Opinion: Time for USWNT to get respect, pay it deserves

I grew up a sports fan. I’m from Chicagoland. I watch TV. Therefore, you become a sports fan. Well that, and I was surrounded by sports fans. I’m a White Sox fan, Bears fan and an Indiana University fan above all else.

I grew up thinking I was an athlete. I lived in Indiana. I played basketball. I went to basketball camp. I made a basket in my fifth-grade game. I can play a competitive game of HORSE. But I am no basketball player. I do, however, have my moments on a tennis court. Those I enjoy. But I do not have the drive or the god-given talent to be a professional athlete. I’ve had moments of glory. And those I’ll keep.

So I’m a fan. I love the competition. I love the feeling of winning. I’ve wept tears of joy. I’ve wept in the agony of defeat. I’ve argued about the rules of a match, outcome of a match, another team cheating, etc… I’ll stand my ground. I’m passionate.

And I’m a fan of soccer. I didn’t play as a child. I watched my friends play from youth through college. And then I watched them play professionally. And yes, I met new friends along the way. I love the game. It’s pure. It’s passionate. It’s beautiful. When you see the ball soar to the net in a way that makes your jaw drop to the ground, you respect the game. That’s it. I began as a fan and I became a writer, hoping to help others see the game the way I do.

There are athletes that enter our lives and make a mark on it. You admire their passion, talent and drive. You aspire to be more like them. You may not pull it off on the pitch, but surely you can emulate their behavior in something you do. So you find your passion. You pursue that passion. We call them heroes, but we know they are human just like us.

And there are rare occasions in a lifetime, where an athlete or a team will win the hearts of a city, a state, a country or even the world. And when that happens… When our players become a force to reckon with and get held up on a pedestal, maybe just maybe, we should pay them accordingly.

I get it. I’m a girl. In general, men make more money than women. It is what it is. It’s taken decades for women to have the chance to compete in a man’s world. Change doesn’t happen overnight. But maybe, just maybe, a team that wins four world championships (World. Championships.) and dominates the international game while making time for fans, deserves a little more. I know it seems impossible that a group of women could make that happen. But I promise you — it is not. It’s real folks, and it’s time these women deserve credit.

I remember taking my Mom and my cousin to a Women’s World Cup match in 1999. I wanted the three of us to celebrate our birthday month in true fashion. So we did. We sat there and watched the U.S. women’s national team destroy Nigeria 7-1. It was electric. It was exciting. We sat among a sold-out crowd of 65,080 people. Well, we stood. It was history and we were there. That is inspirational, no matter what the age we had 40 years spacing us. And yet we were all inspired. The U.S. women went on to win their second World Cup championship. Amazing.

This last summer I took my goddaughter to a game-watch party in Lincoln Park for the U.S. versus England semifinal. It was hot. It rained. We stood in a tunnel awaiting the start of a game. There was a soccer player in there with us: Brian McBride. Nobody acknowledged him. McBride, one of the most successful men to ever play for the United States, with 96 caps and 30 goals. I knew who he was. She soon learned who he was. He is a U.S. legend.

Yet if it were Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain, Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Abby Wambach, Rose Lavelle, Carli Lloyd, Tobin Heath, Hope Solo, etc., I have no doubt these young girls and their parents would know who they were.

Alas, we watched the USWNT earn a 2-1 victory. We jumped. We screamed. We hugged. The atmosphere was electric. It was a great day. I’ve watched different generations of young girls and women learn to love this U.S. women’s national team. I’ve learned to love this team. I respect this team. I look up to this team. I’ve grown with this team. They leave it all on the pitch. That in and of itself is worthy of respect.

So yeah, it’s fair to say that these women have made a mark on the game, and this country. And it’s fair to say that soccer moms and dads may be more aware of the women than the men. After all, the women have played in eight World Cups and won four — four world championships since 1991.

The men, they’ve played in 10 World Cups and won zero. As a matter of fact, what’s the biggest U.S. men’s win in your lifetime? Does anything come to mind? I seem to recall an American squad handing Spain a 2-0 defeat in the 2009 Confederations Cup. That was huge. Biggest win in my lifetime? Not sure. But it was pretty damn impressive and fun to watch. The men then made it past the knockout round for two consecutive World Cups. And then in 2018, they failed to qualify.

And don’t get me wrong. I have the utmost respect for the men. But some of those players understand the talent these women have and how undervalued they are. And think about it. Can you name one time when a U.S. women’s national team match or player caught your attention? I bet you can. Now how about a U.S. men’s national team player? Can you even name a player on the men’s team?

So please don’t say the women are less talented. Don’t say they aren’t as strong. Don’t say they don’t deserve equal pay. Don’t say their competition isn’t as tough. Talented, strong, feisty and tough only begin to describe them. And they deserve equal pay. Period. Perhaps they even deserve more pay. After all they are defending World Champions. Maybe when the women do great and the men are subpar, the money should be switched toward the women? Just a thought.

Follow Kathryn on Twitter: @Katknapp99.

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