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50 program uses the grassy outfield areas for soccer matches and training. The field sees steady usage from snow melt until snow fall, and virtually all usage is by youth athletics. There are no organized adult softball, football, or soccer teams that use the facility. The contemplated improvements to field C1 would add a permanent chain-link fence to the outfield wall to protect children and other visitors from running onto the game field during play (which really has unfortunately occurred), and drain tile to fields C1 and C4 which would increase field usage by decreasing the amount of time those fields would be unplayable. The top stated field improvements requested by our softball participants and advocates include proper field drainage and fencing to enclose the primary softball diamond. The extended fence will enclose the field for the safety of spectators and allow "ownership" of the field by the softball program. The structures will give field C1—the softball field— equivalent athletic facilities to those currently existing on field C4—the baseball field. This is an important distinction, as there is a growing concern that young women are dropping out of athletic programs as they grow through the high school years. In contrast, males drop out of their athletic endeavors much later and at a much slower rate. Several studies have shown that a significant reason for this discrepancy is a difference in the resources and emphasis given to female athletic programs in comparison to male programs, including those resources devoted to facilities. Since male sports tend to see more involvement because of a traditional expectation of boys in athletics, men often tend to support athletics—and specifically, the'same athletic events in which they once participated — in higher percentages and with greater resources than females. This leads to a difficulty in fundraising for girls•' athletics and a struggle to keep pace with support for the boys' athletics. As a result, girls facilities tend to be smaller, receive fewer updates, and sometimes get "second-hand" supplies after the boys' have used them. This approach to athletics may influence young women into believing that their athletic endeavors are not as important as those undertaken by their male counterparts, so they drop out. However, women whose facilities are updated to be commensurate with the males in their communities tend to participate longer and in greater numbers than in those communities who do not update their facilities. The proposed construction of the fenceline would provide the softball field with the same facilities as those found on the baseball diamond in the city. This will encourage the young women athletes to become and stay involved in softball and female athletics in general, which will expand their individual opportunities to be involved in athletics. 34