Book Event: The Price She Pays by Katie Steele & Tiffany Brown with Jessica Mendoza

Roundabout Books is pleased to host former D1 athlete and author Katie Steele and co-author Tiffany Brown to discuss their new book “The Price She Pays: Confronting the Hidden Mental Health Crisis in Women’s Sports—from the Schoolyard to the Stadium” with former Olympian and ESPN commentator Jessica Mendoza.
This event will be at the bookstore. Seating will open at 5:45pm. A book purchase is required for all attendees. Books will also be available for purchase at the event.
“Sports have the power to entertain, to thrill, and to bring people together. For a competitive athlete, the opportunity to go out on the field and deliver this day in and day out is a privilege. Yet this privilege can come at a high cost, particularly for girls and women. In The Price She Pays, Katie Steele and Tiffany Brown offer an unflinchingly honest look at the unique stresses, pressures, and challenges female athletes face at all levels of competition, while also providing a hopeful roadmap for the systemic change that will allow them to (re)discover the joy of sport without sacrificing their mental and physical health.”—Jessica Mendoza, Olympic gold and silver medalist, first female analyst for MLB on ESPN
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 is the same: Be aggressive, but not too aggressive. Win at all costs, but be polite while 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 and substance use; depression and anxiety; emotional and sexual abuse; racism and discrimination; self-harm, and even suicide ideation. When global tennis star Naomi Osaka and gymnastics world champion Simone Biles took breaks from competing to tend to their mental health, many were compelled to ask: What is causing this mental health crisis in women’s sports? In The Price She Pays, Katie Steele and Dr. Tiffany Brown illuminate where we are going wrong—and how we can correct course.
Through first-hand accounts, research, and reporting, they reveal the deep layers of trauma and mistreatment women experience in their pursuit of excellence in sport. They show parents, coaches, and athletes how to recognize the signs of mistreatment and mental health issues, and reveal how, by focusing on the wellbeing of the whole person—not just the athlete—we can provide women and girls with the support they need to thrive, in whatever sport they choose, at whatever level they compete.
“The Price She Pays shines a light on the toxic systems and practices in girls’ and women’s sports, and the change we so urgently need in order to pave the way for a future of female superstars who can thrive physically, mentally and emotionally. This masterpiece is a must read for female athletes, as well as their parents, coaches, and anyone who cares about making the world of sports a safer place for women.”—Deena Kastor, Olympic Medalist, marathon
“Essential reading for anyone involved with girls' and women’s sports: parents, coaches, managers, administrators, and athletes themselves. The authors, experienced mental health professionals, were driven to write this book as they treated athlete after athlete struggling with the ramifications of an unhealthy sports experience. Sports can and should be a huge positive for girls and women, but sadly there are still very predictable ways they turn negative. Let's all educate ourselves and then change practices and systems so that the vision of Title IX can be realized.”—Sarah Lesko, MD, MPH, Executive Director, Bras for Girls
Katie Steele, LMFT is a former highly recruited D1 athlete who ran track and cross country for the famed University of Oregon team. After her running career intersected with the infamous coach Alberto Salazar, she was left 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 an award-winning, senior faculty member at the University of Oregon in the Couples and Family Therapy graduate program and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who works with 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.
Jessica Mendoza is a two-time Olympian and was a member of the U.S. Women’s National team from 2001-10. Her team took home the Gold Medal in Athens, Greece (2004) and the Silver Medal in Beijing, China (2008). She is both a three-time World Champion (2002, 2006, 2010) and World Cup Champion (2006, 2007, 2010), in addition to being a two-time Pan American Gold Medalist (2003, 2007). In 2006, she was named the USA Softball Athlete of the Year and was also recognized in 2008 as the Women’s Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year. In 2019, Mendoza was inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame. Mendoza joined ESPN in 2007 and in 2015, became the first woman to serve as an analyst for nationally-televised MLB games. She has since become one of the leading voices in ESPN’s Major League Baseball coverage, in addition to her remaining one of the top college softball analysts. She currently lives in Bend.