Is it beneficial for professional sports organizations to promote the freezing of eggs among female athletes?
The evolving discourse on athletes and motherhood includes the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), as they recently announced their support for fertility treatments for female players. Under this initiative, the RFEF will fund the entire process of egg-freezing treatment for international players who have been called up at least twice.
During the announcement, Barcelona midfielder Patri Guijarro emphasized the importance of female athletes feeling empowered to balance their professional careers and personal lives without compromise.
Female athletes often face a dilemma as their peak performance years coincide with their prime fertility window. This overlap has historically forced athletes into a position where they feel compelled to choose between their athletic pursuits and family planning.
The RFEF’s decision aligns with similar efforts by various soccer teams and leagues, such as the National Women’s Soccer League, Chelsea FC women’s team, WNBA, and Women’s Tennis Association, to provide fertility support for female athletes.
While initiatives like egg freezing aim to offer women more autonomy in family planning, concerns linger that it might inadvertently reinforce the notion that women should delay motherhood until retirement.
Positive Step with Room for Improvement: Olympian
Two-time Olympic rower Jill Moffatt, a co-founder of MOMentum, a non-profit aiding athlete mothers, views the funding of fertility treatments by sports organizations as a positive advancement. However, Moffatt stresses the importance of extending support beyond fertility options to include maternity leave and childcare provisions for athletes balancing motherhood and sports careers.
Moffatt highlights the financial constraints many female athletes face, making it challenging to afford fertility treatments without external funding, especially considering the modest earnings of athletes like PWHL players.
“Most Olympic and Paralympic athletes are struggling to make ends meet,” Moffatt noted.
Challenges and Progress in Women’s Sports
For female athletes, the option of fertility preservation represents a significant stride forward, countering the prevalent belief in sports culture that pregnancy signifies the end of an athlete’s career. Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, CEO of Canadian Women & Sport, underscores the previous lack of supportive policies for women in sports and the resulting decisions to either cut short their careers or delay family planning until retirement.
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Fencer Nada Hafez competed while 7 months’ pregnant at an Olympics where moms are in the spotlight
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Mother vs. athlete: University of Alberta study highlights gaps in gender equity in sport
Experts like Margie Davenport advocate for providing options like egg freezing to support athletes who prefer delaying parenthood
