These photos are from a year long  personal project that I wanted to do to commorate the Title IX Anniversary. I was working as a staff photograper at the Orlando Sentinel while doing working it.

The first four images are from the Lyman High School girls wrestling team. For most of the girls, this was their first experience with wrestling and how physcially demanding it is.Unlike the boys, making weight wasn't an issue.

This is Lena who was 15 at the time and one of the best female boxers in the country. In a sport known for its boisterous participants, Lena was very soft-spoken and quiet. She started out at 9, taking karate lessons and she saw the coach sparring with his son and she wanted to try it.  She is now one of the tops in her weight class, which includes women 5-10 years older than she. Her goal is to make the Olympic team,  which she will do. She is that focused.

One of the things I wanted to show, was the fact that Title IX was able break down the barriers and let the young ladies compete equally with their male counterparts. Loren the baseball player was the biggest player on her team and could throw the hardest. She was also, one of the few who didn't cry when she struck out.

Loren's size wasn't a big advantage, unlike the young ladies on the basketball team. Most of the girls towered over the boys that they played and their skill level was better. The girls loved playing the boys and for the most part beating them. They had no fear when it came to playing boys, but their attitude changed when they played another girls team. They tense up and they no longer where carefree.  The only time I saw them lose where to girls.

Most of the girls have continued playing basketball in high school and Loren as switched to playing softball.