On the recent 36th anniversary of Title IX, we continue to see the benefits the law has bestowed on female athletics. And what a pleasant sight that is.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 states: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."

It was not intended as a sports equalizer, but that has been its primary effect. Since its enactment, female high-school sports participation has increased 904 percent, and female college athletic participation has jumped 456 percent.

It is doubtful that many laws in this country can boast such measurable success.

The rise in females competing in sports has no downside that we can see, and it certainly has its positives: Studies show that girls who participate in sports are less likely to smoke, drink alcohol, drop out of school, be overweight or become teen-age mothers.

Sports requires hard work, dedication, sacrifice and teamwork, all of which are ingredients for successful life. It also provides much-needed exercise and social camaraderie.

Girls throughout the land seem to be thriving on sports more and more, thanks in large part to Title IX, which requires equity in male and female sports opportunities. Before Title IX, girls sports were uneven and too often unavailable or underfunded. Now, gone are the days when a girl's only athletic outlet was field hockey.

In venues across the North Country, from Potsdam to Lake Placid to Montreal to Burlington and even as far away as Quebec City, we see local girls competing in tournaments. And they are not just run-of-the-mill tournaments. Many of them feature high-level competition with teams from throughout the region and even from across the country and internationally.

It's nothing to go to a local tournament and see dozens of girls teams, decked out in matching sweats and gear bags, marching to their next match, smiles ablaze.

It's no wonder they are smiling, because now they are enjoying the benefits of athletics, as the boys have done for centuries. And many are reaping the glory on athletic fields and in gymnasiums and newspapers that were once the sole domain of boys.

Of course, all this extra-curricular competition does not come cheaply. Travel teams outside of school can charge high registration fees, and tournaments costs add up, with hotel, gasoline and meals, not to mention time off from work for mom and dad.

But the benefits seem to far outweigh the costs, especially when you assess the speed, skill and toughness that many of these girls acquire.

We often hear phrases such as, "The level of play in girls (soccer, basketball, hockey. etc.) has gotten so much better in the past 10 years." We've been hearing that for the better part of four decades now.

Title IX has done its job.