The Price She Pays

Two experts in mental health and sport lift the veil on the crisis in women’s athletics, offering parents and coaches urgently needed advice and support and showing how female athletes can find joy in whatever sport they choose, at whatever level they compete.

No matter the sport, the message to girls and women on the court or the field is the same: Be aggressive, but not too aggressive. Win at all costs, but be polite while you’re doing it. Get strong, but not too big. Female athletes have long been conditioned to perform under these standards, gracefully and without complaints.

Yet, behind the scenes, female athletes are suffering from disordered eating, depression and anxiety, emotional and sexual abuse, self-harm, and even suicide ideation. Athletes like tennis star Naomi Osaka and gymnastics world champion Simone Biles recently took breaks from competition on the world stage to tend to their mental health. Their decisions have compelled many of us to ask: What is causing this mental health crisis among female athletes? Through research and stories of female athletes of all ages and ability levels, The Price She Pays illuminates where we are going wrong-and how we can correct course.

Informed by their experiences both on and off the field, authors Katie Steele and Dr. Tiffany Brown help athletes and parents identify the signs and symptoms of mental health conditions, recognize mistreatment and abuse, understand body image and eating disorders, trauma, and more. By tackling these issues, The Price She Pays encourages readers to understand how the wellbeing of the whole person-not just the athlete-will lead to performance gains from the youth leagues to the elite levels, and everything in between.

Author Biography

Katie Steele, LMFT is a former highly recruited D1 athlete who ran track and cross country for the famed University of Oregon team under the infamous Alberto Salazar, an experience that left her with trauma for years to come. Deciding to dedicate her career to the integration of mental health care in athletics, she is now a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and co-founder of Thrive Mental Health, an outpatient mental health clinic in Bend, Oregon. Tiffany Brown, Ph.D., LMFT is a faculty member at the University of Oregon in the Couples and Family Therapy graduate program and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who counsels student athletes and provides mental health education for coaches and staff. Journalist Erin Strout brings compelling storytelling and essential expertise to the project as well. Her work has appeared in Washington Post, ESPN, SELF, Outside, Runner s World, Women s Running, Triathlete, Women s Health and more.