The Athletes Unlimited Softball League puts family-friendly policies front and center with employee benefits

The Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) is one of the youngest women’s professional sports leagues, having launched in 2025 with six teams. Despite that, it stands to teach more established employers a thing or two about leadership and benefits.

“We are, I guess, what they would call an ‘emerging league,’ a startup,” the league’s commissioner, Kim Ng, told HR Brew. “Every day is different, and every day you’re building something. The something could be one of 10 different disciplines. It could be marketing, sponsorship, broadcasting.”

Regardless of what the league is building, its players are key to making the operation a success, including when it comes to being seen as an attractive employer.

“We definitely want them (players) to feel like they are partners in this, and that they are founders of this league,” Ng said.

To that end, the league has a Player Executive Committee consisting of five players who help leadership make business and operational decisions. “They can educate the broader player group on things going on behind the scenes, so I think that the constant dialog and communication is really helpful as we grow.”

Ng said the AUSL is a “startup, but we’re a great startup” where women are treated as equals. “That’s how you’re going to attract the best talent.”

The athletes have access to health insurance year-round, including during the off-season. And in an effort to ensure that athletes don’t see their careers end as a result of having children, the AUSL allows them to choose whether they play during pregnancy, and provides childcare support once they have kids, according to Ng.

“We give a stipend for the childcare provider. We provide travel expenses. So we’ll make sure that they accompany the family on every trip, every road trip, along with the child, obviously, and we pay for the child travel,” she said, adding that the AUSL also offers accommodations for childcare providers.

“Think about how a lot of women have just peeled off because they want to start a family. Well, you can have a family and work like a lot of people do it. Obviously, it’s very intensive on the athlete’s side, but we wanted to make sure that we took those obstacles out of the equation.”