On Friday, July 21st, the United States Women’s National Soccer Team took to the world stage with game 1 of group play at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. On this same date/time, Pickle4 broadcasted the second event of its inaugural Ballpark Series™ at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, which featured both an amateur pickleball tournament and an all-women’s professional player event (headlining the professional event included world #1 Anna Leigh Waters).
With the overlapping air time, and overlapping “girl power” across the pitch and court, it is hard not to consider potential comparisons or contrasts between the two sports. Obviously, soccer (or football) is way beyond the sport of pickleball in terms of reach, engagement, participation, etc. in both the United States and across the world. Soccer/football was first modernized in 1863 in England, which is a whopping 102 years ahead of the sport of pickleball. So, the sport of soccer/football had a much longer runway to grow and develop. However, there may be one aspect where pickleball has an advantage in its youth—parity in pay between male and female athletes (although, notably, a markedly lower dollar amounts than other more established sports).
According to a new CNN analysis, players…
