I think the unfairness is inherent in how we push the idea of being pro-athlete as a career. If you’re the best, you’ll go pro and make lots of money. Not so for women. They put the same amount of effort and focus and sacrifice into being the best, but it’s not going to pay the same. And in many cases outside of tennis it pays way less for them than their male counterparts.

For example, my daughter is a phenomenal softball player at 12. She’s all star, select and we’re being asked to move to school districts so she can play on their softball team in high school. She also plays boys baseball and is also an all star etc… she loves MLB and can rattle off contracts for all the stars. In her mind that’s where she’s headed.

The reality - eventually she won’t be able to compete in baseball with the boys. Her path is softball. But where does that go? She plays division 1 ball, but forgoes internships in industries she may want to one day work in. At best she is Olympic bound or other world tournament and then it ends. She can coach… she can become a private softball coach, but there’s no league minimum of six figures or anything like that. She’s left with a feeling of accomplishment and a cool trophy wall and that’s it. How do I tell her that her skills aren’t valued like those of a man? Which is reality.

It sucks. It’s one of the hardest things as a parent you’ll have to tell your daughter - “try as hard as you may, but it’s not worth the same as a boy doing the same thing (almost).”

How do I tell a twelve year old girl who doesn’t see herself any different than the boys she plays baseball with that she really needs to focus on a regular career because her effort won’t get her a huge contract?