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35th Anniversary of Title IX

Last weekend marked the 35th anniversary of Title IX, the legislation credited with increasing gender equity in sports. According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, since its enactment in 1972, female athletic participation has increased by a staggering 904 percent in high school and by 456 percent in college.

As someone who has benefited from Title IX, softball star Jennie Finch is quick to share her appreciation for those women that came before her. "I'm truly grateful for people who have paved the way, and have fought the fight," Finch said in the Daily Freeman. "I'm happy they broke down barriers to give women like myself the opportunity to be successful athletes and make a living playing a sport that I love."

I’m no softball star, but I am also thankful for the positive influence of Title IX in my life and the opportunity to play ball in college. Here are some other women who have enjoyed the effects of Title IX and are part of my favorite moments in sports history:

1996 | New Women's Olympic Sports. Women's softball and soccer made their Olympic debut at the Summer Games in Atlanta, and the U.S. dominated, winning the gold in both sports, as well as in basketball, gymnastics and synchronized swimming. The Atlanta Games made stars of Lisa Leslie, Mia Hamm and Lisa Fernandez, giving rise to professional softball and soccer leagues for women in the U.S.

1999 | Women's World Cup. A billion TV viewers and a stadium crowd of 90,000 witness the celebration as the U.S. wins the Women's World Cup in an overtime shoot-out against China. Brandi Chastain ripped off her jersey after scoring the winning goal, giving little girls someone besides a model to look at for a strong, beautiful body. And for the first time, a women's soccer team got as much attention a men's squad usually does.

2007 | Equal Pay at Wimbledon. After 123 years of awarding more prize money to men than women, Wimbledon yielded to public pressure and announced on Feb. 22, that it will offer equal pay through all rounds at this year's tournament.

2006 | Winningest Coach in NCAA History. Pat Summitt, the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history--male or female--earned her 900th career win as the Tennessee Lady Vols beat Vanderbilt, 80-68. That year, Summitt signed a $1.125 million deal for the 2006-07 season, making her the first women's basketball coach in history to be paid a million dollars or more.

2003 | Annika Plays a PGA Tour Event. Annika Sorenstam became the first woman since Babe Didrikson Zaharias in 1945 to compete in a PGA Tour event. Sorenstam missed the cut at the Colonial--in Fort Worth, Texas--by four strokes, but walked off the course to a standing ovation.

1997 | The WNBA is Born. The WNBA kicked off its inaugural season with eight teams, but unlike the other women's pro basketball leagues before it, this one has enjoyed longevity, this year celebrating its 10th year of existence.

2001 | Increased Exposure for the Women's Tournament. The NCAA and ESPN announced an 11-year agreement for the cable outlet to televise every game of the women's national championship basketball tournament.

Parent's guide to summer sports camps

Between the glossy brochures and fancy websites, choosing a summer sports camp for your kid has never been more complicated.

Summer sports camps are sophisticated enterprises designed to instruct campers in sport-specific techniques and, in some cases, possibly catch the eye of a university recruiter.

Here are three tips to help parents find the best camp for the young athlete in their family.

Four tips on buying sports equipment

The equipment that accompanies sports such as baseball and softball has come a long way since the first mitts were made of flesh-colored padding with the fingers cut out.

But with technological sophistication comes confusion: How do you know which glove to get? Does a $300 bat really make a difference? And just how do you find the ideal equipment for your son or daughter without taking out a second mortgage on your home?

Check out four tips every parent should know about buying sports equipment.

Women's College World Series set

This Women’s College World Series will be a refreshing change of pace. Only two programs in the eight-team field at the WCWS this year have won NCAA titles since the championship began in 1982.

The teams still standing are: Arizona, Texas A&M, Northwestern, Washington, DePaul, Arizona State, Tennessee and Baylor. Arizona, the defending NCAA champions, is historically the most dominant team as they have won seven titles, including five trophies in the 1990s.  Baylor, on the other hand, will step onto the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City for the first time in program history.

Surprisingly, for the first time in the 26-year history of the WCWS, a team from California did not advance to the eight-team field. However, this will be the first time two teams from the Chicago area (Northwestern and DePaul) will be making the trip to Oklahoma City. The two squads have combined for nine WCWS appearances -- never at the same time.

Tennessee senior Monica Abbott is a player to keep your eye on as she tries to surpass the Division I single-season strikeout record of 663 set by Southern Miss’ Courtney Blades in 2000. Abbott needs just 14 K’s to accomplish the task and add it to the long list of records she holds, including career wins, shutouts, and games played.

This year’s WCWS is shaping up to be an interesting one. Stay tuned for further news and commentary on this exciting tournament.

(Photo provided by Getty Images)

Softball Super Regionals

Divison I softball playoff format has the Sweet 16 teams meet in best-of-three super regionals. Those super regionals begin today. The eight survivors advance to the women's College World Series, which starts May 31, in Oklahoma City.

I read something a couple weeks ago that made me happy: ESPN and ESPN2 will have more NCAA softball championship coverage this year than ever before. They’ve covered three regional games already from the UCLA site, and will air every game of the women's College World Series game.

Softball may have gotten the boot as an Olympic sport, but it is certainly thriving here in the U.S. Gone are the days of waiting until midnight or later to watch a tape delay of a handful of College World Series games. I look forward to catching as many games as I can. As of now I’m rooting for the other Chicago teams: Northwestern and DePaul (which, I have to sneak in here, my alma mater defeated this year.)

Who do you want to win it all?

(Photo provided by Getty Images)

Generating power from your core

Many people think that the softball swing differs greatly from the baseball swing. If you observe some of the best hitters in the game you will notice this isn’t the case.

Check out why they are the essentially the same as Jon Doyle goes through what drives a great swing, drills to capitalize on it, and how to execute it.

(Jon Doyle is a former NCAA All-American baseball player who now works as a strength and conditioning specialist. His web site, www.milliondollarhitter.com, continues to be the worldwide leader in developing hitting techniques for all ages.)

Monica Abbott: Career Strikeouts Leader

Softball season seemed never ending when in the middle of an eight-game stretch in the span of a week or less. However, it never failed to go by in the blink of an eye. Now that I take in the sport of softball via box scores and the occasional home game, this first season of being in the stands instead of on the field flew by. Certain players and teams have made the most of it – Tennessee’s Monica Abbott is one of them.

Abbott became the NCAA's career strikeouts leader Sunday, overtaking Olympian and former Texas star, Cat Osterman. Abbott tied Osterman last weekend at 2,265 strikeouts. She struck out 11 in a doubleheader Sunday against Alabama, giving her the all-division NCAA record of 2,276.

Abbott broke Osterman's record in a 9-2 win in the first game of the doubleheader, victories that helped Tennessee earn its first Southeastern Conference regular-season title.

I know and have seen elite softball pitchers toss a lot of innings during their collegiate careers, but 2,276 strikeouts? That’s just plain absurdity.

The senior from Salinas, Calif., also broke the NCAA career victory record this season in March when she won her 152nd game, passing the mark set by Southern Mississippi's Courtney Blades in 2000. With a 40-2 record this season, Abbott has 179 victories.

Congratulations to Monica on a phenomenal career at Tennessee.

Little League Urban Initiative

The Chicago Urban Initiative Little League Committee (CUILLC) and the Chicago Bandits of the National Professional Fastpitch Softball League have forged a partnership aimed at bringing the benefits of Little League Softball to the children of Chicago.

In Chicago, five local Little Leagues have coordinated their efforts to form the CUILLC intent on providing awareness, education and opportunity through affiliation in the Little League Softball program. The Bandits franchise has also recognized this working partnership will offer possibilities for growth in Little League Softball participation on the south side of Chicago and throughout the Chicagoland area.

Among the immediate benefits for local leagues will be the coordination of fund-raising projects designed to draw focus to their Little League programs, equipment acquisition, capital improvement cash grants, field improvement and renovation, access to Little League education and training programs, advocacy, and networking, all while creating interest among potential Little League softball players.

My college softball team worked in cooperation with the Chicago Bandits for a fund-raiser and I know a few of the Bandits players from playing ball with or against them. They are an all-around impressive organization, on and off the field. I’m excited about the prospect of softball participation on the south side of Chicago being on the rise soon.

Mental preparation for hitters

Hitting is more than smashing the ball; it's approaching an at-bat with an understanding of the game situation -- and what a hitter's specific role should be. Here are three areas any hitter can focus on to prepare successfully at the plate and become more valuable to their team.

Study the pitcher to gain an edge:

Anything you can pick up about the pitcher prior to going into the box can help give you an advantage. Ask yourself the following questions: Does she always throw the first pitch as a strike? What pitch does she like to throw when she's ahead in the count? Does she move the ball mostly in and out, or up and down? What's her "bread and butter" pitch? Does she have a tendency to throw inside or outside? Up in the zone or down in the zone? Does she tip off any of her pitches by how she delivers or prepares to deliver?

Some pitchers look at the location of where they'll throw their pitch after picking up the signal from the catcher. If you can pick up the movement of their eyes from the catcher's signal to their target, you may be able to tell where the pitch will be thrown.

Read more on how to gain an edge in the batter's box by knowing the situation and stepping in with confidence.