We heard so many great stories from the She Plays, We Win contest with Under Armour it was hard to choose our winners! We've sent out three Under Armour swag bags as a great big thank you for telling us your tale of girls in sport. Sweet prizes aside, we wanted to share with you the stories the winners shared with us.
Troy Johnson
"Both of my daughters are involved in sports, but at different levels. My oldest is very competitive, plays softball year-round for a MN Club team (we live just over the river in WI), she attends several clinics and showcases each season, just made Varsity as a Freshman, and has big goals to play ball in college, and possibly even beyond that. She is a go-getter, very determined, and extremely passionate in all that she loves.
My youngest participates in recreational dance. She does hip-hop and jazz/lyrical. She mostly loves that her friends are there with her. Not a competitive bone in her body and could care less about winning and/or losing. She knows that many classmates are far more experienced, and that is just fine with her...and us! She is also determined and passionate with all that she loves.
Sports has mostly impacted my kids by keeping them active, teaching them about being a good teammate, taught them responsibility, and most importantly has taught them the great lesson about playing for the name on the front of their uniforms, and not on the back.
I LOVE that my girls are so different, yet have been impacted by sports in so many similar ways. No matter what sport, what skill level, win or lose... all that matters is that they give their all, have fun, and KNOW that they can do anything they set their minds to. Such a valuable lesson, that I hope we've instilled in them. They, too, have taught me valuable lessons along the way. Life is short... go out and do what you want... and OWN IT!
No truer statement than on this shirt that I was recently gifted. "Some people have to wait their entire lives to meet their favorite player(s)......I RAISED MINE!"
Jill Staniec
"In our mixed gender sport, we need girls to play in order to play, so literally #ShePlaysWeWin. But the contributions of these athletes show that we need girls and women on the field for more than just a quota.
Girls in our youth programs contribute on the field as leaders, commanding their troops on offence and defence. Girls on our youth teams are also building soft skills in teamwork and communication, while also building their basic sports literacy (catching, running, throwing, and shooting). Girls are starting to discover that they enjoy physical activity and sports, and our favourite stories are the girls who tell us they love to go to Phys Ed class now when they hated it before.
Women on our team were those girls. They were the girls who played sport, now all grown up. If those girls hadn't played, they couldn't play now. They couldn't showcase our team and our sport at the Quidditch World Cup in Florence, Italy. If girls don't play, then women can't play. So it is literally only if she plays that we *can* win. And that's Winning Forever, however our games at the event this summer go."
Stephanie Astornio
"Sports has inspired my daughter to be the best that she can be. She is a soccer player and playing on a team has built her confidence, strengthened her mind and taught her essential life skills she will use forever. Being on team has built friendships and trust with her teammates. #ShePlaysWeWin , we all win. As a parent I win knowing my daughter feels acceptance, confident, happy and empowered. She wins because she feels energized, an important member/intergral part of her team, and special. I truly believe sports, especially team sports, is an important part of my daughter's life and well being and I hope every girl gets the opportunity to partake in sports and I hope Women's League/Women's Professional League sports continue to grow and develop and more girls get the oppurtunity to follow their dreams."
Keep on Playing, keep on sharing
We love to hear from you - if you have a cool story to share or would like your team to be featured on the blog, drop us a line @FlipGive, or on Facebook!
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