By D. Thompson
Arlene Creek has been a part of Bowie State’s fabric for almost 60 years as a student-athlete, coach and administrator. She’s already been a member of Bowie State’s Sports Hall of Fame since 2014, but Creek continues to receive her flowers as she’ll be recognized as one of 50 Title IX trailblazers during the 2023 CIAA tournament in Baltimore honoring the 50th anniversary of Title IX.
“I feel pretty good about it,” said Creek, who currently serves as deputy director of athletics in the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation. “I have done some things that are recognizable enough to be a CIAA trailblazer and to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at Bowie State University. I’m feeling good about that.”
First passed in 1972 as part of the Education Amendments, Title IX regulations prohibit sex-based discrimination in any school or any other education program that receives funding from the federal government. The act laid the foundation for creating equity for women’s sports programs in educational institutions across the country.
Creek first arrived at Bowie State in 1966 and immediately took up basketball, volleyball, softball and field hockey while she earned her degree in health, physical education and recreation.
“Where I grew up, there weren’t any female sports,” said Creek. “If we got a chance to play, you had to play with the guys. Coming here and being able to have a female team, it was great because I love to play.”
Creek started feeling the itch to coach during her senior year. After graduating in 1970, she spoke with then-athletic director A.C. Jordan about taking over Bowie State’s women’s basketball team.
“I just asked, ‘Can I coach the girls team next year,’” said Creek. “And they were like, ‘Yes.’ So, that’s how I got started.”
Creek notes that Bowie State left a lot to be desired in terms of team talent and competitiveness, but she was determined to elevate the women’s basketball program. While waiting for the talent to improve, Creek made it her mission to become an exceptional teacher and strategist to overcome the team’s physical shortfalls. All the while, she maintained aspirations of bringing a championship to Bowie.
“I had some visions of being able to move the team from where they were,” said Creek. “I had to teach and try to get the best out of the student-athlete that I could get. As the years moved on, there was more talent among the girls that were coming in. I did say I would love to win some kind of championship at Bowie State.”
Creek stayed with her formula and eventually reached the mountaintop in 1978 when she won the first of back-to-back women’s basketball championships. Creek felt that the most satisfying part of the championship runs was being able to finally overcome the teams that had soundly beaten her in previous seasons as she was building up the team.
“I was feeling great,” said Creek. “And the team was feeling great. Trying to get there, the teams we played in that 7-8 year span were the same teams that, when I first started out, were crushing us. I really had a goal like, ‘I’ll get you.’ I’m going to get to the point where I can beat you.”
And Creek took that competitor’s mentality with her as an administrator after she retired from coaching in 1988. She worked diligently to maintain the standards of athletic equality that were promised under Title IX.
“I wanted to make sure that the women had just what the guys had,” said Creek. “If the men’s team had leather balls to play with, then the women should have leather balls to play with.”
But what Creek takes pride in the most is presenting herself as a positive example for students to follow, as well as encouraging them to reach their highest potential in line with the principles of being Bowie Bold.
“My role was to always be a good role model and to work with the student-athletes to make sure they become productive citizens in the world and make sure they graduate,” said Creek. “I wanted to make sure everybody could be all they can be.”
In addition to Creek, Bowie State President Aminta Breaux, Vice President of Athletics and Recreation Clyde Doughty Jr., and Melody Webb, who earned her master’s at Bowie State and also served as the head volleyball coach before becoming the athletic director at Norfolk State University, will also be recognized at Title IX trailblazers during this year’s CIAA tournament.
