Politics Center

Blake Ress, the head of the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA), didn't let his personal bias get in the way when he dropped a rule barring girls from playing baseball that violated Title IX.

Washington State Gov. Chris Gregoire has signed into law a Fair Play bill prohibiting sex discrimination in public community sports programs.

The absence of women as coaches in youth sports has been criticized by some as one of the most backward traditions in sports today. The 42 million mothers of kids in sports represent an incredible resource. Perhaps if that resources was tapped, a new paradigm for youth sports can grow: one that will ensure that our children's sports years are more fun, safer, saner, less stressful, and more inclusive from the first day of T-ball to the last high school game.

Ever wonder how it was that all the coaches' sons or daughters are so much more "talented" than the other kids that they get to continue playing all summer, sharpening their skills, getting the advantage of playing three, four, even five times a week under the lights or in the hot summer sun, while other kids, eager to play, stand on the outside looking in, already stigmatized by having been deemed "not good enough" to play.

Youth sports have become big business, bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees every year. Yet most operate with virtually no oversight. Here's how to hold them accountable.