You could say Nike is at the center of the professional and collegiate athletic world. Jerseys, spikes, cleats, and even socks are decorated with that famous swoosh. Most athletes dream of gaining a sponsorship from this company and living out their dreams of playing the sport that they have dedicated their lives to, but my question is would as many people support Nike if they knew that they cut the salaries of their female athletes when they become pregnant?
More specifically, in 2019, even the most decorated female track and field athlete could not transcend this trap. Allyson Felix had won 9 Olympic medals, 6 of them being gold, yet Nike still decided to cut her salary by a whopping 70% when negotiating her contract after they found out she was pregnant with her daughter Cameron. Nike implied that their justification for the reduction was that Felix had a smaller chance of her regaining her athletic prowess after pregnancy; however, there was and is no science to back this up. In fact, there have been countless times where female athletes have successfully proven that pregnancy does not limit their physical capabilities, even with the complex changes in their bodies. Some quick examples are, “Track and field stars including [Allyson] Felix, Nia Ali and Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce [who] all stormed to victory with world championship gold after becoming mothers: Ali in the 100-meter hurdles, 16 months postpartum; Fraser-Pryce in the 100 meters, two years postpartum.” (Tsui, Labors of Love). Does Nike just not have faith in their athletes? Is the financial drawback really so great, that they have to rob some of the greatest female athletes of the money that is going towards the new financial responsibility of a child? Are athletes just something that they can replace when they burn out like a light bulb? This doesn’t sound like a company I would want to represent after dedicating my life to playing a sport, even if they have popular apparel and dominate the sports’ clothing world.
Felix thought the same thing, so she left Nike. That same year, she joined Athleta (a female founded athletic wear company) , and refocused her energy to not only competing, but empowering young female athletes and mothers all around the globe through the brand. Moreover, she gained 2 spots on 2020 Team USA in the 400 and 4×400 relay. Not only did she qualify, but she earned 2 more medals to add to her collection, one gold and one bronze. While Athleta did provide her with the sponsorship for clothing, Felix was still left without a running shoe provider, and with Nike dominating the track and field world in terms of trainers, spikes, and more, she was left stranded; therefore, so she decided to start her own shoe company to produce her own pair of running spikes and shoes, which are now also being sold to the general public.
Needless to say, I think Nike lost way more than they would have even if Felix hadn’t gained her prowess back after having her daughter. Their unfair assumptions cost them a leader, motivator, athlete, and most importantly, a mother. Felix now utilizes her self-made platforms to share how her daughter has driven her to become the even better athlete and woman she is today. This proves that doubts towards athletes’ physical and mental abilities, especially pregnant females, should NEVER justify a pay cut. You may be wondering what the solution is to getting Nike to fund success stories like Felix’s that come from having faith in athletes. First, knowledge is power, so reading about things like this and finding brands that emphasize athletic, female empowerment is a start. As for Nike, I believe the solution to rightfully and respectfully paying their maternal athletes lies in a little saying of theirs. I believe it is something along the lines of: Just Do It.
Macy, I am amazed by the information you found on women within Nike. It is crazy to see that their salaries are getting cut just because they are having a child. I do not believe that a woman’s body can drastically change after pregnancy and that it is impossible to come back to the health and fitness they were at before.
I am so glad that you bought this new perspective towards Nike and shared Felix’s story. Nike should do a better job in equal pay because there is no science to back up that women cannot go back to their fitness stage after pregnancy.
I believe that we as individuals should do a better job in researching the brands before purchasing, so we can avoid supporting a wrong cause.
Macy – Nike’s actions extremely frustrate me too. Instead of sticking by the side of one of their top athletes, Allyson Felix, their true loyalties to their profits were revealed when they cut her pay in her contract. They made a baseless assumption that Felix would not recover from her pregnancy, which would hurt their profits, but nevertheless, she did! It truly is Nike’s loss that they lost such an amazing athlete, leader, and mother, but it just shows how much of a stigma there is around pregnancy in sports. Companies need to be more supportive of athletes who are also mothers, and before jumping to conclusions about their future performance and fitness, educate themselves.
The story of Nike’s mistreatment of Felix reminds me of the runner Mary Cain, who joined Nike’s Oregon Project as an upcoming, extremely talented young runner. In Oregon, she was coached by an all-male coaching staff who pushed her to lose an unhealthy amount of weight, thinking it would make her a better runner, when it actually caused many issues. Instead of making her a more lean athlete, the weight loss resulted in Cain not getting the nutrients she needed to perform well, having multiple bone fractures, not having a regular menstrual cycle for three years, and developing eating issues. Not only did they physically wreck her body, but they also did not provide any emotional support throughout these changes, which put a tremendous mental strain on her. Cain is another unfortunate victim of Nike’s ignorance and both her and Felix deserved much better treatment from a company that is supposed to represent the best of the best athletes.
I found this article informative to an issue I was only vaguely aware of – thanks! Any time I think of Nike’s “Just Do It”, I’m reminded of the origins of the slogan – it was first uttered by Dan Wieden, a Utah serial killer on death row, as his final words before getting executed. And in some context, Just Do It has this connotation of, “this decision won’t matter, just do it.”, or, “I can’t be bothered to think about it more, just do it,” which I think is the opposite attitude that should be taken with these situations – to treat athletes as humans and with fairness.
To add to your point about female performance post-pregnancy, I also point to Serena Williams, who continued to play at a very high level on the pro tour after she gave birth to her kid.
I agree with your assessment of Nike’s decisions in that they should have shown greater trust and respect for a top-echelon athlete. I could be wrong, but season-ending injuries have a similar impact to the play of athletes, and as far as I know, Odell Beckham Jr. did not renegotiate his contract after his ACL injury, for example.
Macy! I enjoyed reading your opinions on Nike. I have definitely fallen trap to the allure of Nike’s popular apparel and big-brand-name items. However, I also am familiar with the story of Alyson Felix, and have been trying to use more sustainable and ethical brands ever since following her story.
Alyson’s mentality of creating her own shoe brand is extremely inspirational for me. The fact that she created her own company to fill a gap she saw in a field that had turned their backs on her, and then to go on and perform as well as she did in the Olympics really shows true relentlessness. Her push for change has definitely caught the attention of millions, and I personally cannot wait for her spikes to become available to the public.