The History of Green Schools
1927, the first record of a school newspaper available, suggested that Greensburg school started out like any other school
during this time: a small close-knit community school holding a mere 141
students in the high school. At this time, the boys outnumbered the girls, having a majority in every class, by 78 to 63. Over time, the community and school grew, eventually leading to the Green Local School district that we know today. The High School changed from Greensburg School, to Kleckner High School, to the school now known as the Intermediate School, and finally to the High School that we know today. The progression was not only found in the buildings and class sizes though, but also evident in female sports.
An Overview of the History of Women's Sports
While millions of high school boys played sports, women's sports prior to Title IX were few and far between. Even 40 years after the passing and implementation of Title IX, there is a significant gender gap in the participation of girls versus boys. Green's journey through female sports both agreed and disagreed with the norms set by the state and national standards for women's sports during given time periods.
Starting with 1927, there was evidence of one female sport in Green. Compared nationally, only a few regions around the country had sports teams of any kind. Northeast Ohio was one of those regions. They formed a league in Summit County consisting of about 12 teams, varying on any given year for the next decade.
The next time period, starting with the beginning of WWII and ending at the proposal of Title IX, was a time period of no women's sports in Green. Dan Gourley, a graduate of 1969, star football, track, and basketball player, and teacher and coach at Green now described it as, "a time where girls could be cheerleaders or majorettes.. and that's it."
Title IX, created in 1965, passed in 1972, and required compliance by 1978 was the turning point in women's sports not only in Green but across the nation. Green High re-added its first girls sport, basketball, and a new sport, volleyball, in 1973. The progression and evolution began from there and over 30 years, a variety of opportunities were added.
Today, we offer a variety of girls sports to female students, definitely keeping up with the region and state around us. Green High School, along with the state of Ohio, ranks average among the nation in sports offered and female athlete participation.
Starting with 1927, there was evidence of one female sport in Green. Compared nationally, only a few regions around the country had sports teams of any kind. Northeast Ohio was one of those regions. They formed a league in Summit County consisting of about 12 teams, varying on any given year for the next decade.
The next time period, starting with the beginning of WWII and ending at the proposal of Title IX, was a time period of no women's sports in Green. Dan Gourley, a graduate of 1969, star football, track, and basketball player, and teacher and coach at Green now described it as, "a time where girls could be cheerleaders or majorettes.. and that's it."
Title IX, created in 1965, passed in 1972, and required compliance by 1978 was the turning point in women's sports not only in Green but across the nation. Green High re-added its first girls sport, basketball, and a new sport, volleyball, in 1973. The progression and evolution began from there and over 30 years, a variety of opportunities were added.
Today, we offer a variety of girls sports to female students, definitely keeping up with the region and state around us. Green High School, along with the state of Ohio, ranks average among the nation in sports offered and female athlete participation.
Green IS America
Even though there were no gender equality riots or protests, Green, Ohio is just like the rest of America in the sense that women were under represented in high school athletics. Around the country, women were fed- up with their under representation in sports that they protested John F. Kennedy and pushed for legislation until Richard Nixon enacted Title IX in 1972. The girls in Green High School spoke out, just like the rest of the nation, in their own way. They created the GAA, The Girls Athletic Association, to show others that they were serious about being involved in sports. Just because Green, Ohio isn't in the back yard of Capitol Hill doesn't mean that there isn't history right here in our hometown. In women's sports, Green was just like the rest of the country. We lacked the implementation of women's athletics until after Title IX, falling into the norms of most other high schools in the country. Then, our sports teams created a little history of their own.