WASHINGTON 鈥� In 2011, Natalie Randolph made headlines in D.C. and around the country when she was named the head football coach at Coolidge High School. While she faced some of the expected sexist backlash, the news was largely positively reported. That reaction stood in sharp contrast to what Wanda Oates experienced at Ballou High School a few decades before as a trailblazer in prep sports, one of the reasons her career was honored and celebrated this month.
Oates was one of 10 members inducted into the inaugural class of the DCSAA Hall of Fame, a regal affair at the D.C. Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment in Northeast on June 3. The building will serve as the physical home of the Hall of Fame, a mix of public, private and charter school sports history from the District.
The rest of the class included athletes like NBA star Elgin Baylor, as well as a host of coaches and administrators. But it鈥檚 hard to imagine any had as much impact on social progress as Oates, who became the first woman coach of a boys varsity high school basketball team when she took over at Ballou following a successful stint with the girls.
But even before her boys basketball tenure, to turn around its failing football program. One might be tempted to think that by 1985, a woman coaching male athletes would be accepted, but that was far from the case.
Despite the school鈥檚 decision, the deputy superintendent rescinded Oates鈥� appointment, and she never took the field as a football coach. As far as Oates was concerned, that was their loss.
鈥淓ven though they voted against me, they made the statement that Washington, D.C., may have missed a historic contribution from this young lady,鈥� she told 草莓传媒. 鈥淚n other words, they should have allowed me to coach that team.鈥�
But Oates still got her shot coaching the boys and made the most of it. In 1991, under Oates鈥� leadership, Ballou鈥檚 boys team won the East championship of the Interhigh, which preceded DCIAA. The success, however, wasn鈥檛 celebrated outside the school.
鈥淚t was not well-received at all,鈥� said Oates. 鈥淚 got no assistance from the school system. I got no assistance from the athletic office. In fact, my whole tenure coaching boys was like a living hell.鈥�
Oates鈥� trailblazing eventually left a less arduous path for the likes of Randolph to follow, albeit not one without its own travails, even in the 21st century.
鈥淚t was not all peaches and roses,鈥� said Randolph. 鈥淭here was discrimination. There was pushback. There was difficulty with some people.鈥�
Randolph, who now works as the Title IX coordinator for DCSAA, was on hand for the induction ceremony. While she knew of Oates when she took the job at Coolidge, it wasn鈥檛 really until after Randolph moved on from coaching that she fully understood Oates鈥� impact and how it had paved the way for her.
鈥淢ost of the media coverage was very positive,鈥� said Randolph. 鈥淢ost people were very happy. There were a few people that were skeptical, but by and large, it was a pretty great reception. And I鈥檓 sure I owe much of that to her.鈥�
Even though Oates is semi-retired, she is still fighting to create opportunities for local youth to grow through sports, particularly young women.
鈥淚 feel that they need to reemphasize physical education at all levels 鈥� elementary, middle school and senior high school,鈥� said Oates. 鈥淚鈥檝e gone to a number of schools and they don鈥檛 even have physical education. The kids, if they don鈥檛 play in their Little League teams, they don鈥檛 get the experience of football and basketball, softball and baseball, they just don鈥檛 get it.鈥�
That remains an uphill battle, but one made a little easier thanks to the contributions of those like Oates. As far as Randolph is concerned, those uphill battles are the important ones to fight.
鈥淣o matter what you do, there鈥檚 always going to be some sort of difficulty,鈥� said Randolph. 鈥淎s I used to tell my kids, 鈥榠f it鈥檚 not hard, it鈥檚 not worth it.鈥欌��
