My Road to Recovery

As a fencer, I love Dragonwing clothes because they keep me comfortable when I’m doing intense workouts. Unfortunately, I have not been able to do what I love lately due to a knee injury. In May, I was told I have a condition called patellar tendonitis. Basically, it’s an overuse injury that, when aggravated, leads to inflammation of a tendon in my knee. Considering that I play a sport that requires lots of leg work and strain on my knees, you might see how my injury could be a serious setback.
Even though I’ve been spending a lot of time doing exercises and physical therapy, the hardest part of my recovery process is simply not being able to do the sport that I love. I’ve been fencing for five years and have never gone this long without fencing.
Luckily, the summer is the slowest time of the year when it comes to tournaments, as the number of national level tournaments is very limited. I normally do lots of training over the summer, but this time I took a seven-week break from my sport and focused on my recovery. I spent a few hours almost every day with either my physical therapist, chiropractor, or swimming trainer. Here I am doing plank exercises on the porch -- in my Dragonwing Racer Sports Bra and Chill Weight Capri Leggings, of course! Plank exercises wearing girl's Racer Sports Bra and Chill Weight Workout Leggings Because swimming is a low impact form of exercise, I could do it for as long as I want without injuring myself any further. In fact, the swimming helps speed up my recovery because it develops many of the muscles that I don’t use as much when I fence. My chiropractor and physical therapist give me stretches and exercises that will eventually get rid of my tendonitis. I do these exercises with them and every day at home. About three times a week, I will go to my fencing club and take a 20 minute one-on-one lesson with my coach where I do mostly arm work with some light footwork and no lunging. I’m determined to get better as soon as I can so that I don’t have to worry about my knee when I am older and my injury could be worse.

Rock Climbing Comps & Coaches

Wow, time has sure flown by! It's hard to believe that this is my sixth blog post as a Dragonwing girlgear Ambassador! For the last month, every weekend has been filled with rock climbing competitions. My latest competition was super fun even though I had a cold, which left me with little energy. In that comp, I managed to flash my top 5. A "flash" is where you climb to the top of the wall with no falls or other attempts. As you can see from the photo, I'm still wearing my Un-Dee Mini Workout Shorts! Dragonwing Ambassador Madi with rock climbing coaches at competition A couple of weeks ago, I had a little meltdown at rock climbing class. I was doubting myself, thinking "I can't do that" and "I haven't progressed." Eventually I shed a couple of tears. My coaches were so helpful and supportive and really helped me through that horrible mental block. They are amazing. The weather here in Colorado has started to get chilly, but that doesn't bother me. I love the cold weather because I can get into a fuzzy blanket and drink hot chocolate! Another reason I love winter is because I love skiing and snowboarding. I have been a snowboarder for a while but last winter tried out skiing and loved it! I'm looking forward to more fun in the snow this winter. Leave a comment and tell me about your favorite winter sport or activity.

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
Last Firsts from a Soccer Mom. - Dragonwing Girl

Last Firsts from a Soccer Mom.

It is that time of year for parents of high school seniors when we're enjoying the last -firsts of many club and high school events. Last first soccer game of the year, last first day of the last semester, last club night. Looking back at all the things I've learned, I've decided (rather than wallow), I'd share a few of the most useful lessons. From the importance of chocolate milk to the recruiting process. Make sure to catch next few blogs. I'd love to hear your stories and tips too! Here's to team Glow Angel -where it all started, and to the coaches, parents and friends I've made on the fields. xo MaryAnne
SOCCER IS HERE!!!! - Dragonwing Girl

SOCCER IS HERE!!!!

It’s finally soccer season!! I can’t believe it’s here—my senior year of soccer. It’s crazy to believe that at the end of this season, I will be done with high school. Senior night will be for me. It’s my last year in the CA jersey. Whaat.

The last time I touched a soccer ball was 10 months ago, on our last game of last season. I had no idea how good or bad I would be getting back into it. For the first 20 minutes of our first practice back, the ball definitely felt foreign, but I’ll blame it on being indoors due to the snow, not my 10 soccer-less months.

When I finally got adjusted, I remembered how much I love soccer. And competing. I had so much freakin energy and I was so ready to play 90 minutes against our biggest rivals.

We’ve got big expectations for this year. I think our team is pretty stacked, and I personally believe a state championship is in our future. We’ll see how it goes!

This one thing could keep your tween girl in sports

This one thing could keep your tween girl in sports

Thanks to Chris Deacon for her excellent journalism in the Sept 6 issue of Today's Parent. Her article follows!

Studies show that girls start quitting sports in the tween years—this solution might surprise you.

Growing up, Juanita Lee ran track and rowed, but her sport of choice was tennis. She played the game from age six until age 14 when— seemingly overnight— her breasts grew from a 32A to 34DD.

The change immediately set her apart from her more petite, flat-chested opponents and made the teenager extremely self-conscious. She hated the sensation of her breasts moving when she ran on the court and how exposed she felt in her scoop-neck tennis dress whose padded cups only accentuated her size. And because breasts move independently of the body, (both up and down and side to side,) Lee also started experiencing breast pain, an issue she was too embarrassed to discuss with her parents. Not long after, Juanita used a sports injury as an excuse to quit tennis altogether and turned her attention to rowing, where breast movement wasn’t an issue, and running, a sport that—while still painful—meant she could wear baggy t-shirts for coverage.

Lee isn’t the only girl whose breast development has affected their participation in sports. In a 2016 survey of more than 2,000 British girls aged 11 to 18, nearly three-quarters said their breasts got in the way of enjoying sports. According to the study, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, when girls hit puberty they start pulling out of athletics and skipping gym class to avoid the pain and embarrassment of breasts that are either too big, too small or —the chief complaint—too bouncy.

It turns out there could be an easy fix—a sports bra. While a given for professional female athletes, this undergarment is often omitted from the equipment list of girls’ sports teams. And while jockstraps are offered to boys for protection and to prevent discomfort caused by excessive movement during exercise, sports bras that serve the same purpose for girls have not been a part of the cultural conversation. In fact, only 10 percent of girls surveyed in the British study had worn one.

So how can a parent navigate the tricky terrain of breast development and sports with their tween?

Here are five tips:

Start the conversation early: Your daughter may not need the support of a sports bra yet, but it’s worth tackling the topic early on, before she gets embarrassed about it. If she’s not ready for the discussion in the moment, MaryAnne Gucciardi—whose company, Dragonwing girlgear specializes in performance base-layers such as sports bras and support tops for girls aged 8 to 17, encourages parents to stick with it. “It’s a hard conversation for a parent,” she says, noting that dads in particular, have a hard time with the topic, “but it’s even harder for a child. They don’t know yet what they need. They just know what they’re feeling.”

Be matter of fact: Gucciardi also suggests sticking with the facts when broaching the idea of a sports bra. “You could say something like, “I want you to play your best. I want you to feel comfortable, and have good support to prevent injury and stay healthy and just like boys with a jockstrap for support and to prevent injury, this is what girls wear,’” she says. Explain to you daughter the difference between your average tween bra (which often looks like a sports bra) and the real thing. Most tween bras are made with thin cotton and flimsy straps. A good sports bra, by contrast, has smooth but stretchy fabric that moves as the athlete moves, with straps and a band that stay in place.

Shop it alone: While the odd girl might enjoy looking for a bra with her mom, most don’t, says Gucciardi, so parents should start the process. One idea, she says, is to buy a few different styles of sports bras and support tops and leave them in your daughter’s drawer—while keeping in mind she probably won’t model them for you. “She might have you hand them back and forth until she finds one that she likes,” she says, “Be patient. If you let her control the conversation, then she’ll feel in control of her body.”

Go for fit: Thirteen-year-old Melanie Paulson’s* parents have been helping her shop for sports bras since she started developing breasts in Grade 4, with little success. “I don’t find them very comfortable,” says the avid hockey player, who now shops in the women’s section. But many women’s sport bras are padded which makes breasts look bigger—the last thing most tweens and teens want. And Gucciardi cautions that an improper fit—caused by a bra that’s too big— can lead to back problems. “You could have a bigger bust but a small rib-cage,” she explains, suggesting that parents seek out sports bras that are specifically designed for tweens and teens, and that take this silhouette variation into account so that the fit is precise. Lululemon, Nike and Gucciardi’s brand all carry quality sports bras for this age group. Look for a fit that is snug but not tight with straps that don’t droop or slip. And if you’re buying online, it’s worth taking the time to measure your daughter and refer to the size chart rather than order the size that corresponds to her age. Parents should measure just under the rib cage to get the right fit as opposed to across the chest, and, when the bra is on, be able to fit not more than one finger under the band. The band should be as wide as possible while still being comfortable for your child.

Comfort is key: Gucciardi recommends quality sports bras that use high performance, moisture wicking fabric (that moves the sweat away from the skin) with mesh for coolness and breath-ability. “Girls get super embarrassed when they think they sweat and smell and that people notice it,” she says. Also look for thin, removable pads for coverage and softness. “Nipples showing is another source of embarrassment,” she says. Nipple chafing— especially common with runners— is also an issue. Finally, choose a sports bra that’s seamless and tag-free to prevent irritation. Now that you’ve got a bra for your daughter, can you really expect it to be the difference between giving up sports and staying in the game? For Juanita Lee, now 27, the answer is—absolutely. “I was kind of a shy kid and I never felt comfortable saying, ”oh, my boobs hurt.” she says. In grade 10, Lee got her first sports bra at the suggestion of her female rugby coach, and she played rugby until the end of high school. *Name has been changed.