Feeling Disposable in the World of Endless Sports Talent
The Bold Truth.
Sports leagues in the US are bigger and better than ever, and feeling disposable as an athlete in this world can be part of the game. Let’s take a look at the landscape today and then focus on how athletes can take ownership back in the role sports plays in their lives.
Let’s set the stage.
Youth sports in America grew by 55% between 2010-2017 with a valuation of over $19 billion. Just to put that into perspective, the valuation of youth sports is greater than the revenue of the NBA and NFL combined (1). What this translates into is a larger percentage of kids getting involved in athletics at a young age. In America, youth sports are run like a big business and one where competition thrives. So to be the best, teams invest in tiered leagues, better coaches, more opportunities to play year round in state of the art facilities, all leading to more competition.
After a 2021 ruling, collegiate athletes are now able to make money for their Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) while a student athlete. This means, some athletes with a substantial social media presence are bringing in 6-7 figures while still in college (2). Student athletes also have the ability to request a transfer through the transfer portal and attend a school they prefer to their current one. NIL and the transfer portal have completely changed the college landscape in terms of an athlete’s ability to take back some ownership of their college experience. Elite players have the upper hand as it relates to finding the right school, team, coach, and opportunities for them by maximizing their playing time through a transfer and/or getting paid handsomely with NIL deals. In 2022, only 7% of Division I athletes entered and successfully exited the transfer portal to the schools of their choice (3). So while the portal does allow for some autonomy over player experience in college -- it’s relevant for less than 10% of all DI athletes.
When we get to the professional sphere -- I'll focus on the WNBA and NWSL in the US for now -- the landscape is totally different. Professional women’s sports have been underinvested in for so long, such that the number of teams and roster spots for these leagues only allows the top ~1% of players for the WNBA (4) and NWSL (5) to get on a team. As we’ve seen in recent news, (Just Womens Sports, The Gist, HighlightHer) the talent coming into the WNBA is surpassing the 144 roster spots available, leaving top athletes to consider playing overseas and/or making tough decisions about what playing professional ball looks like now. If anyone’s watched the HBO documentary about Angel City FC -- players were elated to know that they had a GUARANTEED contract for their first year -- meaning they wouldn’t get traded from the team unless the player requested the move.
So What Does this Mean for Athletes?
About 98% of elite women athletes are no longer playing in American professional leagues due to extreme competition, slow expansion of teams and roster restrictions on teams. Those athletes that remain will constantly need to fight for their spot as more and more talent rises up.
This can leave all athletes, but especially those not in top 5%-10% or those experiencing injuries, with the sense of being devalued and underinvested in. There are also real feelings of fear and anxiety that come with job instability, identity, and self-worth, all of which can impact performance in and out of the game.
This isn’t meant to be a scare tactic - but rather paint a picture of how often women athletes will experience a sense of disposability as they rise in competition.
What Now?
For starters, my hope is that all women athletes develop a proactive perspective that allows them to chase their dreams while being aware of the realities for the sport.
Hell yeah, we need more investment in women’s sports -- media deals, marketing, expansion of leagues, collective bargaining agreements that show up for the players, men investing in women -- all the things. And also, my hope is that athletes won’t feel so disposable after dedicating their lives to something they love, because it won’t be the only thing they love or the only way to do the thing they love.
So to help prepare athletes to be mentally, emotionally and physically successful after sports is to make sure their life is full of joy and purpose and community outside of their physical accomplishments within sports. Easier said than done, but no one said this work was easy!
Simple things to think about doing…
Find a hobby or interest outside of sports
Look for community within new spaces
Join conversations with peers going through similar journeys
In working with women athletes in transition, I provide opportunities and space to discuss…
How to develop and embody responses to periods of unexpected change or ongoing ambiguity
Defining various ways of creating value and working towards untangling value from physical outcomes only
Building confidence in decision-making to feel resilient for the right reasons
You got this.
—A
