Gender pay equity impacts more occupations than sports. Pay should be based on the amount of revenue it generates. For the U.S. soccer teams, women actually generate more revenue than the men; however, globally, the men’s game generates significantly more revenue and, I’d expect, that does have some impact on the U.S. salaries. I do believe that due to past and to overcome current sexism in sports, there should be an allocation to increase women’s salaries (incentives) above the market, as well as increased investment is girls youth programs.I am someone that watches soccer year round and I would encourage everyone that cheered on the U.S. women’s soccer team to find a Women’s Soccer League team to support and not just be an every-4 years fan. That is the only way the quality and competition is going to get better.The fact is that the men’s game is more competitive globally, so equal pay for not exactly equal work (U.S. men’s have a harder task). First, the Men’s World Cup includes more teams, so it is harder to get out of the knock out stage and into the round of 16. Also, you will not see the gulf in quality in the men’s World Cup that you saw in US versus Thailand – you just won’t. And if the U.S. men’s team were to play the women’s team and I had to bet, I’d put my money on the men’s team. The women’s game is a little slower, a little softer, and the first touches and passing aren’t as good — at that level. I follow the men’s English Premiere League because the quality of play and competition is much better than the U.S. men’s Major League Soccer, which is better than the women’s league (and guess what, the U.S. club teams’ players don’t get paid as much as the European club teams). I still enjoyed watching the women’s world cup and will go to a couple men’s club games and couple women’s club games each year, but don’t ask me how they are doing in the league because I don’t know — I’m following the EPL summer transfers more closely.
Gender pay equity impacts more occupations than sports. Pay should be based on the amount of revenue it generates. For the U.S. soccer teams, women actually generate more revenue than the men; however, globally, the men’s game generates significantly more revenue and, I’d expect, that does have some impact on the U.S. salaries. I do believe that due to past and to overcome current sexism in sports, there should be an allocation to increase women’s salaries (incentives) above the market, as well as increased investment is girls youth programs.I am someone that watches soccer year round and I would encourage everyone that cheered on the U.S. women’s soccer team to find a Women’s Soccer League team to support and not just be an every-4 years fan. That is the only way the quality and competition is going to get better.The fact is that the men’s game is more competitive globally, so equal pay for not exactly equal work (U.S. men’s have a harder task). First, the Men’s World Cup includes more teams, so it is harder to get out of the knock out stage and into the round of 16. Also, you will not see the gulf in quality in the men’s World Cup that you saw in US versus Thailand – you just won’t. And if the U.S. men’s team were to play the women’s team and I had to bet, I’d put my money on the men’s team. The women’s game is a little slower, a little softer, and the first touches and passing aren’t as good — at that level. I follow the men’s English Premiere League because the quality of play and competition is much better than the U.S. men’s Major League Soccer, which is better than the women’s league (and guess what, the U.S. club teams’ players don’t get paid as much as the European club teams). I still enjoyed watching the women’s world cup and will go to a couple men’s club games and couple women’s club games each year, but don’t ask me how they are doing in the league because I don’t know — I’m following the EPL summer transfers more closely.