You Let Some Girl Beat You? The Story of Ann Meyers Drysdale By Ann Meyers Drysdale with Joni Ravenna. Foreword by Julius "Dr. J" Irving. Behler Publications. Release Date: June 2012
Ann Meyers Drysdale has spent her entire life staring down the attitudes and misconceptions driving the phrase, “You let some girl beat you?”
She grew up in a large family where playing sports was like obeying the 11th commandment: “Thou Shalt Honor Thy Desire To Compete.”
Her talent and athleticism on the basketball court caught UCLA’s attention, and the university awarded her a four-year athletic scholarship. This historic feat made Meyers Drysdale the first female athlete to receive a Division I scholarship and one of the first beneficiaries of Title IX.
During her collegiate years, she was a four-time all-American and led UCLA to its first and only women’s national championship in 1978. Off the court, legendary men’s basketball coach, John Wooden, mentored her, and to this day she affectionately calls him “papa.”
In 1979, Meyers Drysdale’s first job came courtesy of the NBA when she signed a $150,000 free-agent contract with the Indiana Pacers. While her contract didn’t lead to a roster spot on the team, she courageously opened the door for future female professional athletes.
In her new book, You Let Some GIRL Beat You? – The Story of Ann Meyers Drysdale, she opens up about her controversial NBA tryout; life with legendary Los Angeles Dodger and Hall of Fame pitcher Don Drysdale; her career as a sports broadcaster; and her current roles as a Vice President with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and the NBA’s Phoenix Suns.
Meyers Drysdale’s memoir is a stunning portrayal of one of today’s legendary women’s basketball treasures, and a candid look at the courage, faith, and determination that it takes to be a champion on the court and in life.
Recently, I spoke with Myers Drysdale about her journey as a women’s basketball pioneer. Here is what she had to say…
On writing “You Let Some Girl Beat You?”…
Meyers Drysdale: To me the book is for any gender, race, or age. I think it shows that we’re all able to accomplish the things that we want to. Anybody can achieve anything they want to be; whether it’s your social background or economic background. I think it’s important to show children and parents how important sports are in a child’s life. Whatever your dreams are or aspirations are after you get out of high school or college, the road to the boardroom is through the locker room. Sports teach so much character, teamwork, leadership, self-confidence and self-esteem. There are so many important lessons learned from athletics. They can take you to the next level.
On playing basketball at UCLA and Coach John Wooden…
Meyers Drysdale: It was a great time in my life. My brother David was there and coach called all of his players “his boys.” I feel so blessed that my brother was able to be one of his boys. He won two NCAA championships with him and was able to be on his last championship team. There was something special to be at UCLA during that time in the 70’s. My Olympic coach, Billie Moore, was my third coach at UCLA; and to be able to win a championship at UCLA in my senior year, everything came together. And to have someone like Coach Wooden say that I was instrumental in helping grow the women’s game stands for a lot.
On being a women’s basketball pioneer…
Meyers Drysdale: I look at the women before me that were pioneers and opened the door for me. I came around the time of Title IX and I think of the women that sacrificed so much before me and didn’t receive the recognition. I feel like I was part of the change that happened. We all make sacrifices, and women today have to continue to make sacrifices for the next generation that is going to come up.
On being the first woman to sign a free-agent contract with the NBA…
Meyers Drysdale: My tryout was received with a lot of hostility. It really took me by surprise because I had been so well received by UCLA and winning a championship; then all the sudden I was doing something that was not acceptable. I was surprised and a bit overwhelmed by the negativity. I was just doing something that I had always done my whole life. It was just difficult for a lot of people to accept that. The media was not very kind and certainly I did have some supporters. A lot of people were not keen on the idea, and the coach certainly as I mentioned in the book was not pleased about this. So it was difficult for everyone because it was a first and they didn’t know how to deal with it.
There were the stories of she’s taking a job from a guy or how can she be in the locker room. I just tried to block it out. I remember one guy saying she’s good, but she doesn’t deserve to be here. It made me sad, but it also fired me up. This was the beginning of my road. This was my first job. I was 24 years old and did not work in high school or in college because I was always playing USA basketball. I was not familiar with being turned down because I had been successful through sports. It was a great learning lesson.
On being one of the first female sports broadcasters…
Meyers Drysdale: Back in the 70’s it was a field that was sprinkled with a few women. I recognized that there weren’t many women. We all knew that sports were great but it would be a short in your life. In my contract with the Pacers, my brother Mark put in that I would do broadcasting. Just the fact that I would get the door open and broadcast Pacers games was huge. I just feel blessed to be in the position to be good enough to be able to broadcast, and the people who have had faith in me to be able to do it.
On a woman playing in the NBA one day…
Meyers Drysdale: It takes a special person, not everybody is going to play in the NBA as far as talent is concerned. It takes somebody that is going to have a thick skin, sense of humor and can deal with the pressures of what the media and players are going to say.
On being an executive in WNBA and NBA…
Meyers Drysdale: I’d been asked since day one when the WNBA first existed to go with a franchise whether as a broadcaster, president or GM. Phoenix was persistent and I was fortunate to step into the role as a GM. I think that I do have a good sense of the game, not just the women’s game but the game of basketball. I’m not always going to be right, I have made some bad choices in my position; but if you don’t take chances you’ll never know. If someone gives you an opportunity, don’t worry about failing. You have to have the courage to do it- fail or succeed. The position that I’ve been with the Mercury as the President and GM and now Vice President, I have learned that you have to make choices and they are not always going to be good ones.
Meyers Drysdale’s choices have not only impacted her career, but they have also created opportunities for countless female athletes and executives. She has shown the importance of gender equity on and off the court, and to this day she is fighting for the day that the phrase: “You let some girl beat you?” becomes obsolete.
Good Night Sports Fans,
Alana
