My wife was an excellent figure skater. She spent summers upstate New York to be trained. No school had figure skating, but she sharpened her skills on public rinks in Brooklyn. (You all know where Brooklyn is.)

My first born, a boy, played soccer in high school and he was a starter for four years at William and Mary College.

My daughter was a year behind her brother in school. She was a field hockey player in high school, as there was no soccer for girls. She resented that. In college she played a little field hockey, but course work cut in on playing time. She resented that too.

After my daughter was married she played for a women's team in Connecticut. They played against the private high schools. The children would sit on blankets and watch the mommies play the girls. Often the game would end with tea and cookies. This was fun for all involved.

My daughter's children wanted to play soccer. There were more teams for the boys than the girls. My grand daughter lost interest in soccer. She took up archery. She did very well. So did my grandson who stayed with soccer as well.

The family moved to South Dakota. My grandson plays soccer. Club soccer and school soccer. My grand daughter does not play soccer.

At this time my grandson plays soccer and is in an archery program where he competes against men and does well. Very well. His last score was perfect, except that he shot at the wrong target!

Why an I giving this history? I want to explain.

The Federal government passed a law called Title lX. The purpose was to make the sports programs of boys and girls, men and women equal. That has not happened. Schools have been cutting men's programs to make things equal. That was not the design. The design was to expand not contract programs.

Now the Bush administration has formed a committee to revise Title lX. To water it down, not build it up.

Why?

The women's programs are as clean as a whistle, while the men's programs are sinking from one scandal after the next. Basketball and football have been tainted this year. When will it end?

Women's athletics? Nothing.

But still the women and girls get picked on. They need our support.

I have three grandsons and three grand daughters. I want them treated the same way in high school or college.

The last thing that I want is for a man's team to be cut to make room for a woman's team. Expand; do not contract.

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