It's still dark when Buffalo's track and field and cross-country head coach Vicki Mitchell pulls into the parking lot of Alumni Arena. The lights at UB Stadium are on, the team practicing.
In the coaches' suite, the office lights of her fellow head coaches who already are in their offices shine through the small gaps at the door. Her office door is next to the women's soccer head coach Jean-A Tassy and to men's track and field head coach Perry Jenkins. Male colleagues surround Mitchell. There are only four female head coaches at Buffalo.
Female entrepreneurs had to fight for their participation in collegiate athletics and today there are laws guaranteeing gender equality throughout the Athletic Departments around the nation, including Buffalo.
Since the implementation of Title IX in 1972, a law that prohibits sex discrimination in education programs that receive Federal financial assistance, the number of female student-athletes has increased tremendously. Each university must be in compliance with Title IX and reach a certain level of gender equality across the board, such as in the number of female student-athletes compared to male student-athletes or pay equity among coaches.
The Division of Athletics evaluates its gender equality on an annual basis and tries to find ways on how to improve.
"We are looking at how you gain compliance and how we obviously are in compliance but you always want to improve and do things better and different," said assistant athletic director of business operations Christina Hernandez, who is also UB's senior women's administrator.
Although Title IX increased the number of scholarships given to female student-athletes, the statute makes no reference to athletics or athletic programs but is based on equality in educational opportunities.
Title IX is a well-known term within athletics but, according to Mitchell, both male and female coaches as well as athletes misunderstand it.
The domination of men in coaching positions reaches through all types of sports.
"I feel in the minority, especially in female hockey," said Niagara University women's ice hockey head coach Margot Page. "More males are hired for coaching in ice hockey although there are qualified female coaches out there."
Page was the only female head coach at Niagara University until the school recently hired a female women's volleyball head coach.
Mitchell holds a special place at the University as the only female head coach of a men's team at UB. She is responsible for women's track and field and men's and women's cross-country, which makes her the coach of 18 male athletes.
"My male distance runners... I truly feel they respect me," Mitchell said. "I think they do have respect for me but the other thing is I think I am open to listen to them. Most important line to respect is having the communication with them."
Her communication with male athletes is slightly different than with female athletes. Mitchell believes that it is important to have open communication with her male team members to build equal respect.
"When I started as an assistant coach the guys didn't respect me as much," Mitchell said. "I contribute this to three things: One, I was very young. Two, they had never experienced a female coach. Three, they were students that I basically inherited, so they were already here and they were like, who are you? The students I have now I've recruited so they know that they are coming to a school where they are recruited by a woman."
Female coaches struggle to be accepted not only by male coaches or administrators, but even among female student-athletes.
"In the past I haven't been taken as serious because still many female athletes believe that male coaches know more," Page said.
While Mitchell feels that she has gained respect on campus, it is still a fight to earn the credit that she feels she deserves.
"At the University at Buffalo I do feel accepted but outside, no," Mitchell said. "For me to be the head coach of a male team is unusual. So if I go to regional or national meetings, Perry (Jerkins) and I are next to each other, people talk to Perry. I am like, 'So if my team beats yours then you know who am I?'"
Buffalo has a good reputation in regards to gender equality and the female coaches can feel it. The reason for this is partially the work of the Division of Athletics' administration.
"As administration we are looking into accommodating interesting and abilities, the financial piece of it, which is the grant-and-aid piece and things we call the laundry list," Hernandez said. "We evaluate the data on an annual basis the athletic director has input not just the SWA (Senior Women's Administrator) but people from all different areas."
Men are more likely to work as coaches not just because of the general trend but also because women have to deal with the double weight of job and family. Combining family and coaching is an almost impossible task. Coaching is a time consuming occupation that requires many days and nights on the road and a 100 percent commitment.
"It depends on what they truly want, do they want a family? If you want to be a successful coach you have to be committed and focused on coaching," Page said.
Page hired two female assistant coaches because she believes that there are many qualified female coaches out there. For other female coaches she has some advice.
"Get the knowledge and get used to talk sharp," Page said. "Get educated, be challenged and take the challenge."
It is dark when Mitchell leaves the office together with her coaching staff. Her coaches' team is busy all year round. As a female coach she has to work the same amount as a male coach does, maybe even more. She is going to be back at Alumni tomorrow and it is probably still going to be dark when she parks her car in front of Alumni.
