Imagine putting in the same hours of training, competing in the same arduous manner, and walking away with a quarter of the salary. This is the reality for many women athletes today. Female athletes in certain sports can earn up to 80% less than their male colleagues. The purpose of advocating for equal pay in sports is to ensure that athletes are recognized and treated fairly regardless of gender, hence creating an environment of equity, respect, and opportunity in the world of sports. Without it, the basis of justice and equality breaks, leaving female athletes trying to climb a ladder with missing rungs. Also, equal pay in sports is evaluating athletes' abilities, acknowledging their dedication, and rewarding their accomplishments. It maintains …show more content…
Both men and women put in the same level of effort, dedication, and skill into their respective sports. Their contribution to the success and popularity of the sport is equal. In an article titled “These Stats Show How the USWNT Leads in Soccer – and How Far It Lags in Compensation,” it states that the maximum amount of money the women’s team would earn if they played 20 friendlies and won them all would be a total of $99,000, which is $4,950 per game. The men’s team would receive a total of $263,320 under the same circumstances as the women, which is $13,166 per game. When both the U.S. men’s team and the U.S. women’s team put in the same exact amount of effort, the women’s team receives significantly less than the men. The difference in pay between these two teams demonstrates how the pay gap between male and female athletes is so substantial that it is like comparing a mountain to a molehill. It leads many to think, if female athletes put in the same amount of training, effort, and dedication as their male counterparts, why should they receive less compensation? Men and women both work just as hard in their sports, so the pay should reflect that. Not only do women work as hard as males on the field, but they also have an enormous impact off of
College athletes are undoubtedly some of the hardest working people in the world. Not only are they living the life of an average student, they also have a strenuous schedule with their specific sport. One of the most discussed topics in the world of college athletics is whether or not student-athletes should be paid money for playing sports. The people who disagree with the idea have some good arguments to make. Primarily that the athletes get to go to school for free for playing sports. Another argument is that if student-athletes were to get paid then it would ruin the amateurism of college sports. People who are against paying the athletes do not want to see the young people become focused on money. “Paying student-athletes would dramatically shift their focus away from where it should be - gaining knowledge and skills for life after college” (Lewis and Williams). This is very understandable because one of the biggest reasons college sports are so popular is because the athletes play for school pride and for bragging rights. They play because they enjoy the game, not because it is their job. Most people that disagree with the idea of paying the athletes fail to realize what really goes on behind the scenes. At most Universities around the country the bulk of the income the school receives is brought in through the athletic programs. In fact the football and basketball teams usually bring in enough money to completely pay for the rest of the athletic programs all together. To get a better understanding of how much has changed in the world of college sports a little history must be learned.
One would think that a professional player on an elite team would be making enough money to support herself and continue doing what she loves, but this assumption is sadly false. Rejzovic plays volleyball professionally and has a full-time job as though she is an amateur. According to the chairman of her club team, she is playing the wrong sport and is not of the opposite gender. Rejzovic stated, “Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of becoming a pro. I thought it would be glamourous, but life as a pro isn’t what I imagined” (Tornkvist, 2016). The discrimination is preventing women from progressing forward in professional sports. Payment has nothing to do with performance because Rejzovic and her team has been number one in the league many times in the past ten years (Tornkvist,
In today’s society, one of the big controversies with sports is, should student athletes be be paid a salary? Some people believe that they should be paid and others would completely disagree. Even though they technically are being paid, they really are not. The only type of way the athletes would be paid is through financial aid or if they have a job. Only their education is being paid by the school. Although some people believe that they should be paid, it would not be a good idea at all. So college athletes should not be paid at all because they are basically being paid to study and play a sport.
Isn't it amazing how one little controversial question can cause so much drama? Take the NCAA for instance. Within recent years the question of weather NCAA athletes should be paid or not has arisen and caused them some unwanted attention. Many coaches and sports enthusiast have been interviewed on their opinion. “Students are not professional athletes who are paid salaries and incentives for a career in sports. They are students receiving access to a college education through their participation in sports, for which they earn scholarships to pay tuition, fees, room and board, and other allowable expenses,” (Mitchell). “There has been major discussion recently if college athletes should or shouldn't be paid while they are in school. The first thing opponents say is, "They're already getting a scholarship! That is more than anybody else! Don't be greedy!”(Hartnett). These are just two men’s opinions, but no one needs to give his or her opinion any longer. The answer to this question is unmistakably clear. NCAA athletes do not need to be paid because they get to go to college for free, their living expenses are paid for, and there would not be a fair way to choose which teams are paid and which are not.
Traditionally men have dominated the world of sports however in recent year’s women’s sports have become popular and with their new found popularity, women’s sports have evolved into marketable leagues of their own. Although women’s sports took a huge leap forward, women players still don’t receive the same financial compensation for playing the same sports in the same arenas as their male counterparts. In Purse Snatching by Donna Lopiano, she points out sexism may have a huge effect on this financial discrepancy between women and men athletes. Analyzing sports economics may point to a different reason why women are receiving such a compensation disparity.
Mark Murphy, Director of Athletics at Northwestern University, who participated in an ESPN debate on the topic of paying student-athletes, argues that these athletes currently receive scholarships, whose value, in some instances, totals close to $200,000 over four years. He stated that all student-athletes have made similar commitments to the schools, and that football and basketball players should not be treated any different than other athletes, who participate in sports that are not as popular and lucrative. Paying athletes anything beyond a scholarship, argues Murphy, would cause problems, particularly from a gender equity standpoint. What Murphy seems to referring to when he says "gender equity" is Title IX federal regulations, which cut off federal funding of colleges if those colleges discriminate on the basis of sex. Paying male student athletes more than female student-athletes could possibly be construed as discrimination.
Ms. Jennifer Fontaine does not support the idea that athletes are overpaid. Ms. Fontaine suggests that athletes who are superior in their skills and talents associated with their respective sport should be duly compensated. Ms. Fontaine also states that the money earned by these athletes is justified because professional athletes work harder than people in almost any other profession. Last, it is her premise that the money earned by these highly talented athletes help to cover the high costs of medical treatment for serious, if not life-long, injuries such as knee, back/spinal, and head injuries.
Over time the landscape of college sports in the United States have changed drastically. Since it was created in 1906, the format of the “IAAUS” has been drastically altered five times. Not to mention the seemingly constant realignment of teams, placing teams like Memphis in the “Big East” even though they are not located in the east. (Smith, Ronald) The people who are most affected by the atrocities preformed by the NCAA are the players. Every higher up in the NCAA, from the coaches to the president of the NCAA get paid boatloads of money. These people coaches, athletic directors, athletic trainers, everyone involved are getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars and at the big time schools millions. Everyone gets paid except for the players, and the players are the ones who deserve it the most. They put hours upon hours into their programs and Universities on top of the school work they are required to due. They risk getting hurt or even severely, and buried under years of high medical bills. Meanwhile, the NCAA higher ups are living large off their “non-profit organization.” The NCAA recently made a huge deal with CBS and CBS sports. The deal is worth 11.2 billion dollars. The University of Alabama, alone, reported $143.4 million in athletic revenue during 2012-13. That is more money than any of the NHL franchises and 25 of the 30 NBA franchises. (Branch, Taylor) Alabama football players dedicate their lives to football and in turn the NCAA. They are the most valuable pieces to the billions of dollars the NCAA rakes in every year. In most businesses, the most important employees get paid the most. In the case of the NCAA, their most important employees are not even on the pay role.
Another issue that comes into play is the salaries of male professional athletes compared to female professional athletes.
Recently a major issue for women in sports is female coaches and their salaries. The salaries of the male coaches in athletics have continuously been on the rise. And on top of that, the male coaches make 159% of the money that female coaches make. Female participation in College athletics are also on the rise. However, the majority of funding in colleges goes into the men's athletic programs.
Women in sports demand quality assurance for their hard work. Sad to say this is not implemented in the sports “world” of women. “One of the theories behind this is that society doesn’t like to see women in roles that go against the norm of what a woman “should be” (Rodriguez).” Fortunately this stems from ignorance and prejudice beliefs. Especially through the media, both of which can be learned. The media can alter sports viewer’s opinions by relaying positive messages toward women’s sports. As well as sports authoritators distributing equal pay for equal work. The abundant amount of support that the media and viewers allocate will allow a higher amount of equality for women in the sports industry. This kind of support will lead women in sports salaries rise and eventually match the hardship of achievements as a minority in today’s sports
“A woman is human. She is not better, wiser, stronger, more intelligent, more creative, or more responsible than a man. Likewise, she is never less. Equality is a given. A woman is human,” Vera Nazarian. Unfortunately now in the United States, women are being treated less than their male counterparts, especially when it comes to professional athletics. In an article entitled, Taking a Closer Look at the Gender Pay Gap in Sports, written by John Walters on newsweek.com, he exclaims, “Each player on the USWNT earns $99,000 per year provided the team wins 20 “friendlies” (exhibition matches), the minimum number of matches they would play. By contrast, each men’s player would earn $263,320 for the same feat and would still earn $100,000 if the team lost all 20 games.” Not only does this topic relate to the difference in pay for women and men in soccer but it also relates to all of the other sports like, basketball, tennis and the many other were males participate too in separate organizations. The topic on whether female athletes should be paid the same as their male counterparts, is a massive debate with two opposing sides. On one side of the debate, people believe male driven associations produce more revenue than female driven associations, the competition in male sports is more intense, and more fans want to see thunderous dunks and the athletic ability of males over the lesser abilities of what females can do. On the contrary, female athletics aren 't given the same recognition or praise, females go through the same types of workouts males go through and they participate in the same types of events, and females don 't have the same abilities as males due to the way they ar...
“Someone who tosses a ball shouldn’t earn 700 times as much as someone who saves lives. ”(Spector, para 4-5). Numerous individuals hold the opinion that athletes, a person most young people look up to, should receive lower compensation, conversely, I disagree with this notion due to a variety of factors. Professional athletes do not earn a significant amount of money due to their self-imposed challenge to not settle for average, as their organizations generate substantial profits, and the athlete is unable to control the amount of money offered to them. Perhaps the primary reason athletes are not compensated astronomically is that they must devote their full lives to pursuing this goal.
Do women's athletics deserve equal pay in our global society? Sports have been enjoyed for thousands of years, serving as a means of both exercise and social interaction. In the modern age, sports have evolved from their traditional roles, to become professional careers for athletes around the globe. While the athletic arenas showcase the skills of both male and female athletes, they also highlight the significant pay disparity that exists. This controversy has sparked heated debates, leading to the emergence of two perspectives.
The issue is that male athletes are getting paid a higher amount of money than female athletes. Female sport has developed significantly for 50 years. Women now play a wider range of sports and have access to playing at a professional level. Even though the sporting world is still hugely male dominated. Women and men rarely play each other, and women are paid less when compared to men who play the same form of professional sport.