After the collective bargaining settlement made between the U.S. soccer federation and the U.S. women’s national team, the men’s world cup prize money of 13 million dollars will be split equally between both the male and female national soccer teams.
Vittoria Bianchini, a junior at B-CC, shared, “This news is truly amazing and well deserved. It is so inspiring to see that the team fought the system and won. As a female athlete, it is disheartening to see women in sports consistently being portrayed as less deserving. I look to this as a new era for female athletes.”
In addition to Vittoria’s excitement, female lacrosse player Katherine Jones shares the enthusiasm over this groundbreaking news. Jones “hopes that the equal pay settlement carries into other sports and equal pay becomes the new normal.”
This change should set an example for our community about the significance of equaling the playing field. Logan Tongberg, another member of the B-CC women’s soccer team, wishes to “see this kind of respect towards women’s sports represented at B-CC. One way it should be shown is through a more equal distribution of fan bases at girls and boys games. It is important to show up for our girls teams as well as the boys teams.”
When asked about her reaction to this news, she elaborated, “This accomplishment should be a lesson for all. The women were not being treated with fair respect and pay for their hard work and they fought back. This should inspire women globally to fight back against those who treat them inferiorly.”
This marks the start of a new beginning for women in sports, and will continue to be an inspiration for womens fighting for equal pay, respect, and representation.