Dragonwing Blog
August 25: Happy Birthday, Althea Gibson!
Happy birthday to Althea Gibson, the first African American to compete on the world tennis tour. Called "the Jackie Robinson of tennis" for breaking the color barrier in her respective athletic arena, Gibson is the first African American woman to win a Grand Slam title, as well as the first to be ranked no. 1 in the world. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1972.
September 26: Happy Birthday, Serena Williams!
Happy birthday to Serena Williams, 27, Grand Slam title holder. Williams has won more career prize money than any other female athlete, in any sport, in history and is the fifth woman to have held all four Grand Slam titles at one time. She and her sister, Venus, who have both been ranked World No. 1 at one time or another (Serena has been ranked no. 1 on five separate occasions), often play doubles together; the two of them have each won two Olympic gold medals in doubles and have won 12 Grand Slam doubles titles together.
October 18: Happy Birthday, Martina Navratilova!
June 26: Happy Belated Birthday, Babe Didrikson Zaharias!
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!) 
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! 
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!
Donate a Sports Bra & Help Keep a Girl in the Game
A sports bra can mean the difference between a girl sitting on the sidelines and being able to play. Without the proper coverage, fit, and support of a sports bra, girls are often too self-conscious or uncomfortable being physically active, so they miss out on the many life- and skill-building benefits – and fun – that sports and athletic activity convey. As a parent, I know that a great sports bra can help give my daughter the opportunity to play her best.
This is especially true for girls in the developing world. That’s why we’ve partnered with our good friends at Goals for Girls to bring sports bras to teen girls in India. Goals for Girls connects girls from different countries and backgrounds with their peers around the world to address social and health challenges through cultural exchange, service, and soccer. Earlier this year, I saw the power of these exchanges when the U15 Women's National Soccer Team from Jordan visited North Carolina.
“Sports bras are our most-needed item," says Cindy Parlow Cone, soccer superstar, coach, and Dragonwing spokesperson. As part of Goals for Girls, she's leading a team of US teen girl soccer players to India in January for a ten-day cultural exchange, including lots of soccer playing.We're hoping to send Cindy and the US Goals for Girls delegation to India with a suitcase full of sports bras, generously donated by the Dragonwing girlgear community.
To help, please donate a clean, gently-used sports bra (any size, brand, or color) to: Goals for Girls/Dragonwing 510 Meadowmont Village Circle, #188 Chapel Hill, NC 27517Include your name and email address in the package with the donated bra(s). As a token of our thanks, we'll send you a promo code good for $5 off your next Dragonwing purchase. Thank you for helping empower girls in sports & in life!
OMEGA SPORTS is an Official retailer of Dragonwing girlgear™
(Chapel Hill, NC; November 23, 2011)— Dragonwing girlgear ™ -- the first line of athletic sport and support wear designed for young sporty girls ages 8-17 -- announced today that North Carolina-based Omega Sports, an athletic apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment retailer, is an official retailer of the complete line of Dragonwing girlgear™ line of Un-Tee® Camis and Un-Dee™ Compression shorts.
Omega Sports will stock the line to coincide with Black Friday and the 2011 holiday shopping season. The complete merchandise line will be sold at the new Park West store, located at 3025 Market Drive, Morrisville, NC 27560
Created by Soccer Mom and entrepreneur MaryAnne Gucciardi, Dragonwing girlgear ™ is the first performance line designed exclusively for pre-teen and teen girls. With unique sizing, high-tech moisture-wicking fabrics, age appropriate support and comfortable fit, Dragonwing girlgear ™ cammies, sliders and sports bras help girls play their very best -- whether they are on the soccer field, lacrosse field, basketball court, volleyball court , or other athletic venue.
“I am very excited about the Dragonwing girlgear™ and Omega Sports partnership. Our philosophies and dedication to girls and high quality sports apparel are the perfect match,” states MaryAnne Gucciardi, Founder/President of Dragonwing girlgear™. “Both Omega Sports and Dragonwing girlgear™ share the same vision -- we want to support and encourage strong, healthy girl athletes.”
Thirty year old Omega Sports, Inc. has 16 locations throughout North Carolina and offers top notch service, highly trained staff, and personal attention. The stores sell year-round athletic apparel, footwear, equipment and accessories for the entire family.
“Omega Sports stores are family oriented. We believe every athlete should have a choice in how she wants to express her own unique style when she plays. Adding the Dragonwing girlgear™ line to our Park West store gives passionate, confident, and dynamic female athletes of all ages and abilities the performance gear they need to play and win,” said Brett Laughton, General Manager Park West.
Beginning November 23, Omega Sports offers the following from the Dragonwing girlgear ™ merchandise:
The Un-Tee ® Cami
For active girls playing a variety of sports including soccer, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, horseback riding or triathlon sports, the Un-Tee ® Cami is designed specifically for performance and for girls.
Features and benefits include:
• A stretchy, breathable, lightweight fabric.
• Tag-free.
• Flat seamed.
• Soft wicking shelf-bra offering modesty, support and comfort.
• Moisture wicking outer layer for quick-dry comfort.
• Wide stretch-fabric straps to relieve pressure on shoulders and give a secure, non-binding fit.
• Discretely camouflages garments worn under all uniform colors including white.
• Sizes ranging from 8 to 16.
• Colors include white, sky, midnight, orange and bright pink.
• Price: $24.99
The Un-Dee™ Light Compression Shorts
The Un-Dee™ Compression Short is designed specifically for under-uniforms. Girls can play their best – run, jump, bat, kick, shoot and more, all while staying cool and comfortable without focusing on their under-gear.
Features include:
• Breathable mesh panels and longer leg offer smoothing light compression without any bunching, rubbing or twisting.
• Tag-free.
• Flat seamed.
• Stretchy, wicking, lightweight fabric.
• Discretely camouflages garments worn under all uniform colors including white.
• Sizes ranging from 8 to 16.
• Colors include white, black, midnight, pink, orange, red, turquoise, lime and sky.
• Price: $27.99
Dragonwing girlgear ™is the under-garment and under-uniform solution for all active girls’ needs today – for performance, support, and comfort. Not too grown up, not too boyish, not too girly-girl. Dragonwing girlgear ™ is Performance Fit For Girls.
Omega Sports, North Carolina’s best retailer and best service in sports for over 30 years
# # #
About the Dragonwing girlgear Founder/President:
MaryAnne Gucciardi, Soccer mom and Entrepreneur, is on a mission to help girls become confident women! Contact her at Maryanne@dragonwinggirl.com.
About Omega Sports, Inc.:
Phil Bowman and Thom Rock started Omega Sports in 1978 with a vision NOT to be a big box store. They wanted a family atmosphere with a tech trained staff. They have that today!
For more information about Dragonwing girlgear or Omega Sports, Inc.:
Omega Sports, Inc. Website http://www.omegasports.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/omegasportsnc
Twitter: @omegasportsnc
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/omegasportsnc
Our Dragonwing blog
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For jpeg photography, interviews or other media inquiries, please contact:
Laura Rossi Totten, laura@laurarossipublicrelations.com or 401-487-2453
Don't be fooled by common misconceptions about concussions.
Awareness of the danger – and frequency – of concussions is growing. It’s not just in football. It’s a health risk in girls’ soccer too, whether from heading, collisions or falls. In August, I joined a taping of the Chapel Hill radio show, Your Health with Dr. Adam Goldstein and Dr. Cristy Page. Former Olympic player Cindy Parlow Cone was there too.
A Proper Warm-up
One of the goals of the Dragonwing girlgear™ blog is to provide readers with evidence-based, practical information to help encourage safe and healthy participation in sports for all athletes, but with a special focus for preadolescent and adolescent girls. I am pleased to introduce Dr. Lindsay Di Stefano who will give us the most up-to-date advice. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Connecticut. Dr. DiStefano is also a certified athletic trainer with experience treating and rehabilitating injured athletes. Her primary research through the Human Performance Laboratory at UCONN focuses on finding ways to prevent injuries related to sport and physical activity.
Dr. DiStefano writes today on A Proper Warm-Up.
First Step to Any Activity: A Proper Warm-up
Fifteen girls put their bags down and jog around the soccer field together. They stop at midfield and align themselves in a circle with one teammate in the center. This “captain” leads her team through a series of static stretches by counting off 30 seconds per stretch. After the team has completed a few stretches, they walk off the field to their waiting coach and begin practice. Have you seen this scenario before?
I surely have! Here is an example of another common scenario frequently played out on youth sport fields: The team arrives, they start talking to one another catching up on the day’s events, and may start juggling or passing to one another before the actual practice begins. Or a third scenario occurs when an athlete walks out of their front door and starts running three miles. Unfortunately, the athletes in all three scenarios are not helping themselves be as prepared as possible for any training, practice, or game. Not only are these athletes not putting their bodies in the best condition for performance, but they may also be increasing their risk of injury.
A better solution to these examples above is to gradually prepare your body for the upcoming activity.
The first thing to do is to start increasing your heart rate, which will begin to “warm-up” your muscles. There are many ways to accomplish this goal. You can walk at progressively faster speeds, leading to a jog, possibly incorporate some quicker runs, or you can ride a bike with low resistance, or even play a small game that involves low to moderate effort. The goal is to just get your body moving and your heart rate up!
After you are feeling “warm” and perhaps even sweating a little, you can start performing some specific exercises for various muscles. These exercises will help your muscles get used to working (producing force) while they are moving. Here is where the big difference lies between traditional “static stretching” and a “dynamic warm-up”. Once you have “warmed up” your body through gradual exercise, you do not want to stand in place and essentially cool it down. Static stretches that are held for a long period of time may interfere with your muscles’ ability to work effectively. Research has shown that a dynamic warm up more effectively prepares the body for athletic participation. Instead of performing static stretches, try some of these dynamic movements. Similar to the warm up activity, you should gradually progress the speed and intensity used for these exercises. You will be ready to jump into full-speed activity when you are finished with these exercises.
Walking knee to chest, lateral shuffles and skipping are a few movements to get you started. Look for the addendum to this blog post for an easy to print off comprehensive list of dynamic movements that can improve your warm-up routine.
So next time you see athletes start performing “static” stretches before any physical activity, suggest to them that they should try out some new moves that might help prevent injury and may improve their performance!
Passing on the Stories
The most popular professional sports in America, in the world, even, are dominated by men- think football, baseball, basketball, soccer, and, though an increasingly large number of females are playing sports, women’s professional leagues still suffer from lack of interest. This is in part because our society has long been adamant that sports are only for men but also because the legacy and culture of men’s sports are passed down from father to son.
As a brand devoted to helping develop women’s sports and girls’ interest in sports, Dragonwing girlgear® believes it is crucial for girls to learn about female athletes who have conquered in order to see them as role models. Boys, and girls, who don’t play baseball are well aware of Babe Ruth’s story. What about the other Babe? Not that many young female golfers, basketball players, or runners learn about Babe Didrikson Zaharias, the athlete extraordinaire who excelled at all of those sports.
This trend we’re seeing, of female athletes remaining obscure and girls remaining deprived of female role models in the sports arena, must end if women are to achieve equality in the world of athletics. If the stories of strong, successful female soccer players, figure skaters, runners, and gymnasts aren’t told, their successes will be lost to this generation of girls. Girls should grow up with the belief that they too can become a part of sports history and that there is a spot for them in the world of sports. To understand this, though, the tales of successful female athletes need to be shared.
In order to rectify this social pattern and to raise awareness of successful female athletes, Sideline Chatter is going to be featuring such legends on their birthdays, celebrating the players who have established women’s place in the world of sports.
Mary Lou Retton: Admired her as an Olympian, Love her as a Mom.
On exercising, healthy body image, letting girls do what they love to do and raising four girls.