Photo: Allyson Felix
Motherhood is an extraordinary journey filled with joys and challenges that profoundly shape a woman's life. This Mother's Day, we bring you a tribute to women who dared to balance the demands of motherhood and professional sports. These kickass women have broken down barriers and paved the way for future generations of female athletes to excel in their respective fields.
The road to motherhood is not always an easy one, and for athletes, the challenge is significant. Athletes must maintain peak physical condition to compete at the highest levels, which can be difficult during pregnancy. Even more challenging is the fact that many female athletes often hide their pregnancies to keep their careers on track.
One such athlete is Skylar Diggins-Smith, a WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) player who kept her pregnancy a secret for an entire season while continuing to perform at an all-star level. When she returned after giving birth, she faced criticism for taking time off to deal with postpartum depression. Her story sparked a conversation about female athletes starting and raising a family, leading to changes in the WNBA's family leave policies.
A decorated Olympic track and field athlete, Allyson Felix challenged Nike's policies. The previously Nike-sponsored athlete took on the company, saying she would be financially penalized for having a child per her contract. (Her daughter was born via emergency c-section in 2018). She was so fed up with their lack of support for female athletes that she left Nike for Athleta. Felix isn't the only athlete worried about being dropped for having a child – it's a far too common practice. NIKE has since changed its policies, and it will not apply any performance-related reductions for 18 months if an athlete becomes pregnant.
Taking our conversation to college hoops, former WNBA player and Arizona Wildcats head women's basketball coach Adia Barnes inspired women everywhere in her quest for her dream job. She coaches alongside her husband and is a mom to two children. During her team's March Madness run in 2020-21, she was giving a pep talk to her team at halftime and pumping as she was still nursing her six-month-old daughter. Barnes shed light on the NCAA's rules that have stifled working moms. Coaches' children, such as Barnes' six-month-old daughter, counted against a team's limited traveling party numbers, so she had to choose between her children and a staff member.
Here's to all the moms and maternal caregivers who are killing it in every aspect of their lives, whether on the court or at home. We see you, and we appreciate you.
PS: We dive further into badass moms in sports in this week's Sports Curious Podcast, which you can listen to here.
