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Deciding if, when, and how to start a family is one of the most personal and important decisions one will make in their lifetime. For those who are passionately involved in high-demand careers, this decision becomes even more complex. Women athletes face unique challenges in balancing their careers with family-building goals. From demanding training schedules, to the physical toll of pregnancy on one’s body, to lack of support for athlete-mothers, women athletes often feel forced to choose between their careers and their family-building goals. At Cofertility, we believe these women deserve better.

In honor of National Girls & Women in Sports Day, Cofertility, in partnership with &Mother and professional athletes such as Maria Sharapova, Missy Franklin, Alexi Pappas, Chelsea Sodaro, Carly Patterson, and more, launched an initiative called Level the Playing Field. Our goal is to create a world where women in sports can compete, thrive, and plan their futures on their own terms, without compromise. We conducted a study across hundreds of women athletes spanning various sports and levels of competition, and their voices are clear — it’s time for change.

Women athletes want options

We asked our survey participants where they currently are on their family-building journeys. Out of participants who have already begun having children, 82% of them had their first child by the time they were 35. However, of those who have not yet had children but plan to in the future, only 62% plan to do so in the same age range. Additionally, of all survey participants, 70% stated that they’ve postponed having children due to their careers. 

Delayed family-building is not a new concept, and an increasing number of women athletes are following this trend. For many women, the optimal window to start a family is closing before they feel ready, and they lack the support needed to navigate their options.

Women athletes need support

Women athletes are often competing against outdated systems that don’t support career excellence and motherhood. An overwhelming 95% of women athletes surveyed believe that having children negatively impacts their earning potential, while 90% feel it hurts their ability to succeed in their athletic careers. When asked about the biggest barriers they face, financial concerns were most commonly noted. Income disparity between female and male athletes is well-documented. The average woman athlete receives only 18% of their total income from salary, with 82% coming from endorsements. In contrast, male athletes receive on average 63%  of their income from salaries and 37% from endorsements. However, only 10% of total partnership dollars are directed toward female athletes. Paired with the woeful lack of paid parental leave offered by professional sports organizations, it’s not just about the impact on their ability to perform physically, but also a lack of financial support.

Women athletes deserve better

Fertility concerns weigh heavily for women athletes with nearly 90% expressing concern about their future fertility, but few are provided with support to address these concerns. Only 7% of women athletes surveyed reported receiving fertility support from their organization — a stark contract to the broader workforce, where 42% of US employers now offer fertility benefits

Due to this lack of support, egg freezing, a potential solution, remains out of reach for many. 65% of those who have not pursued egg freezing cite the cost or lack of education about the process as the reason why they have not. Additionally, 35% cite their athletic career as a barrier, noting that they would be unable to take the necessary time off from work to undergo the process, or that they don’t feel supported by their organization to do so.

It’s time to level the playing field


Women in sports — and everywhere — shouldn’t have to choose between their careers and family building goals. Out of all women athletes we surveyed, nearly 100% of them are unsatisfied with the level of support they receive from their organization. It’s time to build real solutions to empower these women to thrive: which is exactly what &Mother and Cofertility strive to do every day. 

It’s time to level the playing field for women athletes. To get involved in our mission, visit leveltheplayingfield.co.

About Cofertility


Cofertility is on a mission to increase access to egg freezing by breaking down the biggest barrier to entry: cost. With our Split program, those who qualify can freeze their eggs entirely for free when they donate half of the eggs retrieved to a family that can’t otherwise conceive. For those who don’t feel that egg donation is right for them, we also offer our Keep program, in which those interested can take advantage of exclusive perks and discounts to make their egg freezing journey more affordable, while keeping all of the eggs retrieved for their own future use. To learn more, visit cofertility.com/freeze.

About &Mother

&Mother, founded by olympic medalist Alysia Montaño, envisions a culture where motherhood is not a limiting factor in how women succeed professionally or personally. They are dedicated to breaking the barriers that limit a woman’s choice to pursue and thrive in both career and motherhood. To learn more, visit andmother.org.