Celebrating Title IX with Pixellot

On June 23 the world celebrates one of the most important dates in sports history, recognizing the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Congress enacting Title IX. The famous 37 words at the heart of Title IX read: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

We still have a long way to go to achieve a level playing field for girls’ sports compared to boys’ sports. Some people in positions of power still resist full equity in sports along gender lines. Perhaps the strongest force working against equity is the idea that girls’ sports do not generate revenue.

Revenue Myths and New Realities

The greatest source of potential revenue for all sports is media coverage. That’s where Pixellot comes into level the playing field. Pixellot helps high school sports administrators and coaches capture and share videos with media outlets, raising the profile of girls’ sports and proving that their sports are just as exciting and marketable as the boys’.

Easy availability of dramatic game action and individual player highlights, cause media outlets to raise the profiles of teams, athletic programs, coaches, and players. That creates more opportunities for revenue to flow to schools through ticket sales and sponsorships and helps athletes enhance their college scholarship opportunities. Plus, as the Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) marketplace continues to grow, the chance for players to prove their media-friendliness expands the media sports coverage and creates even more revenue opportunities for all involved in girls’ sports.

 

Pixellot’s Impact

Consider the words of Amy Pratt, Student Activities Coordinator at Kellam High School in Virginia Beach, VA in a special video (see below). “The availability and affordability of (Pixellot) has really opened up my girls’ teams to having that access. What’s been available for football forever is now available to everybody, and they all have film now, and they’re starting to do more film study. I see it being a really positive part of their team culture that they didn’t have prior.

“When we were with a different service, and it cost $1,500 a team, they didn’t utilize that. My girls’ teams have really embraced it. My girls’ basketball team, and my girls’ soccer team, my field hockey team, are starting to use it fully. It’s helping my girls to have access to that film, to be able to pull those clips to make videos to send off to assist in their post-secondary plans. That’s a huge plus that I’ve seen in the last couple years.”

 

 

 

From Practical to Inspirational

The everyday practical concerns that Pixellot addresses pale in comparison to the inspiration that can spread through Pixellot videos. After all, members of any historically disadvantaged group that aspire to advance “have to see it to be it.”

Without video of Althea Gibson and Billie Jean King, there might be no Serena Williams. If not for the iconic image of Brandi Chastain’s post-penalty kick celebration at the 1999 Women’s World Cup Final, perhaps no Megan Rapinoe or Abby Wambach. The examples go on and on. You pick the sport.

What’s most exciting about the gradual growth of girls’ sports over the first 50 years of Title IX is that it has laid the groundwork for much more accelerated growth in the next 50 years, and Pixellot is proud to be part of that!