Dalonna Cooper
The Title IX law enacted on June 23, 1972, prohibited federally funded educational institutions from discriminating against students or employees based on sex. Before Title IX, few opportunities existed for female athletes. In 1972 there were just 30,000 women participating in NCAA sports, as opposed to 170,000 men. Title IX corrected those imbalances; girls and women’s sports exploded with 3.4 million high school girls playing sports and 219,000 women playing in the NCAA.
Here at PebbleCreek, we don’t think much about the number of women playing sports. In pickleball, women represent 52% of our membership. Many of these ladies never played sports growing up; thanks to Title IX for opening the doors for so many of us. Pickleball player Lyla Riebel helped lead the way as a role model for women athletes.
In November, Oregon State University (OSU) honored women athletes who were Title Nine Trailblazers. Among those honored were pickleball player Lyla Riebel, fierce competitor and winner of several national medals and an overall great athlete. Lyla was inducted in the 2022 OSU Athletic Hall of Fame as a Multi-Sport Athlete and Title Nine Trailblazer.
Lyla attended Oregon State from 1966-1970, a few years before Title IX changed girls and women’s sports in schools around the country. She learned to play sports alongside her twin brother, Tim, also an OSU grad and an OSU track star. Lyla and Tim grew up playing sports; both attended Ashland High School where Tim participated in established school teams lettering in football, basketball, and track all three years. The high school sports opportunities for Lyla were much more limited. Volleyball and basketball were offered through the Girls Recreation Association on an intramural/extramural basis.
While at Oregon State, Lyla loved participating and competing on as many sports teams as she could fit into her schedule while keeping her grades up, and ultimately graduating with honors in 1970. The sports teams in those days were considered “club” teams, but competing against other college and university teams on a limited basis. The athletes had to pay their own way and they would earn team money by selling concessions during the men’s sporting events. During her four years at OSU, Lyla was a leader and won multiple honors in the following sports: field hockey, basketball, volleyball, track, bowling, and tennis.
After graduating, Lyla was a physical education and health teacher, coaching girls’ volleyball, basketball, track, and gymnastics, before becoming an assistant principal and then principal.
Lyla fell in love with the “guy next door” and got married her senior year in college. She and her husband, Ron, have two sons and seven grandchildren. Lyla has continued to compete in sports throughout her married life. Lyla believes being able to participate in sports has been a blessing, it’s about staying active, competing to be the best she can be, and having fun! She is proud to represent the athletes of her era, and thankful for the opportunities that she had and continues to have here at PebbleCreek.