Yahoo Sports How young is too young? The ethical dilemma of child athletes in pro sports
The bar allowing young girls to compete in professional football has continuously lowered in recent years. It’s a dangerous trend that could lend its hand to some severe problems. In a sport with a torrid history of trauma, abuse, coercion and injury, is it a safe and proper environment for children? What are the facts about child athletes, and is it ethical?
In 2019, Olivia Moultrie turned professional at just 13 years of age. She filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NWSL in May 2021 and a month later, she signed a three-year deal with Portland Thorns. This historic moment made her the youngest player to sign a contract with an NWSL team.
Last month, Mckenna Whitham broke that record after joining NJ/NY Gotham at the age of 13, representing them on the field against Washington Spirit just two days later at 14 years of age.
Moultrie has since gone to have much success since signing for the Thorns five years ago. She became a full senior international for the USWNT and won silverware via the NWSL Championship, the CONCACAF Gold Cup and the SheBelieves Cup. There is absolutely no certainty that her early exposure to a senior professional environment at such a young age will have done any damage to her either mentally, socially or physically. But perhaps it’s a risk that shouldn’t have ever been taken.
Are NWSL clubs prioritising records over player safety?
Many women’s football fans were horrified by the news of Whitham’s signing for Gotham. In this writer’s opinion, the precedent these types of signings set in the NWSL is nothing short of dangerous.
Not a fan. Just stripped the childhood away from this kid. You can’t tell me that there isn’t a 17-18 year old out there that wouldn’t be a better option. Terrible and hope this isn’t a trend.
— Chad Maddox (@THE_MADD_OX) July 26, 2024
Bringing underage players into senior football setups places them in adult societal and physical scenarios. Imagine the outrage if suddenly, in your job, you were asked to treat a 13-year-old as a peer and colleague. Granted, sport is unique in its environment and not simply equatable to regular occupations.
These concerns come down to duty of care. Do the clubs that seem so excited to break these youngest player records genuinely feel that there are no adult players better equipped physically and mentally than a child? The answer is probably no. So that begs the question, why sign a child?
The NWSL has had a torrid time with allegations — ranging from sexual harassment and emotional abuse, to manipulation and pressure to lose an unhealthy amount of weight.
In 2021, just four years ago — when Mckenna Whitman would’ve been 10 years old, for reference — five of 10 NWSL head coaches were either fired or resigned over allegations of sexual harassment. NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird also resigned shortly after the scandal. Historically, the NWSL has been exposed as an unsafe league for many adults. So, is it ethical to bring children into this space?
It also came to light in 2021 that Danish striker Nadia Nadim was the victim of having her signature forged on contracts to force through a 2016 transfer without her consent. This happened to a well-respected legend of the game with substantial standing. How would a child fare in this environment?
What do the experts say?
I spoke to emotional welfare specialist Sue Parris at length about these questions. Parris is the founder of ‘The Changing Room.’ A welfare-based community supporting and researching the emotional journeys of pro and semi-professional footballers. With her experience as Head of Education, welfare and player services at Brighton and Hove Albion male and women’s teams, Parris spoke extensively on the ethics of child transfers.
“I think there are many areas of deep, deep concern. We’re talking about a child here, and there is a stark need for safeguarding and duty of care. I can’t imagine a 14-year-old child doesn’t fall into that legal need. Regardless of the ethics of this transfer, this child should be protected from harm.”
The ‘Fair Labor Standards Act‘ (FLSA) in the United States prohibits employers from hiring youth under the age of 18 in hazardous roles. To me, it is ludicrous to suggest that a full-contact sport with the injury rate of women’s football is not hazardous for a child. Women are six times more likely to suffer an ACL injury than their male counterparts.
According to Sylvia Schenk, Chair of the Working Group on Sport at Transparency International, there is a huge risk to child athletes who compete in professional environments. Former track athlete Schenk helped create a report in 2020 linking child labour in sport to potential exploitative situations.
“Wherever children are training and competing in high-level sport not for their own sake but for the sake of their parents, coaches, clubs, we see a ‘red flag’ signalling the risk of misuse of power. Children can be victims of exploitation in sport, often accepted or even supported by their own parents who want success, financial gain and/or publicity.” Said Schenk
Danger vs expectation and ambition
Schenk also highlighted the pressure instilled on a child professional in a pressured environment.
“While parents are expecting their child to ‘pay back’ with sporting success on any investment in its career in early years, the child is under pressure to please its parents and not upset the coach. In a constellation like that, young athletes are facing [potential] exploitation.”
It’s absolutely understandable for a child athlete to want to play at the highest level as soon as possible. What child doesn’t grow up wanting to play alongside their heroes and the people they watch on TV? I know I did at 14 — pretending to be Rivaldo on the football field after school while my friend tried replicating German goalkeeping legend Oliver Khan.
Now, if you gave me the chance to earn money playing alongside grown men such as those at 14, I would’ve bitten your hand off. That being said, it’s a ludicrous thought from a personal perspective and not a young player on our screens.
“Whatever you experience as a child has an emotional impact on the rest of your life,” Parris explained. “We have no idea what the impact is going to be on her development, on the rest of her life, her experiences or her perspective of a traumatising event or events in the future.
“We shouldn’t ever put a child in a position to make a decision on whether that’s the right thing for them or not. Have the parents made that decision for her? If so, then the parents’ consent is important in this issue, but is it informed consent? I really fear for the parents involved in these types of deals as well. What’s happened or been promised to them in order for this to have been okay in their eyes?”
Do child athletes impede the quality and integrity of the sport?
Parris raises an interesting thought. It’s arguable that no respectable athlete would willingly harm another despite the occasional anomaly.
“It’s a health and safety risk, you certainly don’t have coaches joining in with children who are training and tackling them. This is something that I have seen a lot of and will challenge because you’ll have children physically battling with adults on a physical level in training or a match and that comes with risks.”
It raises the question of whether an adult professional feels comfortable playing at their best against a child.
“You will have other players around this child who will be concerned about them being the one that falls on her or tackles her too strongly and leaves them with a life-changing injury. No player is going to want to be the person who causes injury to a child.”
Therefore, another question remains. Can adult players truly tackle, tussle or strike their hardest against child athletes?
“I definitely wasn’t ready”
There’s also the argument that having children on your team or the opposing side creates a form of ‘non-consented duty of care’ on the adult players. Parris delved deeper into the psychology of how senior players may inadvertently feel.
“Consciously or not, they will feel a responsibility or should feel a responsibility [towards child athletes]. Let’s be honest here. There’s also the situation that some people may feel quite the opposite, and that’s a further unquantifiable risk.”
In the specific case of Mckenna Whitham, her now colleague 29-year-old NJ/NY Gotham goalkeeper Cassie Miller, told The Athletic: “I think the excitement for her is incredible. I remember when I was 14 years old, and to be able to do this — kudos to her because I definitely wasn’t ready.”
The bottom line
I’m not suggesting that any player under 18 involved in professional sport is in immediate danger. But it’s blindingly obvious that the potential is much higher than anyone should consider an acceptable risk. I’d call on leagues across the globe to readdress the laws surrounding child athletes and cease the celebratory culture of introducing these young girls to these environments.
Following the signing of Mckenna Whitham we reached out to NJ/NY Gotham for comment but are yet to receive a response.
