Charles Hart Middle School’s gym was filled with cheers, music and a whole lot of dancing as about 100 girls got a visit from the Washington Mystics, the Wizards’ dance team and Monumental Sports.
The vibe was so strong, the gym felt like a dance party and the theme of the afternoon was “girls who play become women who lead.”
The celebration centered on one key piece of equipment that organizers said many girls in sports are missing: sports bras that fit.
The sports bra giveaway from the Mystics and Monumental Sports, through a new nonprofit called EquipHer, gave away three free sports bras to every girl at Hart Middle School. There was also assistance there to make sure each student could find the right fit — with help measuring and specific instructions on how the bras should fit.
“Equipment is so essential to us performing well … and sports bras are no different than any other equipment that we need for our sports,” said Alycen McCauley, chief business officer for the Mystics.
According to McAuley, only 52% of D.C. girls play sports, compared to about 72% of boys — the largest gender gap in youth sports participation in the country.
Organizers said they hope the new EquipHer program will help break down that barrier.
In total, Monumental Sports and the Mystics are giving away more than 13,000 sports bras to D.C. Public Schools students at 39 schools. Each girl on a sports team roster will receive three, along with extra inventory that will go to schools so athletic directors and physical education teachers have them on hand. Each kit also included a link to a video tutorial on finding the right fit.
“When girls play, they become phenomenal leaders,” McCauley said. “Sports is the unique classroom that teaches girls the opportunity to learn teamwork, resiliency, coming back from defeat, understanding how to excel in a team environment. … If we want a strong community in D.C., we need our girls to become those leaders of tomorrow.”
Londyn Campfield, an eighth grade track athlete and Hart Middle student government member, said getting the right equipment matters.
“If you don’t have good equipment, then you’re not going to be able to do your best if you don’t have the right stuff for the sport,” Campfield said.
Monumental Sports President of External Affairs Monica Dixon said this simple, and perhaps underrated step, has the potential to make a big impact on the girls later in life.
“Ninety-four percent of women in C-suites across business played sports growing up,” Dixon said. “Getting girls out to be with each other, build relationships, learn how to collaborate, learn how to be there when a teammate is struggling, is key to work in an office and any business environment. You’ve got to know how to work with people that you’re pulling for.”
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