What's the Score?

Bonnie J. Morris, author of 19 books and a member of the Authors Guild, has been teaching women's sports history since 1996, becoming Professor of the Year and emeritus professor at George Washington University, Vicennial Medalist at Georgetown, and a nominee for the Excellence in Teaching Prize at UC-Berkeley. She is a scholarly adviser to the National Museum of Women's History, a history consultant to Disney, and the archivist for Olivia Records, as well as three-time faculty for the global Semester at Sea program. Find her talks on C-SPAN and her writing at www.bonniejmorris.com. Morris is currently a lecturer in history at the University of California at Berkeley.

What do gender and sports fandom have to do with the American and global social and political landscape? As historian Bonnie J. Morris (The Disappearing L) writes, despite progress with women's rights, we still 'don't expect women to initiate, share, participate in, or pass along sports literacy. In other words, except on a few annual occasions, we don't expect women to know the score.' In response to this gendered cultural gap and the lack of a conversation around it, Morris created a course called Athletics and Gender, which she taught for 25 years at several universities, including George Washington University and UC Berkeley. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX, and What's the Score? takes readers into Morris's classroom, reflecting on the social and cultural changes that shaped discussions with students and stakeholders over the years. Morris describes her book not as a 'complete or formal history of women's sports' but a 'memoir of teaching and a template for teaching, drawing from remembered and successful best practices to pass on.' She shares how the course was created and developed over time, along with insights from her students and how the conversation around sports and gender is pertinent to a large variety of undergraduate fields. This invaluable resource for sports fans also includes three versions of the syllabus and a wealth of additional information, including reading materials, documentaries and various legal and sports timelines.- Michelle Anya Anjirbag (Shelf Awareness)

• Timeline: 101 Turning Points in Women's Sports HistoryPrologue: The Bus Ride before the GameIntroduction: Nothing Better to Do on a Friday Night?1. The Strength of Our Foremothers: Engaging Student Athletes with the Past2. How Female Athletes Disappear: Headlines, Publicity, and Media Activism3. Tomboy Identities, Muscular Ideals: Discussing Gender Roles and Homophobia in Sports4. From Half-Court to Federal Court: Title IX and the American Playing Field5. Global Encounters with Women's Sports: Teaching Students at Sea6. Challenges for a Women's Sports Professor: Evaluating 25 Years of ClassConclusion: When the Scoreboard Went Dark in 2020Critical Thinking ResourcesNotesBibliographyIndex