Knowing Your Worth

World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist Tobin Heath visited Marlborough on October 22, 2024, to speak at an All-School Meeting (ASM). Hosted by the Play for Equal Pay club and expertly moderated by club leaders Alexa B. ’26, Cara H. ’26, and Sydney K. ’26, Heath shared her experiences fighting for gender equity in sports and her vision for the future of women’s athletics. Speaking to an enraptured audience of students who grew up watching her dominate the soccer pitch, Heath offered candid insights into her journey from a young athlete to an advocate for equal pay.

Heath reflected on her early experiences with gender inequity in sports, recalling how even when she was outperforming male students in gym class, she was separated into different participation opportunities solely on the basis of gender. “This really bothered me because it had nothing to do with ability or potential,” Heath shared, highlighting the early seeds of frustration that would fuel her fight for equality throughout her professional career. 

As a key figure in the US Women’s National Team’s landmark equal pay lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation, Heath emphasized that the case was not simply about equal pay—it was about fair pay and treatment. “We didn’t just want ‘equal’ because everybody knows we were better. We wanted to be paid fairly for what we were accomplishing,” Heath explained. 

The path to victory was not easy. Heath described the complexity of simultaneously competing for the United States while suing her employer. “We had to come in contact with these people all the time and then be on separate sides of the negotiation table,” Heath said. “The same people that were in the stands cheering for us, wanting us to win World Cups and Olympics, were the same people saying that we weren't deserving of equal pay. It was really, really complicated.” Even when faced with setbacks, including an initial dismissal by Judge Gary Klausner in 2020, the team persevered. “There are going to be so many people in your path that don’t agree with what you are doing,” Heath mused. “Instead of accepting that and saying, ‘Oh, the door is closed,’ know that there are always more doors and you can create them.”

Heath underscored that the fight for equality extends beyond soccer. She spoke of how inspired she is to hear from folks who, spurred on by the US Women’s National Team’s fight, took up their own fight in their own industry to advocate for equity. Heath encouraged students to view their frustrations as business opportunities, citing the example of building new women’s sports infrastructure and media companies. “I hope there are some entrepreneurial-minded students in this room because your frustrations are huge business opportunities. Whenever you're going to be put under an umbrella, because of the history and bias in this world, you are always going to be less than in that umbrella. So do not go under an umbrella however beautiful it looks. Create your own,” Heath challenged. 

Looking to the future, Heath expressed pride in seeing the next generation of athletes enter a world where they have viable career paths in professional women’s sports. She also emphasized that when she refers to “women’s sports,” she imagines a lot held within that phrase. She explained: “I actually think women's sports goes beyond gender. I feel like we have an opportunity to be inclusive of all folks. When everyone watches women's sports, we are supporting something so much greater than the sports themselves. We are supporting the future.” As hopeful as Heath’s messaging is, she made sure to stress that there is still work to be done. “We would be remiss if we don’t keep our foot on the gas because there’s a lot left to do,” Heath said.

The soccer star concluded with a call to action for students to imagine and create the future of women’s sports. “I want to get the very best, the very brightest minds—all of yours included—thinking, dreaming, and going after what is possible in women’s sports,” Heath said, emphasizing that this next generation sitting inside Caswell Hall will determine the future of athletics. Her visit left students with a powerful message about perseverance, innovation, and the ongoing fight for equity in sports. Driving her point home, she reminded the community: “Before you can fight for anything in this world, you have to know your own value and your own worth, because this world is pretty excited to determine it for you.” 

Through her powerful remarks about her experiences and vision for the future, Heath demonstrated how the battle for equity extends beyond the confines of a soccer pitch and touches on broader themes of justice, opportunity, and systemic change.