ASHLAND —
Past and present, Megan Neyer is a huge proponent of the positive elements of sports.
The Ashland native became one of the world’s most prolific divers during the 1980s.
These days, she is president of Neyer Performance Strategies, a Georgia-based company which specializes in individual, team and organizational performances with businesses and athletic teams.
“My areas will always be performances and health,” said Neyer, who has worked with executives, coaches and athletes for 20 years.
One of her latest endeavors has been to launch World Fit at St. Thomas More Catholic School in Decatur, Ga. World Fit is a program designed by U.S. Olympians to end childhood obesity. It targets middle schools to get the children walking or doing some exercise activity for 45 minutes a day for 40 days.
“Obesity is a major health crisis,” Neyer said. “I worry about this next generation of kids, spending more and more time in front of a computer instead of out on a soccer field.”
Or, in Neyer’s case, at a pool.
“When I was a kid, I never saw the inside of my house in the summer months,“ she said. “We were always outside playing, swimming.“
The 40th anniversary of Title IX has brought awareness to increased athletic opportunities for females.
Overall, participation in high school sports increased for the 22nd year to an all-time high of more than 7.6 million in 2010-11. That includes over 3 million girls.
“It’s fantastic so many are playing sports,” Neyer said. “It can be crucial developmentally. Where I think Title IX has been phenomenal is team sports. Individually I think there were opportunities. When you are talking about softball, basketball, soccer, we’ve seen tremendous growth.”
Neyer was part of a swimming and diving state championship team in high school. She points to sports as being beneficial for individuals to learn to collaborate, communicate, set aside differences and achieve a higher aspiration.
“I think the fact that people have had so much more support to play on teams, it’s a huge contributor to help as they transition into the work place.”
Though Title IX of the Education Amendment arrived on June 23, 1972, change was slow to come from the NCAA.
The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was formed in 1971 and functioned for about 10 years, until the NCAA voted to begin offering championships for women’s sports.
“When I was being recruited, my trips were not paid for,” Neyer recalled.
Neyer and swimming star Tracy Caulkins were freshmen teammates at Florida and led the Gators to the inaugural NCAA swimming and diving championship in 1982.
Neyer went on to become an eight-time Southeastern Conference and NCAA champion — a feat not accomplished before or since — while maintaining a 3.5 grade point average.
At the same time, she remembers Florida’s women not receiving equal treatment with the men.
“Through my years in college we weren’t getting the equivalent ceremonial kinds of things, like rings and watches,” said Neyer, who in 2006 was named the NCAA’s Most Outstanding Diver of the last Quarter Century.
Neyer won the U.S. Olympic trials in both springboard and platform diving in 1980, but didn’t get an opportunity to compete in the Summer Olympics in Moscow because the United States boycotted the Games.
Neyer amassed 15 U.S. National championships and multiple international titles before retiring from competitive diving in 1988. She’s a member of the University of Florida and International Swimming Hall of Fames.
Reflecting on her competitive career, Neyer said she “absolutely” benefited from Title IX.
She returned to graduate school at Florida to complete her master’s degree in sports psychology in 1990, and her doctorate in counseling four years later.
As for women having equal opportunity in sports, Neyer said Billie Jean King has singularly done more than any woman in history.
“She lobbied strongly for women’s tennis players to have equal pay in pro tournaments,” Neyer said. “She’s been one of the biggest advocates of equality in women’s sports since she beat Bobby Riggs (in the 1973 Battle of the Sexes).”
Local Sports
TITLE IX: Impact can't be denied for Neyer
- Local Sports
-
-
62nd District Softball: East playing second fiddle no longer
East Carter’s Morgan Jacobs fired a pitch across the plate for strike three in the bottom of the seventh inning and jumped into the arms of first baseman Montana Fouts.
-
Salow Show: Ashland ace halts Boyd’s district streak
What’s the encore for a perfect game?
-
62nd District baseball: Staton strives after storm
East Carter’s Conner Staton hasn’t lost a 62nd District in his high school career. As a senior, he wasn’t going to let that change.
-
63rd District baseball: Greenup County outduels Lewis, 7-3
Lightning delayed the 63rd District Tournament championship game several times following the first inning on Tuesday, creating a late night for Greenup County and Lewis County.
-
Boyd’s Fraley commits to Herd
Boyd County sophomore basketball player Logan Fraley has announced her commitment to Marshall University.
The 5-foot-11 shooting guard informed Marshall women’s coach Matt Daniel of her decision on Monday morning, which was confirmed by Boyd County coach/father Pete Fraley via text message. -
63rd softball: Greenup leans on bunting, baserunning; Russell wins
Immersed in another district contest with little breathing room, Greenup County softball coach Eric Keeton resorted to the strengths of his lineup: bunting and baserunning.
Two bunts and a swinging bunt helped the Lady Musketeers scratch across three runs in the fifth inning of a 6-2 victory over Raceland in the 63rd District Tournament opening round on Monday night at Russell High School. Top-seeded Russell defeated Lewis County, also 6-2, earlier in the evening. -
Boyd pounds out 11 hits to go along with Grimm’s shutout, 14-0
Robbie Shivel might be a little sore after Monday night, but it was Fairview that left the game battered and bruised.
Boyd County belted out 11 hits to go along with Dylan Grimm's complete-game gem as the Lions roared past Fairview, 14-0, in the opening round of the 64th District Tournament at Ashland's Alumni Field. The game lasted five innings. -
Different look, same results for Lady Lions
A longtime fixture in the 64th District softball championship game, Boyd County looked different this return trip.
The Lady Lions defeated Fairview 10-5 in Monday’s district semifinal, which doubled as an Autism Awareness Night. Boyd County players wore light blue shirts and colorful, jigsaw puzzle socks for the event, which had to be rescheduled more than once due to weather problems. -
Musketeers explode in final 2 innings to beat Raceland; good times continue for Lewis
Through the first four innings of its 63rd District Tournament opener, Greenup County found itself hitless. The Musketeers made up for it over the next two innings.
Greenup County scored eight runs on eight hits in the final two innings to defeat Raceland, 9-1, at Russell High School on Monday. -
The will to win
Opponents get the same look from Emily Stewart whether it’s softball, basketball or soccer season.
Steely eyed and lips pursed, the Boyd County senior is keenly focused and all business between the lines. - More Local Sports Headlines
-
62nd District Softball: East playing second fiddle no longer
Britain Attack Believed Linked to Radical Islam
Raw: Kevin Durant Tours Moore After $1M Pledge
Weiner Launches Bid to Become NYC Mayor
Okla. Teens Get Video of Deadly Tornado Overhead
Man Shot While Questioned in Boston Probe
School Storm Protection Spotty in Tornado Zones
9-year-old Tornado Victim Loved Family, Singing
Moore Native Toby Keith Tours Tornado Damage
Oklahoma Survivors, Heroes Survey Damage
Okla. City Mayor: Up to 13K Homes Hit by Tornado
Raw: Aftermath of Deadly Attack in London
Paperless Scanner, Vision of the Future
Florida FBI Shooting Has Boston Bombing Links
Garcetti Elected Los Angeles Mayor Over Greuel
Raw: New Video of Deadly Oklahoma Tornado
IRS Official Pleads 5th Amendment
Lawyer: Feds Investigating Susan Powell Case
