The final three hours of the Commission on Opportunity in Athletics meeting in Colorado Springs, Colo. today provided public testimony concerning this important social issue.     As in the first two commission hearings in Atlanta and Chicago, those who chose to step up and address the commission included athletic administrators, coaches, parents and athletes, both men and women, all with their own perspective on this important federal law. A total of 35 citizens gave their opinion to the commission about the law and its enforcement.    In most cases, the testimony could be separated into two camps: those involved in sports experiences where men lost athletic opportunity due to the enforcement of the law, and those who benefited from women's athletic opportunities and did not want to see any changes in the law's interpretation.    Not all of the testimony fit these catagories, adding some spice to an afternoon of discussion that seemed to indicate that consensus on this issue will not be easy for this 15-member panel.    Perhaps the most compelling and courageous testimony was provided by Sara Levin, who implored the commission not to penalize men because fewer women participate in sports. On four occasions Levin said, "Equal Opportunity does not mean Equal Participation."    "Proportionality only forces institutions to protect their revenue generating sports and cut non-revenue men's programs," said Levin. "The tables have turned and now it is men that need protection. I beg you, stop the current enforcement of Title IX."    Levin works as the Manager of Marketing and Promotions for USA Wrestling.    Another member of the Olympic family, communications professional Kathleen Flynn, explained her challenges in starting a club crew team at her alma mater Florida State. There was no varsity team in her chosen sport. She also noted that men's wrestling teams may have to be dropped to club status. She said that her opinion may not make her popular with some of her peers.    "Now men will have to do what women have had to do," said Flynn. "That may happen. I think that is fair. I want Title IX to remain as it is written."    Some of the most interesting testimony came from parents of athletes, in many cases, mothers. Not all of the mothers agree on what is going on and what is the best course for the commission to recommend.    Beverly Brandon, the mother of a walk-on swimmer at the Univ. of Nebraska who had his team cut from under him, said that she represented 400 families, including many involved with swimming at Nebraska and at other universities. She said her son was living his dream, a student and athlete at a major university, until the program was dropped. "The consensus is that our sons and their friends have been denied opportunities," said Brandon.    Brandon noted that she knew of a donor who was ready to write a check for $250,000 to save the team, but the university would not take it. She also noted that the university denied the opportunity for a proposed $1 million fundraising campaign.    "My son lost opportunity," said Brandon. "I loved the movie Rudy. Brandon was at the bottom of the base of the pyramid. You need a base for the pyramid to stand."    Brandon closed her remarks by asking the commission to eliminate the gender quota aspect of the law. "I came 1,000 miles for 21st Century reform. Let our sons play," she said.    Ann Oatman Gardner, the mother of two female athletes, urged the commission to be champions for women athletics.    "My fears have been confirmed," said Oatman Gardner. "We have not overcome bias. I ask you to remain the champions for women. Look elsewhere for remedy, at least for another generation or two."    One of the most interesting testimonies came from Air Force wrestling coach Wayne Baughman, who suggested that there may be a biological reason that men had a higher interest in athletics than women. Baughman noted that the level of testosterone influenced the level of aggression and competitiveness in people. He also called women's athletics to task for repeating the same mistakes and poor judgement in they way they run their programs as the men have made for many years.    Rhonda Blandford-Green, who works as a Title IX administrator for the CHSAA, the Colorado state high school association, took a shot at the testimony of Baughman and Levin with jokes at the beginning of her testimony. She went on to request that the commission not consider any changes to Title IX.    "Any variation to current law can and will result in decreased opportunities for the under-represented gender," said Blandford-Green, who was a star athlete at the Univ. of Nebraska. "I am a Husker. I am not naive enough to think those opportunities would have been there for me without Title IX."    The positive benefits of sports for girls was best explained by Shaoria Taylor, a high school sophomore and outstanding athlete from Denver who considered sports a major impact on her life.    "For me, sports are a stress reliever. They allow me to be the best that I can be," said Taylor. "Don't drop the ball. Don't drop Title IX."    A number of key sports leaders from swimming, such as USA Swimming National Teams Director Dennis Pursley and College Swim Coaches Association Executive Director Bob Boettner, asked the commission to eliminate the proportionality quota.    The wrestling community was well represented, as has been the case at every Title IX Commission Town Hall to date. At least 10 of those who testified were from the wrestling community.     Besides Levin, two other USA Wrestling professionals, Coaches Education Manager Ted Witulski and National Teams Director Mitch Hull, provided testimony. Due to the fact that the order of testimony was based on when the people sent in notification to the commission via email, Witulski and Hull spoke back-to-back early in the session.    Witulski concentrated on the severe loss of coaches that is occuring and will be the ultimate result of continued elimination of college sports programs. He told his personal story of how his single mother raised a family of seven by getting her kids involved in sports. He noted that it was his coaches that kept him involved in positive activities and gave him guidance though the challenges of a disadvantaged childhood.    "The tough love of a coach helped me," said Witulski. "Without the coaches, I could have been one of the kids that got into trouble and fell through the cracks."    Hull provided the commission with six recommendations, including a one-year notification period before a college team could be dropped, as well as the elimination of roster management. He also said that if the commission did not recommend any changes to Title IX enforcement, that they should go after the grassroots programs and see how it is received by the general community.    "If you choose not to listen to the recommendation, then I ask for the complete opposite," said Hull. "Go after high schools and middle schools with full force. The change that you refused to make will happen when the grass roots of America experience and understand the quota method of enforcement of Title IX."    Among the wrestling athletes who testified were Kevin Bracken, a 2000 Olympian, and Dave Surofchek, who was a National Team athlete and USOTC resident athlete. Both testified about the loss of the wrestling programs at their colleges, Bracken at Illinois State and Surofchek at Ferris State.    Bracken first read his testimony, then dramatically spoke from the heart without preparation about the meaning of wrestling to his life.     "I went to college to wrestle. If I didn't, I wouldn't have fallen in love with academics," said Bracken. "Wrestling opened up a whole new world for me, a new life in academics."    He explained how wrestling played an important role in helping him deal with his serious challenges with dyslexia and asthma. He noted, however, that dealing with these two serious physical conditions "does not compare with the torment I went through when they dropped our wrestling team."    Doug Moses, head coach at the defunct Univ. of Southern Colorado varsity wrestling program,