Interscholastic Athletics Administrators' Mentor-Protégé Relationships

Over the past few decades, the number of women in athletics administration has decreased despite a rising number of women in management positions in business and industry (Saltzman, 1996). The downward spiral of fewer women in athletics administration began with the enactment of Title IX in 1972, which was a catalyst for combining men and women''s athletics programs. In 1972 women directed more than 90% of women''s intercollegiate athletics programs while in 2002 women direct only 17.9% of intercollegiate programs (Acosta & Carpenter, 2002). Across the United States men hold the majority of athletics administrative positions at all levels, including not only the lead position of athletics director (AD), but also the support staff and feeder positions of associate and assistant director (Fitzgerald, Sangria & Nelson, 1994; Williams & Miller, 1983). Even with heightened gender equity awareness during the late 1990s through the turn of the century, there has been little progress for women. For example, within all NCAA programs in 2002, women held 31.2% of the AD and administrative staff positions compared to 34% in 2000 (Acosta & Carpenter, 2002).