After the U.S. Women’s National soccer team trounced Japan at this year’s World Cup, the players returned home like conquering heroes. But despite all the media attention and ticker-tape parades, the reality of life for professional female soccer players is far from glamorous.
“It’s probably embarrassing how much below the poverty line we get paid to play,” said Hayley Haagsma, 23, who has played for the Sky Blue Football Club, part of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL,) since 2014.
On average, a women’s league player earns just $15,000 per year, with salaries dipping as low as $6,000 for some. Each team operates with a total salary cap of $200,000 — a fraction of the $3.1 million cap of their male counterparts.
The NWSL is the third attempt at professional women’s soccer in the United States since 1999. Cutting costs is a way for the NWSL to survive where its predecessors were forced to fold because of financial problems.
But despite the buzz from the recent World Cup win, gaining attendance and media attention remains a constant struggle.The resulting burden falls to the players.
Like most of her teammates, Haagsma relies on a combination of free or hosted housing, an off-season job and other external sources of financing to help her get by. It’s not always easy, especially when added to the stress of multiple injuries, moving from her native California to the team’s base in New Jersey and not seeing her fiancé, who plays minor league baseball in Wisconsin, for months on end.
“I’ve already given up so much for soccer,” she said. “I’m sure every other girl in the league can say the same.”
Sometimes, women who make the team end up leaving if they aren’t able to cobble together the support they need.
“Not everyone has that support system they can rely on to get them through the seasons,” Haagsma said. “That’s the reason a lot of girls hang up their cleats after college.”
But despite the financial and emotional strain that comes with playing professionally as a women, the players who can afford to play are still passionate about what they do and willing to make the sacrifice. Despite the challenges, she feels that life is pretty good.
“If you love it, it’s worth it,” she said. “I get to play soccer for my job and there’s nothing cooler than that.”
