Dragonwing Blog
Wedgie trouble!!
"Somebody call Triple A! We need a crane to help Emma pull out her wedgie!" - My Coach (I kid you not, he said this)
Both 8 year old me and 14 year old me could have used some Dragonwing compression shorts to avoid these wedgies
A missing piece, what is holding young girls back from achieving their wildest dreams?
Did you know that there is a decrease in physical activity when young girls experience breast growth?
According to a recent study in the Journal of Adolescents Health, "three quarters of school-aged girls report breast-related concern regarding exercise and sports."
That is a large percentage and a cause for concern. Young girls are turning away from activities that provide them with the necessary skills to be successful and achieve their potential in life. Looking at Maslow's Pyramid below, you can see there are a lot of steps in reaching self-actualization, but being involved in sports plays a role in reaching this feeling of fulfillment.
Sports bring you the psychological need of belongingness and love. Being on a team, provides you with these intimate relationships and friendships. It also gives you and your team a goal to work towards, which brings you closer together, as you support each other through the wins and losses on the field and the ups and downs off the field, as well.
The aspect from Maslow's pyramid that is lacking in young girls development is self-esteem. The body image issues that arise when going through the period of breast-development and puberty cause girls to be less confident in who they are and the abilities and talents they possess. This halts their ability to reach their full potential and ultimately their dreams.
Dragonwing Girlgear wants to restore this piece of the pyramid in young girls. Our initiative is to boost young girls self-esteem through the educating them about their bodies and providing the physical gear to allow them the chance to compete confidently in sports.
"Sports programs frequently recommend protective gear for boys, like cups, or compression shorts, but they fail to have a comparable list for girls."
Dragonwing Girlgear provides you with that list, as well as the knowledge you need about sizing and fit to ensure esteem is restored in young girls. With more pressure than ever from society to succeed, Dragonwing Girlgear wants to go beyond providing you with a clothing item. We want to give you the foundation and support you or your daughter needs to feel comfortable and confident in achieving their wildest dreams.
Sports bring you the psychological need of belongingness and love. Being on a team, provides you with these intimate relationships and friendships. It also gives you and your team a goal to work towards, which brings you closer together, as you support each other through the wins and losses on the field and the ups and downs off the field, as well.
The aspect from Maslow's pyramid that is lacking in young girls development is self-esteem. The body image issues that arise when going through the period of breast-development and puberty cause girls to be less confident in who they are and the abilities and talents they possess. This halts their ability to reach their full potential and ultimately their dreams.
Dragonwing Girlgear wants to restore this piece of the pyramid in young girls. Our initiative is to boost young girls self-esteem through the educating them about their bodies and providing the physical gear to allow them the chance to compete confidently in sports.
"Sports programs frequently recommend protective gear for boys, like cups, or compression shorts, but they fail to have a comparable list for girls."
Dragonwing Girlgear provides you with that list, as well as the knowledge you need about sizing and fit to ensure esteem is restored in young girls. With more pressure than ever from society to succeed, Dragonwing Girlgear wants to go beyond providing you with a clothing item. We want to give you the foundation and support you or your daughter needs to feel comfortable and confident in achieving their wildest dreams.
When to Introduce Sports Bras to Your Tween Daughter
Studies show tween girls drop out of sports at approximately twice the rate of boys at the same age. As parents, we know the benefits of athletics goes far beyond health and fitness, it develops leadership skills, self-confidence, and critical thinking.
Of all the reasons being cited, these two should not be on the list. Sports bras provide support, reduce breast movement, and can provide a comfortable fit on and off the field. Your daughter may not have enough experience or information to know what she needs, but she does know how she feels. Parents can help by approaching the topic in a factual manner and by providing a supportive environment to address their concerns.
Girls are also going through rapid growth spurts during their pre-teen and tween years, and you may need to check the fit of their sports bras regularly to ensure a good fit. Summary 1. Girls should begin wearing a sports bra when breast tissue emerges 2. Talk to your daughter about style and performance preferences before shopping 3. Measure before shopping 4. Look for quality fabrics and construction 5. Be prepared to try different styles to find what's right for her Read ► This one thing could keep your tween girl in sports. Tre Harrington from NonperfectParenting.com shares what makes Dragonwing Girl Gear different.
So why are teen girls leaving the sports they love? Here are two common reasons given by teens.
- Breast discomfort
- Self-consciousness about their developing bodies
Of all the reasons being cited, these two should not be on the list. Sports bras provide support, reduce breast movement, and can provide a comfortable fit on and off the field. Your daughter may not have enough experience or information to know what she needs, but she does know how she feels. Parents can help by approaching the topic in a factual manner and by providing a supportive environment to address their concerns.
So when is the right time to introduce sports bras to your daughter?
It's not about age. It's about development -emotional and physical. At younger ages, before breast tissue develops, training bras and cami's are perfect protection for sensitive nipples and provide modest coverage underneath clothing. Coverage and fitting in help with awkward feelings. Once breast tissue emerges, even at smaller sizes, running and motions typical to many sports may become painful.Confidence. Comfort. Support.
As your daughter develops, confidence, comfort and support come into play and determine what type of support bra or top girls need and when. Talk with your daughter about her sports gear and what she'll need as she continues playing. If you're taking the time to find the best fitting cleats and gear, her base layers need to have the equal consideration. And, like sporting equipment, investing in high-quality garments will provide a better performance, resist staining and odors, and will last longer as it goes through multiple washings. Look for moisture-wicking and stretchy performance fabrics to increase comfort and reduce chafing. How to find the right sports bra for your athletic daughter. Start the selection process before shopping. Sports bras come in a variety of styles and support levels. Talk about what she likes - everything from color, to fit and design. Then, review options to get an idea of what works for her body and her sport. Please keep in mind two important factors to excellent support. 1) the amount of fabric on the back. 2) the width of the bottom band. To find the right fit, measure the bust and chest to determine the best size to start and be prepared to try adjacent sizes until you find one that doesn't pinch, gap, or slide. If your daughter won't let you measure the bust, at a minimum do the bottom band of the chest. It will give you a starting point.Dragonwing Girl Gear Founder, MaryAnne Gucciardi says "your daughter might have you hand them back and forth as she tries them on, until she finds one that she likes,".... "Be patient. If you let her control the conversation, then she'll feel in control of her body.”
Find your Dragonwing Size
Use this easy sizing guide to help find the best fit for Dragonwing bras and support base layers. Sports are as much a psychological exercise as it is physical. Removing distractions of poor-fitting bras, bounce due to lack of adequate support, and providing coverage boosts confidence and lets your daughter focus on what she loves -the skill-building fun of sports and being active. Dragonwing has styles designed to go from school to the field, accommodating afternoon practices without giving up style or comfort. Extra side coverage on our bras removes the worry of being exposed when uniforms are too big or cut for boys and lets your daughter focus on strength and not worry about underwear malfunction. Girls are also going through rapid growth spurts during their pre-teen and tween years, and you may need to check the fit of their sports bras regularly to ensure a good fit. Summary 1. Girls should begin wearing a sports bra when breast tissue emerges 2. Talk to your daughter about style and performance preferences before shopping 3. Measure before shopping 4. Look for quality fabrics and construction 5. Be prepared to try different styles to find what's right for her Read ► This one thing could keep your tween girl in sports. Tre Harrington from NonperfectParenting.com shares what makes Dragonwing Girl Gear different.
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Kathrine Switzer: First Woman to Enter the Boston Marathon
For the Dragonwing team, this video makes us emotional - especially when Jock Semple tries to pull her out. Kathrine's quote "all of a sudden this was very important ... nobody believes I can do this.. and if I don't finish, people will think all women can't." she finished in 4 hrs and 20 min. KV Switzer (and whoever wears #261 -how lucky are you!)
You can watch the video here.
Concussions important issue for girl athletes-updated info here
There have been many articles and efforts to improve safety on the soccer field for women and girls. As an update to our posts of six years ago, I provide new information on prevention and training alternatives from Cindy Parlow Cone and Excelle.com
Our original articles are here:
https://www.sideline-chatter.com/dont-be-fooled-by-common-misconceptions-about-concussions/
https://www.sideline-chatter.com/a-great-article-on-concussions-from-taylor-twellman/
https://www.sideline-chatter.com/recovering-from-a-climbing-concussion/
and new information can be found here:
http://www.excellesports.com/news/womens-soccer-concussion-protocol-nwsl/
Check out these excellent video on the what Cindy Parlow Cone's experience learning to head the ball at 18 -and still being a World Cup Champ and Olympian!
http://bit.ly/2t0FV3P
http://bit.ly/2u5o9MP
Happy Birthday Cindy Parlow Cone
Happy birthday to Cindy Parlow Cone, three-time NCAA Women's Soccer Champion and founding member of the Women's United Soccer Association, former head coach for Portland Thorns FC and in her first year as coach in her first year as head coach of the Portland Thorns, led the Thorns to the NWSL Championship. Parlow was a member of the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Olympic, and 1999 and 2003 Women's World Cup, teams. Parlow Cone played professionally for the Atlanta Beat for three years and was the Coaching Director of 13-18 year-old girls' programs at the Triangle United soccer league. Cindy is a co-founder of Goals for Girls. Birthday --May 8th.
Black History Month: Celebrating Serena Williams!
Sharing stories about women athletes matters. Equally important, hearing stories of amazing women athletes matters. One of my favorite legends is Serena Williams. To celebrate Black History Month, the artist Simone Grace is creating a coloring book with portraits of 28 amazing black women and one of the world's greatest athletes, Serena Williams is featured. Simone is my friend and classmate -and when I asked her if we could share this page with our community of athletic girls and their parents, she generously and ecstatically agreed. You can get a free printable coloring page here! Check out all the illustrations of visionary black women who are luminaries in politics, arts, activism, business and sports. Coloring is a fun, empowering and relaxing activity for all the strong girls and women in your life and makes a great gift! You learn more about Simone Grace and how to get the entire printable coloring book at the GoFundMe page here. xoxo MaryAnne Founder of Dragonwing girlgear
My Daughter is So Happy! — Early Product Review
We are super excited to share an early product review of the new Racerback Cami that we launched on Kickstarter. Sara from Ohio's daughter loves it -- and we think YOU will too. "For the past year, I have been looking for the perfect cami for my 11- year old daughter. My daughter is not quite ready for a bra but definitely needed something with more coverage than the cotton cami with a shelf that she has been wearing daily under her shirts. Recently, I received a sample of the Dragonwing Racerback Cami to trial with my daughter. I am thrilled to say that I have finally found the perfect cami!! My daughter has never loved a cami so much! She tried it on for me and was beaming. The padding in the cami really made her feel more confident and it looked so nice under her shirt. Some of the features of this cami that we love are:
- The material keeps her cool and dry, so it is perfect for any activity. - The straps are adjustable, so she will be able to wear it for quite awhile and adjust it as she grows - The racer back design is great for her posture and looks very sporty. - The padding can be removed for washing or if less coverage is desired.
My daughter wants to wear this cami every day now, so I have been washing it constantly. Even after 10+ washes, the cami still looks as good as new. I am so excited that these camis are on Kickstarter now. I plan on stocking up and buying more in multiple colors. Thank you for creating such a high quality product that makes my daughter feel confident with her body.Sincerely,
Sara
(Mom and Devoted Dragonwing Customer in Ohio)
This Sports Headband Really Won't Slip!
Three more months of school! I can hardly believe I will be a freshman next year. I'm already really excited for high school and connecting with more people. Sadly only one of my friends is going to the same high school as me but, that means I get to make some new friends.
Another great thing that will happen in high school is that my sister will be able to drive, which means I won't be late to rock climbing (at least, less often I hope!)
Getting back into rock climbing after my concussion has been going great. We've been preparing for rope season by practicing falls. Yes, we actually practice falls! When we practice for falls, we climb up the wall and then fall over and over again.
During recent practices, I've been wearing my Dragonwing Stay in Place Mini Headband, and it didn't slip off my head once! I totally recommend this sports headband to every athletic girl. I still love my Dragonwing sports bras, too. Here's a picture of me when my Racer Sports Bra arrived!
We've also been working on our first attempt-best attempt by "onsighting" routes. Onsighting is when you make a clean ascent without prior knowledge of the route or problem. I finally sent my first 11+ project on lead bottom to top -- with only a little bloody nick on knuckle. Success!
Before break our middle school had an award assembly, and I was named to the honor roll! Working my butt off to catch up with assignments after my concussion paid off. And seeing the smiles on my parents' faces was great!
During recent practices, I've been wearing my Dragonwing Stay in Place Mini Headband, and it didn't slip off my head once! I totally recommend this sports headband to every athletic girl. I still love my Dragonwing sports bras, too. Here's a picture of me when my Racer Sports Bra arrived!
We've also been working on our first attempt-best attempt by "onsighting" routes. Onsighting is when you make a clean ascent without prior knowledge of the route or problem. I finally sent my first 11+ project on lead bottom to top -- with only a little bloody nick on knuckle. Success!
Before break our middle school had an award assembly, and I was named to the honor roll! Working my butt off to catch up with assignments after my concussion paid off. And seeing the smiles on my parents' faces was great!
Summer Fencing
Hi! I’m Julia, a Dragonwing ambassador. My summers have been known to be very busy, and this coming summer is no exception. I start by going to Dallas, Texas, for fencing summer nationals, where I will be fencing in four events. Each event is long and tiring, so I am lucky that they are each two days apart.
To help me survive the exhausting events, I wear my light, breathable Dragonwing clothes that keep me comfortable and performing my best. In Dallas, any time I don’t spend competing will be spent rehabilitating my knee injury or resting.
After Dallas, I have three days at home until I go to Massachusetts for a month for a journalism program and then a marine biology program, two of my favorite subjects. Lastly, I’ll be going to Poland for ten days for a fencing program with many fencers who belong to the same fencing club as me. There, we will do more intense training after a month-long break, and I will have my Dragonwing clothes to keep me cool and comfortable.
In a previous blog post, I talked about my knee injury and my “Road to Recovery.” It took nearly a year, but I am now back to training and competing as much as I ever did. However, I will have to continue physical therapy in order to keep training as frequently and intensively as I can.
Surprise Surgery & Another Recovery
April was one of the most surprisingly crazy months for me yet. Earlier in the month, I was at a climbing competition doing just fine and trying my hardest. But when the comp ended and my mom and I were driving home, I got a big headache, felt horrible, and started to throw up. I had lots of pain, especially on the right side of my stomach.
Sudden and unbearable pain on the right side made me think "appendicitis," which made me feel even worse. Shortly after we got home, my parents decided I needed to go right to the Emergency Room. Everyone was super worried. I was in too much pain to get into the car, so my dad called an ambulance, both for the speed and because I'd get pain medication as soon as possible. At the hospital, I waited for five hours and couldn't eat or drink anything, which was difficult since I'd just finished a competition. After an ultrasound and CT, the doctors decided to transfer me to the Children's Hospital so I could have surgery. Yes, that's right -- surgery -- but not on my appendix. They'd found a cyst on my ovary that was basically "exploding." Three small incisions were needed to fix everything.
I'm happy to say the surgery was successful, and I stayed in the hospital for three days. It took a while to be able to walk without being nauseated, but finally I regained my strength and was discharged!
It was a rough couple of weeks not being able to climb while I recuperated. If you've been following my blog, you know this isn't my first recuperation. I've missed most of the important training for regionals, which are coming up on May 14. I'm going to have to work my butt off to rebuild my endurance and strength in the next two weeks. I'm looking on the bright side and telling myself I'll be able to compete in regionals unlike last season.
In other news, school is almost out -- only 4 weeks left! I really hope the summer will pass without any injuries!
I'm happy to say the surgery was successful, and I stayed in the hospital for three days. It took a while to be able to walk without being nauseated, but finally I regained my strength and was discharged!
It was a rough couple of weeks not being able to climb while I recuperated. If you've been following my blog, you know this isn't my first recuperation. I've missed most of the important training for regionals, which are coming up on May 14. I'm going to have to work my butt off to rebuild my endurance and strength in the next two weeks. I'm looking on the bright side and telling myself I'll be able to compete in regionals unlike last season.
In other news, school is almost out -- only 4 weeks left! I really hope the summer will pass without any injuries!
Recovering from a Climbing Concussion
I celebrated my 14th birthday in December by doing a mock regionals and our gym's first ever lock-in. Those were great, but, hands down, this has been one of the hardest months for me.
On December 7th, I went to climbing class with a great attitude considering it was the last push before regionals. Our coaches decided to have us on ropes. My friend Iza and I were partners, and she was leading a tricky route. When she was at the third clip going for a small crimp, she fell. The heel of her foot whammed into my head, but fortunately I was still able to catch her.
Not being able to compete because of a concussion was tough, but my teammates and coaches were awesome!
At first we laughed and giggled, after five minutes, I found myself sitting on the bench, feeling very lethargic and sleepy and holding an ice pack on my head. My coach Tim made a great call and recommended my mother pick me up and take me to the emergency room. I was dizzy and very slow walking on our way in to the ER. As soon as we explained my injury was from rock climbing, the medical team took it a bit more seriously and ran me through some tests, balancing and remembering numbers.
As soon as they said I had a mild concussion, tears started pouring down my face. I knew what was going to happen - that I'd have to miss regionals. I knew in the back of my mind I wouldn't be able to compete, but I didn't want to let it come true.
I stayed home from school for three days. I needed the rest, but I was very sad even thinking about climbing. I'd spent the whole season working up to this one competition, and now it was all wasted. On Wednesday, I went to climbing class because it's a team sport. It was hard being in the background watching everybody else climb. Again my amazing coaches helped me get through this hard time and put positive thoughts in my head.
By Friday, I was sadly still having headaches and made the call to not compete on Saturday. I attended the event and watched my teammates compete. They did an amazing job!
I was back to normal the next week and was cleared by my doctor to start lightly climbing again. Now it is winter break, and it feels great to relax and enjoy winter here in Colorado. I wish all Dragonwing girls happy holidays and a wonderful start to the New Year.
Not being able to compete because of a concussion was tough, but my teammates and coaches were awesome!