Team Insight

teaminsightmag.com March 2018 / Team Insight 13 The Athlete: Haley currently competes on her high school varsity field hockey team and has been playing since 7th grade. She is also on her school's varsity ski racing team. In addition, she played lacrosse for six years and is an avid golfer and tennis player. Scale of 1-10: "I would rate the manufacturers that have produced my sports equipment a 7. I find myself generally very happy with the quality of my athletic equipment, as it is durable and has lasted me through many seasons. However, I feel improvements could still be made on the fit and materials of female athletic clothes." Likes and Dislikes: "I don't like the fit of many of my athletic clothes. I find many of the styles to be restricting of my movements, including many of the ill-fitting uniforms used by my school. When I'm not in uniform, I find myself repeatedly wearing the same athletic shorts and leggings because it is difficult to find shorts or pants that stay up when running and fit my legs normally. The colors of my athletic clothes, including sports bras, have leaked when I sweat and stained most of my clothing or equipment. Finally, many of my sports bras have padding that has to be repeatedly adjusted, does not stay in place and comes out when washed." Better or Worse: "The technical fabrics of the athletic apparel has certainly improved since I began playing sports. However, I have not noticed a major change in the quality of equipment." For Girls Only: "I have not noticed a difference in the availability of female spe- cific equipment." For the Boys: "I have never been in a position where female sports equipment has not been available to me. However, I have purchased men's sports equipment simply because it is more or less the same." Where to Buy: "I get my equipment from local sport- ing goods stores. Most of my apparel is bought from Gap, Athletica or off-price retailers." Favorite Gear: "My favorite pair of sports shoes are definitely my New Balance sneakers." Horror Stories: "Luckily, I have not experienced many horror stories related to my equipment. However, I once wore new Asics sneakers to a field hockey game and left with many painful, bleeding blisters." Message to the Industry: "Please focus on the fit of sports leggings so that they stay up on girls when running." Q The Athlete: Currently a senior in high school, Elizabeth has been playing basketball for 10 years and will be playing Division 3 basketball at Emory University next year. 1-10: "I would give manufacturers a 7 for the products I use. They do their jobs, but I know things can be better and more affordable to the common athlete." Likes and Dislikes: "I like the design of most of my sports equipment and it is all fairly functional. The one thing that can be better is making women's shorts. I feel like women's basketball shorts are often too short and tight to be functional when playing. I often have to purchase men's shorts, which also do not fit that well in the waist and butt. I also wish things were more affordable — I often wear something long after it has worn out because it is pretty ridiculous to replace it. And although there are not nearly as many options for women's as there are for men's equipment, there is still a good amount." Better or Worse: "Apparel and equipment has defi- nitely improved. When I started playing there were only pink and stereotypical girly graphic prints and designs. Now the designs are more focused in the toughness and equality of girls and boys." For the Boys: "There are a couple of things that I always have to buy that are made for boys, mainly shoes and shorts. I would absolutely love to see shoes and apparel branded from WNBA athletes. Every little girl knows about Steph Curry and LeBron James, but you can't say the same for Maya Moore or Candace Parker. It is so important to show the leaders of women's basketball because it shows that girls can be extremely successful athletes. It would be amazing someday to wear Maya Moore shoes instead of the new Kyrie Irving shoes." Where to Shop: "I usually buy my sports stuff at Dick's Sporting Goods or Johnny Macs. This has not really changed over the years, maybe a little as I have become more intense in my basketball and athletic career. Because Dick's is mostly more expensive my parents probably bought me equip- ment from less sport-specific stores or resale shops." Favorite Gear: "I have lots of favorite sports equip- ment, including my custom soldier 10 Nike basketball shoes, my roller to roll out sore muscles, shoe dryers that I put in my shoes after a workout to prevent mold and smell, and my Nike basketball backpack. I also love my Stanford Women's Basketball T-shirt — any time I have a chance to support women's basketball teams, I do." Horror Stories: "Yes, one, that is partly my fault. One time I had a long tournament and the sole of my shoe wore out really quickly. When this hap- pened, my toe developed a huge blister that eventually came off completely. This happened on the first of the three days of the tour- nament, so I was forced to play with a completely raw foot. I hobbled through the whole tournament with a bandaged and duct taped sore foot — it was absolutely horrible." Message to the Industry: "It's super important for equipment to be durable and moisture wicking. And please look into creating athletic lines from women athletes, like WNBA players. This will serve the women's sports industry tremendously and will make for an equal environment. Fewer girls will stop playing the sports that they love if they see that other women have succeeded. Q HALEY B. | AGE 16 | WESTON, CT ELIZABETH P. | 18 | ST. LOUIS, MO "Please look into creating athletic lines from women athletes." "I have never been in a position where female sports equipment has not been available." Haley B., on the right, plays field hockey for her high school team in Connecticut.

• Cover