Amateur Sports Act

Anita DeFrantz's heels clicked softly on the concrete steps leading up to the District of Columbia courthouse. The tall white building glared down at her, reminding her how important this was, not only to her, but to the others she came to represent. She thought of her rowing team, enjoying a day of practice, about how satisfying the pull of the oar against the water was. She thought about how terrible it would be if that was taken away. Panic consumed her, and she had to take a long, calming breath before heading inside.
The courtroom was smaller than she expected, the dark reddish wood of the chairs and tables sharply contrasting the cream walls. The whole building smelled like a library, and it was as quiet as one, too. She walked down
The plaintiffs went first. William stood up to talk to the court.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, my name is William Allen and I am representing plaintiffs Anita DeFrantz and 24 others. The United States' Olympic Committee has decided with the support of the president that the Olympic team will not go to the games in Moscow. We are here today to decide whether this is truly lawful. We will provide proof in the Amateur Sports Act of 1978 that the USOC had no right to decide to boycott. I hope at the end of this trial you will agree that a boycott of the Olympics is in direct violation of the law. Thank you.” Grinning, William then walked back to his seat next to Anita.
Anita smiled to herself. As a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, she knew that they had a decent argument against the boycott. It was possible that political motion threatening to take away her four years of hard work wouldn't happen. She was filled with hope for the first time since the trial began.
Next came the defendant’s opening statement. The main defense lawyer was a balding, portly man in his 50s named James Morris. He cleared his throat loudly before beginning his
The Soviets' actions against America are terrible, and the athletes have to understand that the boycott is a small sacrifice for the greater good of this nation. Thank you for understanding." Morris started walking back to his seat.
Anita felt anger well up in her chest. How dare they belittle what she had worked so hard for. She stood up and words that had been held back for too long came rushing out. "The Olympics are not a 'small sacrifice!' For four years we have been working for this, and we have made huge sacrifices for our sport. We have given up college education, secure jobs, and happy families all for these games. Do not dismiss what you are doing to us as a small sacrifice for the greater good. Remember that in doing this, you are taking away our lives. You are destroying us." Anita stopped for a moment and remembered where she was. The courtroom was no place for emotional outbursts. Embarrassed, she sat down. The courtroom became deafeningly silent.
Judge Pratt cleared his throat awkwardly. "Moving on to the closing