I heard this week that the U.S. Women’s National Team is not getting paid as much as the Men’s team because the U.S. Soccer Federation thinks men’s soccer requires more “strength and speed” and the job “carries more responsibility.” I am a 10-year-old female soccer player, and hearing this made me very frustrated and confused.

My team and I work just as hard as the boys. Each morning, I am just as sore from last night’s practice as they are. I have practice, skills, futsal, and agility training. And games almost every weekend, if it is not tournament weekend, which means I play three or four games. At futsal, I play against the boys, and guess what, their strength and speed does not stop me from scoring.

I went to France last summer to watch the Women’s World Cup. I saw that so many people were supporting the Women’s National Team, even people from other countries. They could see how hard our team was working. And that they were fighting to win respect. That is a lot of responsibility.

I expected to see lots of girls my age playing soccer in France, but I did not. I dribbled my ball all over the streets of Paris, Lyon, and Nice in athletic pants and a t-shirt. I juggled outside the Louvre and in front of the Eiffel Tower. Most of the girls my age I passed on the street were wearing beautiful dresses. Almost all the pick-up games I played in were against boys. Sometimes I felt a lot of responsibility myself, like I was an ambassador for girls soccer.

My body has turf burns and bruises. I get knocked down, sweaty, and muddy. I’m willing to do anything to become better at the sport that I love.

I heard that U.S. Soccer apologized for the things they said, but they still hurt. If I’m lucky enough to play for U.S. soccer someday, I won’t settle for anything less than I deserve.

Avery McCormack

Instagram: @megs.by.avery