Summer Fun

My school year ended on May 28. Our last day was a Student Appreciation Day where the students played outside and danced. I’m so happy school is out, and I've got a summer-long break from waking up early and doing homework every night. One of my favorite parts of 7th grade was a class trip to the Wildlife Sanctuary. We got flooded super bad, but we bonded with each other a lot. One of my least favorite parts of 7th grade was PARCC testing. But on to summer! My family is planning to spend a lot of time visiting my cousins in Nebraska and camping. As for right now, I've had lots of summer fun already -- going to the Mint and swimming a lot! What are you doing this summer? Tell me in the comments. Dragonwing teen ambassador Madi and sister jumping into pool

Introducing Madi, Dragonwing Ambassador

Hi Dragonwing girls! I'm Madi, a new Dragonwing girlgear ambassador. Let me tell you about myself! Dragonwing girlgear ambassador Madi First off all, I'm currently in the 7th grade and am heading into 8th. One of my favorite subjects is social studies. I feel this is an odd subject to like because most people say it's boring, but it's just so interesting to me. While school is important, many other things are important to me, such as rock climbing. Rock climbing is my passion and I know I will never give it up. Rock climbing is my passion Another thing I do is snowboard and ski in the winter time. I've tried both and like them just the same. A funny story with skiing is the first time I tried (3 months ago), I cried the whole way down the bunny hill! But after that I became better than my mom. Since my family and I live in Colorado, winter is pretty intense for us and most everybody. That means skiing and snowboarding is what my weekend consists of for about 4 months. When summer rolls around, when my dog Roosevelt and I run around the neighborhood like crazy. Roosevelt is a Black Lab and about 6 years old. He is literally the best dog in the world to me. My family and I love to go camping, but sadly our dog is a little too wild to come with us. But it's still super fun. In the summer, I also ride my horse Sugar, who's 10 years old. In the future, I hope we get to know each other more, but this is just a snippet of my life as an introduction. If you have any questions or ideas, leave a comment. And if you don't want to miss any future Sideline Chatter updates, subscribe by entering your email on the right.

Climbing Competitions & the Power of Smiling

It's September already!! The summer was one of the best and, sadly, the shortest. I'm so glad I've had the opportunity to be part of Dragonwing girlgear, an amazing company that supports active girls like me and many others. If you're interested in becoming an Ambassador, leave a comment or send an email. I'm an 8th grader this year and super excited with the start of the school year and with ABS season for climbing. I've already had my first local comp and it was a blast! I placed 8 out of 15 but tried a majority of the problems they set. (My Un-Dee Mini Workout Shorts are great for climbing!) Dragonwing teen ambassador Madi in rock climbing competition My next competitions are coming up very quickly and I can't wait for them. On September 26 - this weekend! -- is another comp of mine, a Youth American Ninja Warrior competition! That will be super exciting, and I hope my mom will catch some great photos to share. Subscribe to this blog so you won't miss them! In climbing class, we've just finished our endurance phase, which is always the hardest, and now we're hopping into the strength phase. This season, our coaches are challenging and helping us a lot. One of my coaches taught us a "centering" technique that helps if you're nervous or anxious at a comp or class. One of the strategies was smiling! That may sound weird, but smiling (just moving your face into a smile) usually makes you feel better in a stressful situation even if you don't have a "real" reason to smile. Try it! That's all for now. Until my next post, remember to smile! Dragonwing teen ambassador stress relief strategy is smile
Corie Barry: From Rugby Field to CEO - Dragonwing Girl

Corie Barry: From Rugby Field to CEO

There's no arguing the fitness benefits for girls playing sports -- but does it really increase their likelihood of success later in life? Athletics teach values that go far beyond the court or field: cooperation, determination, discipline, and how to succeed under pressure. 

As more women enter the C-Suite, it's notable how many laid the foundation for their success playing competitive sports early in life.

Corie Barry spent much of her career with Best Buy, having served as Chief Financial Officer before being named CEO. Before that, she played college rugby and considered a career in dance. For her, an impressive title and resume must include her husband and two kids, youth baseball games, gymnastics with her daughter, and active time spent together with her family. 

"My point of view is there is no perfect balance," says Barry. "All you can do is figure out what works for you. I laugh because I'm always the mom who shows up at the baseball game in my heels, and that's OK." 

Read Corie Barry Becomes Fifth CEO in Best Buy History

Whether it's business or sports, Barry has advice we can all use. "I've always felt it's important to demand a return on your investment. If you're going to put your time in, where you put it in and the return you get is incredibly important because there are only so many hours in a day."

Corie's is an inspiring success story for athletic girls in every sport.  

Read "Boardrooms And Ballfields: Best Buy CFO Corie Barry Talks Motherhood"