WS Chronicle

By age 14, statistics show that teenage girls are dropping out of sports at two times the rate of boys. A study conducted by the Women’s Sports Foundation showed that 75% of girls aged 11 to 18, said the way their body changes during puberty was the reason they stopped playing sports.

Last week Dr. Amber Brooks led an initiative aimed at keeping girls active by providing more than 150 free sports bras and running shoes to local student-athletes.

A few months ago Dr. Brooks, a certified anesthesiologist and comprehensive pain management physician at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, said Dr. Kristen Hairston, a endocrinologist at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, shared her concerns about female athletes not having access to well-fitted undergarments, which can lead to decreased participation in sports and physical activity, also putting them at risk for developing chronic health conditions.

“What me and Dr. Hairston, we both have young daughters, were noticing that young women were not equipped with proper fitting undergarments, especially sports bras, and we wanted to do something about it,” Brooks continued. “When young ladies lose interest in physical activity because they’re not comfortable in their bodies because they don’t have the right fitted garments, then they’re less likely to be active as adults.”

After identifying the problem, Brooks and a group of eight women immediately started working on a solution. In less than two months the group raised over $5,000 and forged partnerships with HanesBrands, Fleet Feet Winston-Salem, Soma Intimates, Novant Health, and Winston-Salem State University’s Powerhouse of Red and White Cheerleaders.

On Friday, the final day of Powerhouse’s annual high school team camp held on the campus of WSSU, representatives from Soma Intimates were on hand to provide custom bra fittings and $10 discount cards. And representatives from Fleet Feet custom-fit every camper and member of Powerhouse with the right pair of running shoes.

“I think the idea resonated with so many people because it’s a matter of equity,” Brooks said. “If you don’t have access to the right equipment, then there is the possibility that you can’t perform at your highest.”

Following the success of the first “Day of Giving,”  Dr. Brooks said this is only the beginning and her new goal is to see the event grow and reach even more student-athletes.

“I hope this pilot event today will give us the energy, momentum, and resources to grow it bigger and better. I hope that one day we can say every student- athlete has the proper equipment to be successful. But until that day comes, we’re going to continue to do this work.”