It’s that time of year when some women and girls can feel unsafe training in the dark.  It’s so sad that we have to think like that, but we must.  It’s better to be safe than sorry.  We’ve asked Dr Amy Whitehead to share with us ways to stay safe when being active outside in the dark.

It’s not often you’ll find a current newsy piece on our blog but this is SO important that it had to be shared and celebrated!

Just the day before the England women’s football team were about to become European Champions, a footy tournament was taking place in London for girls’ teams. It was a huge success and, just like us, the Project behind it is focussed on breaking down barriers to sport - thank you Leanne for your efforts, the tournament and your write-up.

Polly is a 15-year-old from Wales who loves to ski. She trained with a Canadian freestyle club in 2020 and won the Under 12’s Welsh Girls Freestyle Championship in 2019. She has just passed her Level 1 Canadian ski instructor course at only 14 and is going on to do her Level 2.

One day she hopes to work as a medic with the ski patrol.

California based Daisy Bamberger is an up and coming Latina American boxer who might not have made Tokyo but is aiming for the next summer Olympics in Paris in 2024 (only three years to wait thanks to COVID rather than the normal four!).

As mums that were passionate to help their very sporty daughters, we set out to make not only our daughters, but all those that have periods, lives easier. We believe that nobody should have to suffer the insecurities or embarrassments that period ‘accidents’ can cause. Research has shown that many girls stop participating in sport due to periods. We wanted our knickers to enable them to continue with sport and activity into womanhood, knowing that they will be completely secure and comfortable - enabling them to be a warrior not a worrier.

Recently it was neurodiversity celebration week, and we couldn’t let it go by without celebrating neurodiverse athletes. Our aim is for any and every girl to be able to find a sporting role model – we really believe in ‘If you can’t see it, you can’t be it.’

This week is Mental Health Awareness in the UK and the theme is Connect with Nature. When we think of nature, we might go to forests and green open spaces but the sea counts too!

Yvette Curtis must have the sea in her genes; half Mauritian, half British, in this week’s blog she explains how surfing and the sea helps her and her community be active, look after their mental health and be at one with nature.

If you’re on Tik Tok or Instagram you’ll have seen the huge rise in jump rope which in some cases is a positive outcome of the recent lockdown. This is a very simple, affordable and effective way to keep fit and has been used by elite athletes for years! We asked Wajeeda Yusuf about her jump rope story.

Dancing makes me feel whole, it completes me. It is one of those things you don’t even realise you love so much, it’s just there forever - Ella Dorward

This week we have a guest blog , perfect for girls ,on body image from Anupa Roper also known as ‘Miss Sparrowlegs’. Anupa lives in Leicestershire, UK with her husband and two children (Maya 11 and Ayden 10). She allowed the label of ‘skinny’ to affect her feelings, self esteem and worth for a long time. Now she wants to empower the young by helping them to feel happy in their own skin. She would love for the generations that follow to know that their bodies are amazing and they are beautiful just the way they are.

Given everything that’s going on in the world, it’s no wonder there has been a reported increase in teens experiencing depression and anxiety. But it doesn’t have to take a pandemic to cause high stress levels in our brain: school, exams, family, and even friendship drama, can cause the brain to respond with anxiety that prohibits us from feeling and doing our best.

Do you ever feel as though you’re not sure what’s going on with your tween or teen girl? Has your daughter suddenly lost interest in exercise and you’re not sure why? Maybe she wants to participate more which is unusual.

Are you a teenager who wants to understand more about what’s going on with your body and mind?

We are Girls in Sport is here to help!