PROVIDENCE — A new generation of women is succeeding the pioneering coaches, physical education teachers and administrators who fought in the 1960s and ’70s for equal opportunity for girls and women to play organized sports.

These assistant and associate athletic directors in their 30s and 40s grew up as the beneficiaries of Title IX, the 1972 legislation that banned gender-based discrimination in federally financed educational programs, including sports. While Title IX gave many of them an opportunity to play, another policy gave many of them an opportunity to lead.

In 1990, the NCAA introduced the position of Senior Woman Administrator, an advocate for women’s issues, and mandated that every member institution have one. That directive altered the course of Jill LaPoint’s life.

“A lot of older women will speak of Title IX and its impact on them. I was five years old,” said the new executive associate director of athletics and senior woman administrator (SWA) at Providence College. “Senior woman administrator was the mandate for my generation. It opened a position on every athletic department staff in the country. It was a chance for women to showcase their skills. Title IX means the world to me, but I didn’t live it. As I reflect on my career, I realize that senior woman administrator is the most important [development].”

LaPoint was coaching field hockey at Juniata College in Huntington, Pa., in the early 1990s when, one day, she noticed her athletics director and president approaching the field after practice. The AD was a regular visitor, but not the president. They told her about the SWA position and asked if she was interested. She gave it some thought and agreed. Her new title: assistant athletics director/senior woman administrator.

“I recognized my skill set early on. I still loved coaching, and it was a difficult decision. But I thought that coaching field hockey I had an impact on 24 women. As an administrator I could have an impact on 300 women and men. I found fulfillment going to administration,” she said.

Road to Rhode Island

LaPoint had not grown up dreaming of being an SWA. She wanted to be a high-school teacher and coach. She studied education at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania and spent a year after graduating as special assistant to the athletic director.

She was considering job offers when she learned of a master’s degree program at Smith College that focused on coaching at the collegiate level. She passed on the high-school offer, moved to Northampton, Mass., studied and coached field hockey and women’s basketball for two years. She received her master’s in exercise and sport studies in 1992.

During her stay at Smith, the AD asked her to work on a few special projects.

“I do this and like it but go on and coach at Juniata,” she said.

After six years at Juniata, she took a job as an assistant athletic director at Brown. She was administrative liaison to four varsity teams, director of club sports and intramurals and director of physical education and recreation. In 2000 she joined the Providence College staff as associate athletic director/senior woman administrator.

She was promoted to associate athletic director for administration in 2006 and this month was promoted to executive associate AD. She has remained SWA throughout her tenure.

LaPoint acknowledged that her new title is a mouthful and said “I have trouble getting it out.” She agreed that it is comparable to the deputy director or senior associate director designations at other schools.

She will continue to be the administrator in charge of women’s basketball, field hockey, volleyball and softball; to ensure that PC adheres to NCAA, Big East and institutional policies and to advise on gender equity, student-athlete welfare, strategic planning and women’s issues.

‘Still a critical role’

The big change in her role will be to serve as acting athletic director in AD Bob Driscoll’s absence and to represent Driscoll and PC at meetings on and off campus.

She serves on several Big East committees.

Driscoll hopes to spend more time on the road telling the PC story and raising money, she said.

Despite the progress women have made in intercollegiate athletics, men still occupy the majority of positions of power, which means the SWA position remains important.

“It absolutely is still a critical role and needs to be on every staff,” LaPoint said.

Joan Taylor, beginning her 40th year at Brown University, agreed.

“The Ivy League was one of the first to involve women in day-to-day decisions,” the senior associate AD said. “Outside of the Ivy League I think the position is still important; otherwise women will not be given the chance to voice their opinions on day-to-day decisions.”

Taylor started as a women’s tennis coach and phys ed instructor in 1969.

She became an assistant AD in 1978 and in that role worked with men and women, thanks to the support of the ADs in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Bob Seiple and John Parry.

The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women governed women’s sports before the NCAA took over in 1981-82.

“People were fighting to save AIAW because they felt women would be more involved,” Taylor said.

The NCAA has not neglected women, although the hierarchy has needed prodding now and again. Women today thrive under the NCAA umbrella, as players, coaches and administrators.

Taylor has worked with Title IX pioneers such as Arlene Gorton of Brown and with SWA proponents like LaPoint. Asked her opinion of the new generation of leaders, she said, “There are some good candidates out there.”

Unfortunately, there are too few female ADs out there, especially in Division I, and LaPoint would welcome the opportunity to change that situation.

“I always remain open to that possibility,” she said, “but now I have plenty of exciting challenges and look forward to coming to work every day.”

As executive associate director of athletics/senior woman administrator, that is.

mszostak@projo.com