The pay gap between men’s and women’s sports is a significant issue that has gained attention in recent years. This disparity refers to the difference in earnings between male and female athletes, which can be seen across almost every single professional sport. This salary gap between men’s and women’s sports timeline has dated back from the 20th century to the 21st century and here we will look deeper into this real-life dilemma.
In professional sports, a salary is the fixed amount of money that an athlete is paid by their team or organization as compensation for their performance and participation in games, practices and other team-related activities. This salary is usually outlined in a contract and is paid on an annual basis. Athletes’ salaries can vary widely depending on their skill level, experience, and the popularity of the sport in which they partake. In addition to their annual salaries athletes may earn extra income through endorsements, partnerships, bonuses and other incentives based on their performance.
For example, on a female professional athlete, female ice hockey player in the PWHL (Professional Women’s Hockey League) Hayley Scamurra, was drafted 29th overall by the Ottawa Charge, and is making an annual salary of $50,000. The American hockey player has been playing for Team USA since 2019, and has won two World Championship gold medals, two silver medals, and one Olympic silver medal in that span.
In contrast, Emil Hemming, a Finland born hockey player, was drafted 29th overall in the NHL draft by the Dallas Stars and his annual salary pay is $975,000 dollars. Another American born athlete who plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL(National Hockey League), Auston Matthews, was drafted first overall in the 2016 NHL draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Auston’s annual salary is $11,640,250, and has signed a four-year, $53 million dollar contract.
When comparing both examples, it is evident that there is a significant disparity in the pay gap between men’s and women’s professional sports. It is evident that they were both drafted the 29th in their respective drafts, and even though Scamurra has won more, played hockey nationally, Hemming is paid $925,000 dollars more. This statistical number is ridiculous, it is insane to me that they were both drafted at 29th overall, both put in the same amount of work, and the pay is awfully different.
This is extremely relevant to everyday life, especially mine because it is a dream of mine to become a professional athlete and be an advocate for women’s sports. I dream to play the sport that I love, but looking into my future and following that dream will unfortunately have to come with working a second job to sustain a family and home if we do not work to fix this issue for not only myself and women now, but for the younger generation to come.
