (Sept. 17-18), Colorado Springs, Colo. (October 22-23) and San Diego, Calif. (November 20-21). Wrestling will need a strong presence at these as well.    However, the first one is in Atlanta, and this is the only one that the public will be able to speak during both days. This Town Hall will set the tone for the entire work of the commission.    The wrestling community needs its people to come out in force and tell its story. Please, please help us. We may never get this chance again!!!    For more information, contact Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling at 719-598-8181, ext. 641 or via email at gabbott@usawrestling.org    TOWN HALL MEETING SCHEDULE    AUG. 27-28, ATLANTA: WYNDHAM DOWNTOWN, 160 SPRING ST., N.W.    Aug. 27  9 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. - Three panel discussions, each with four invited speakers  2-5 p.m. - Presentations by the general public    Aug. 28   9 a.m.-1 p.m. - Presentations by the general public