August 1, 2024 • 34 mins
Guest: Sophie Lee, High School Lacrosse Player
Background:
Early Sports Journey: Sophie began her athletic journey as a dancer, engaging in all types of dance including ballet.
Challenges in Ballet: The physical and emotional toll of ballet, coupled with body shame stigma, left Sophie feeling emotionally challenged.
Transition to Lacrosse: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sophie picked up lacrosse. Her coordination, cardio training, and strength helped her quickly develop stick skills and excel in the game.
Cross Country Running: In addition to lacrosse, Sophie runs cross country. She experienced a loss of her period for months during the season.
Health and Nutrition: Sophie worked hard to increase her nutritional intake to protect her long-term health, prioritizing period health.
Advocacy and Writing:
Drops of Ink: Sophie writes for the publication "Drops of Ink," where she openly discusses issues related to girls in sports, equity, periods and performance, and providing social and emotional support.
Period Health Advocacy: Sophie advocates for bringing conversations about periods out of the shadows and into locker rooms, making discussions around period health less awkward.
Role with PEAC:
Mentorship and Advocacy: Sophie will be one of PEAC's mentors, serving as a role model, advocate, and ally. She will introduce PEAC and its concepts to her teammates and coaches.
Key Themes:
Emotional and Physical Challenges in Sports
Body Image and Stigma
Importance of Period Health
Advocacy for Girls in Sports
Mentorship and Leadership
Tune in to hear Sophie Lee's inspiring journey and her dedication to supporting girls in sports through advocacy and mentorship.
Websites
https://www.lhsdoi.com/staff_name/sophie-lee/
https://sustainablelifelive.com/information-podcast
https://open.spotify.com/show/2Wjk0S2axR58Qu0nMCcENB
https://sampsonannemarie.podbean.com/
https://www.instagram.com/peac_train_like_a_girl/
https://www.instagram.com/ssophieleee/
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Music.
(00:09):
Welcome to Peak, Train Like a Girl, a podcast by girls in sport for girls and coaches in sport.
We're here to amplify your voice that deserves to be heard.
At Peak, we are a safe place for girls to hang out, learn, grow, and build community.
We empower girls in sport and their coaches with knowledge, resources,
(00:30):
and support we think is necessary to thrive in today's athletic environments.
Join us for bold and candid conversations about the experiences of girls in sport.
Our discussions will make you laugh, cry, cheer, get frustrated,
and hopefully rethink the future of girls in sport for generations to come.
(00:51):
Whether you're walking, commuting, getting ready to move into a dorm room,
or cleaning your bedroom, take us with you.
Follow us. It helps more than you can imagine. Check out our website and make
sure you share with a female athlete or coach you love.
Now, I can't wait to introduce you to our next guest.
(01:12):
Our next guest happens to be the first high school athlete we've had on the podcast.
And I'm super excited to have you get to learn a little bit more about her.
Our next guest is Sophie. She is a high school lacrosse player.
She's actually a really good lacrosse player even
though I coach cross country and she happens to
(01:34):
also run cross country for me I
also have had the pleasure of watching her on lacrosse field and I will tell
you she absolutely lights up with joy with passion with commitment and with
leadership and it's been such a pleasure to get to watch her grow and thrive in a sport she
(01:56):
absolutely loves over the past four years.
I know Sophie hopes to play college lacrosse, and I'm going to let her talk
a little bit more about that.
We probably got a little closer when she asked me to sit down for an interview
with Drop Some Ink, which is a school newspaper where she does writing and editing.
(02:19):
I was really impressed that she wanted to learn more about my thoughts about
girls, sports, what the future is, what the past looked like.
And I knew that she was somebody that I wanted to talk a little further with.
So without any more interruption.
So are you ready to get warmed up? I'm ready.
Awesome. All right. Cat or dog?
(02:43):
Dog. I love both, but dog. All right. Oh, I'm curious about this actually.
Track workout or in the long run.
Oh, that's a good one. I know.
I think probably long run. Get to think a little more?
Yeah, especially if you're running at a steady pace with a few good friends.
(03:04):
Long run. Yeah, nothing better than that, for sure.
All right, now I'm also curious about this. Taylor Swift or The Beatles?
Oh, The Beatles, any day. I love The Beatles so much.
I actually kind of thought that was going to be your answer.
Really? Yeah, you're a little old soul-esque, I think. Thank you.
(03:26):
It's very funny. We'll have to fire up some Beatles at practice this summer. Oh, absolutely.
This fall. All right. Four-star hotel or camping?
Camping. I love camping.
Nice. I thought you were going to say that.
Well, thank you for agreeing to sit down and chat with us a few.
Of course. Thank you for having me.
(03:48):
We are so glad you're here. year. So why don't you fill us in a little bit on your journey in sport?
Why don't you start around middle school and let us know when it took you to
get to the position you're in now, playing high school lacrosse and considering
playing at the collegiate level? Absolutely.
(04:09):
So I began as a dancer, actually, when I was really young.
And I kind of just stuck with with dance for a really long time because that was what I was put into.
And I liked it, I actually really enjoyed dance and I got really strong.
But I think the the social and emotional aspects definitely started to weigh on me.
(04:33):
I think the pressures that came with being a dancer, especially with ballet,
that really starts to affect someone, especially like as a middle schooler.
You know, you're going through so many changes physically and especially emotionally.
And all of that was completely disregarded at dance. And it was just it was
(04:54):
so uniform and you just had to do exactly what you were told all the time.
And there didn't really feel like I didn't really feel like there was any room
to branch out and make it what I wanted it to be.
So I did end up quitting dance during covid and I picked up my brother's old
(05:16):
lacrosse stick and I just I was having so much fun.
Yeah I fell in love with
lacrosse and then going into high school or going
into eighth grade I played lacrosse and going into high
school I continued playing lacrosse and cross country
of course yeah and with
lacrosse I think because I joined so late
(05:38):
I definitely had to spend a lot
of extra time learning new stick skills and honestly just how to play the sport
I remember I remember before my high school varsity tryout I was looking up
how to play a game of lacrosse because I didn't even really know what I was getting into.
(05:58):
I just knew I was decent at the stick work. I know how to run.
But, yeah, I think definitely with the help of I had so much support with my
mom and with the help from coaches, I was really able to grow and be where I am now.
Oh, my gosh, that's amazing. Yeah.
There's so many interesting things that I want to talk about here.
(06:22):
And I want to circle back to the beginning of what you talked about.
But before we do that, the interesting thing about lacrosse is it's still a
new enough sport that you can really, you know, as late as eighth grade,
given what you said, you were, you know, you were a skilled athlete.
You had good stick skills. You know, you were fast. You were coordinated.
(06:45):
You know, you were able to pick it up. I see that one of the things that has
been a consistent theme as we keep talking to girls in sport is that the non-specialization
has actually helped these athletes stay healthy,
stay injury-free, and keep developing passion for sport. work.
(07:06):
So do you think even though, you know, it may have been, again,
a fast start, do you think that the fact that you were a multi-sport athlete actually helped you?
Absolutely. I definitely think so. And with having a mom who is both a trainer
and a runner, and she's just so athletic, she definitely encouraged,
(07:29):
she encouraged me to run and to involve myself
in other physical activities outside of dance and
so I think having that plus the
plus the prior dance training definitely contributed
to the fast pickup of lacrosse
yeah I think so that's so interesting and you for the most part have been injury
(07:53):
free throughout your high school career correct yeah I've been so blessed to
not have really been out yeah and I think that goes back to the fact that But
you are, you know, you're mobile,
you're well conditioned, you're strong.
I mean, you had stuff and you it wasn't a lot of repetition.
So your body had the opportunity to rest and relax and try different things on for side.
(08:17):
So it didn't necessarily get broken down. You think that's true? Absolutely.
Yeah, I think it is, too. All right. Let's go back and talk about the dance
piece for just a minute. This is not the first time I am hearing this in particular
about the sport of dance.
The interesting thing is, is when I talk to people initially,
(08:40):
people are like, you know, sport isn't a dance. And I'm like,
have you seen them? Right.
Dance is definitely a sport. So let's just start there and let's clarify. Yeah.
But it's hard to hear that a lot of what dance is, in particular ballet,
is, you know, the unison, the fitting in.
(09:01):
I heard that and I can see that, right? There's symmetry in dance and obviously
there is benefit to that.
But then when you take it that step further and you're not only trying to make
different moves look similar, you're now also trying to make different physiques look similar.
And that's kind of what I heard you saying from both a physical and an emotional
(09:23):
perspective that your body was going through the normal fluctuations that a,
you know, 14, 15, 16 year old would be going through.
And that was not seen in a positive light. Is that accurate? Absolutely.
Can you elaborate just a little on that, what that felt like or how it manifested,
(09:44):
how it showed up? Yeah, for sure. Sure.
I think definitely with ballet, I did get I did get this in all of the types of dance that I was in.
But I was really lucky to have a few teachers who were very body positive and
didn't apply this pressure.
(10:04):
But it came to points in ballet.
I've been told like and we talked about this, like, Sophie, I can see your lunch.
Sophie i can see your dinner like i think especially
like when you're when you're a middle school girl
like you're starting to develop physically and
like i definitely noticed like
(10:26):
my hips were getting bigger or wider i started
developing a chest and i had to get different leotards and
it was just such a funky time because you're
wearing the tights that you wore three years
ago and they're uncomfortable around your
waist and so like obviously you might see my lunch
a little bit more but I think not having
(10:49):
teachers I and this isn't a knock on my teachers because yeah
and no one's taking that yeah they were taught
in the same way so this is what they would know how
to teach but I think it would have been so beneficial
to me and all of the
other girls if we could stop and like address the
fact that it might not be it might
(11:12):
not feel super comfortable at times and especially like when you're on your
period like the last thing you want to do is a leap through the air like sure
yeah I think it would have been nice to have that or to recognize the changes
that were going on in our bodies and how that might impact.
Are dancing or even how we feel at dance. Sure.
(11:34):
Yeah. Yeah. It is interesting because we're not here to point fingers.
I think we are here to point out some roadblocks or some hiccups or some changes that have to happen.
And I think that you and I are in agreement there.
And I think what has to happen is from, from a non-emotional perspective,
(11:59):
to be able to say to somebody, hey, you know what.
When you tell me that my stomach looks full or round or plump or sticking out
after I've eaten lunch, it really makes me feel self-conscious.
You know, it really makes me, you know, think about, you know,
does my body not look, quote unquote, good enough?
(12:21):
And really, what would be better is if you just focused on, you know,
how I'm performing, how I am moving and having less to do with like the physical traits.
And I do think there's an education piece there because you're exactly right.
Like we all have to learn somewhere. And I go back and I look and I've been
(12:44):
in this industry for 40 years. And trust me, not only did I hear the same things that you heard.
I wasn't in ballet, but I heard those same things when I was growing up.
You know, your stomach looks a little full.
You shouldn't eat that because this will happen like this.
You know, as if, you know, eating an avocado and, you know, a peanut butter
(13:04):
and jelly sandwich was, you know, somehow going to make me less well or unhealthy
or not fit or whatever the it is.
Right. But we also have to realize and recognize that those words and those
taboo subjects, like you were saying,
(13:24):
whether that's fueling or having a period every month.
Those are conversations that we have to be having.
We have to be telling young girls that they need to fuel for performance.
They need to fuel for recovery.
They need to be having a period every single month.
(13:46):
And those have to be normalized. And the conversations have to start somewhere.
And I do think we can have those conversations with a 12, 13, 14, 15-year-old.
But I also think that if we're not having those conversations with coaches and caretakers,
it's hard to, you know, have those be implemented in a way that is forward moving.
(14:15):
You think that's right? I think so.
I do think definitely that conversation just needs to be normalized everywhere.
I think these are our bodies and our well-being and these are our minds.
And the fact that it's so awkward in places where I don't believe it should
(14:37):
be awkward to talk about our physical and emotional state.
Yeah, I think that there definitely needs to be some change revolving around
that. And I think that would have really benefited me as a dancer.
And it would have definitely benefited the girls around me so much.
Yeah. Do you see it less in lacrosse? Do you see less body shame,
(15:02):
less stigma, more talk about periods, not really fill us in there?
I will. So I definitely believe that, or I've seen less body shaming in lacrosse for sure.
However sometimes it is
still awkward around period talk and it's
it's interesting to me too because again you're
(15:25):
in this environment with all girls with
the exception of my assistant coach and again it's just not something that we
bring up all the time but I I'm very lucky to have teammates who we can talk
about it and we can like really acknowledge how it does still affect your playing sometimes. Sure.
(15:47):
But yeah, I think, I think period talk is still very, it's still very quiet
and not addressed enough.
Yeah. So my big mission is to get periods out of the dark and into the locker room.
I mean, that is, yeah, it is a big mission of mine. sign, how do you think that
(16:08):
happens? Because I think you're right.
I mean, like, I'm doing a survey in cross country this year,
I'm making every single athlete fill it out and making their parents sign it.
And I'm flat out asking, is your athlete menstruating? Do they menstruate every
month? Like I'm, I'm asking, I don't want and.
I have no idea how that's going to be received, by the way. I don't know if
(16:30):
people are going to be like freaked out.
I don't know if people are going to be upset. I don't know if people are going to be relieved.
Like, first of all, how do you think two questions?
How do you think we get the period talk out of the dark and into the locker rooms?
And what do you think the reaction to that survey is going to be?
All right i'll answer the second question first okay
(16:52):
it pops up in my mind i my
hope is that it is received i hope it's received in a good way i hope that parents
will see that and understand that your motive is to genuinely like acknowledge
(17:12):
that you care about the well-being of these
athletes and in one podcast you
talked about like how athletes will
talk about how they're not menstruating during their seasons and how
how unhealthy that really is right and how unfortunate that like I mean I've
gone to full cross-country seasons where I hadn't had a period and I did yeah
(17:35):
I did have to talk with my mom about that and make some changes in my diets
and not diets, but in what I eat. Yeah.
So I think that it definitely needs to be addressed because it's something that
happens to so many athletes, especially runners.
I mean, you hear it all the time. I'm sure you hear it as a coach.
(17:58):
As a runner, I hear it all the time that so many of us just don't get periods. Yeah.
So I think I think that survey is going to be great. I think it's very necessary
to do that because, I mean, that's part of our health.
That's, you know, and the first question, how to get it out into the open.
(18:19):
I would like to know the answer to that question as well. Well, I think
I think the what's sad is sometimes even if you are like so open to talking
about things because it's it's so there's just a stigma about keeping period
talk silent that a lot of girls also just won't feel comfortable talking about it.
(18:41):
Yeah and that's i mean it's
nothing wrong with the girls it's the way that our society is in the way that
we are shaped to be when we hear talk of period yeah and i think i think there's
also just this idea around periods being gross and i i just hate that because it's something
(19:04):
that's naturally occurring in almost every woman.
And it's it's just it's really unfortunate that it's something that we have
to stay so quiet or that we feel we have to stay so quiet about.
Yeah, and you know what? And here's the thing, and Megan and I have talked about this.
Megan, if you want to unmute to when I'm done, feel free to do that.
(19:26):
You know, one of the things, too, is there are parts of having your period,
that, I mean, that are gross, like no one wants to deal with it, right?
But, and it's, it's complicated and it can be messy.
And, you know, the, the, the very, very good news is there's so many more options out there.
(19:49):
Like, you know, there's so many more types of tampons out there and,
you know, you've got the menstrual cups and there's, you know,
you know, different period pads.
There's so many more options that girls and women have choice now,
which I think is absolutely incredible.
I think part of it too, is if we could normalize the conversation.
(20:12):
It takes some of that quote unquote gross away.
Because when you realize now everyone may not be having the same things.
I mean, some people experience, you know, terrible cramping.
Some Some people have heavy flow. Some people have light flow.
Like there's so many things. Some people get super hungry.
Some people aren't hungry at all. There's so many different,
people get headaches, right?
(20:33):
There's so many different things and that's okay.
But I think just creating the opportunity to be able to say,
you know what? I'm not feeling 100% today.
I started my period. I'm feeling just a little off. I need to take it a little easier at practice.
Or, oh my gosh, I can't believe it. I didn't bring enough tampons with me,
(20:55):
you know, and I go to the, you know, bathroom where, you know,
I know we had Christine Yu on and she said one of the things to move the conversation forward.
She thinks there needs to be period products in every single locker room and
bathroom that girls and women go into. And I think that's a great start.
Why don't we have that? Like they should be in our locker rooms.
So I think that would be a super good start.
(21:18):
Megan, do you want to add anything there? I know you've had some experience
like soap where you lost your period for a little bit.
Yes, most definitely. I'm going to go back to kind of what we were talking about
just a few minutes ago about the survey.
I just like inputting myself in Sophie's position where if I was that age and I saw a survey like that,
(21:39):
that would just have provided me with so much, you know, curiosity in a good
way where I could have brought this information to myself so that further down the road,
I probably would have been able to confront the situation.
A little bit more beneficial for myself so
i am a big fan of the idea of this
(22:01):
survey and just how much even if it's something
that you fill out super quickly and you're uncomfortable with it or if it's
something you absolutely love at least it's a start and that you're aware of
you know what is happening to your body or at least it's just bringing questions
you know so yeah i think that i don't know i think that this would have been
very beneficial to me a few years ago well Well,
(22:23):
I'm going to keep you both in the loop, and I'll let you know how it goes.
And actually, the survey is more in-depth than that. It also talks about fueling.
Are you eating three times a day?
Are you fueling before practice and after practice?
I mean, it goes into how many hours are you sleeping? I mean,
it's not just that. I think it's about 10 questions and everything.
(22:45):
You know, the fact that caretakers and athletes are filling it out together,
you know, and I want people to know that if like,
you know, both you and self experienced, I experienced back in the day,
you know, if your athlete is going three,
four, five months without a period, we're going to have a conversation and the
(23:05):
conversation is going to be with your athlete and their pediatrician or an appropriate
doctor because it is a medical condition at that point.
That is something that has to happen to protect long-term health of bones and
muscle and fertility and mental health and performance.
(23:29):
There's so many things that are involved. So I'm excited about it.
We'll see what happens there. So thanks for coming in, Megan.
I appreciate that. I'm excited, too.
Yeah. And then so I know another thing that you and I have talked about before
is just around social and emotional support for girls in high school in general.
(23:53):
And I'm passionate about this
conversation because I do believe that when you're on an athletic team,
you have the opportunity to develop relationships with girls in sport that are
a little more intimate than perhaps you'd develop in math class or history class.
You know talk to me a little bit about from a social emotional perspective some
(24:17):
of the things that you went through and how it could have served you better
in the high school experience,
absolutely I definitely think that the teammates that I've had have been that
I've made like I've grown these strong friendships with have been my best friends
(24:38):
throughout high school I mean I think cross country and lacrosse have both given me.
Just these friendships where like, if anything is bothering me throughout the
day, I know that the second I get the practice, I can just completely open up
to these girls and I won't be judged for anything that I'm saying.
And I think that I've just been so lucky and blessed to have that throughout high school.
(25:03):
And it's honestly been my driving factor. One of the driving factors for playing
in college because not feeling the pressure of joining,
you know, know like greek life or joining different
clubs to have to make friends but to be able
to be on a team where i have that i
have that environment i think that's it's so priceless um
(25:24):
but yeah i think especially i've we've talked about this you know i've i've
definitely had my share of toxicity in high school and i think being on the
receiving end just like toxic relationships it's really
difficult to, it's really difficult to go to practice and to just play your best.
(25:49):
And I mean, I think it's so true when we say that, like, you take,
you take what you're feeling on the field with you.
And I think when I would take, you know, just these,
these thoughts and these problems that I've been experiencing,
and I would take them onto the field without conversation, I think it would
definitely impact how I feel when I'm playing or running and also how I play or run.
(26:14):
And I think, honestly, having really, really caring teammates and coaches,
I think having you as my coach has been amazing.
So it's so comforting. But having these teammates that just really want to be
there for you and want you to absolutely just succeed.
Yeah, that's something you just don't get anywhere else. You don't get that in your math class.
(26:39):
You don't you know, it's so it's just so amazing to have those relationships.
Yeah, I agree. And I know that something me, a passion had said,
and I know you had said the same thing. And I before we cool down,
I want to just kind of circle around this because I think that this can be hard for people to remember.
(26:59):
But just understanding that high school relationships are serious.
And I know, you know, the oh, it's just a high school relationship or it wasn't
that big of a deal or the kind of like, you know, almost dismissing or downplaying
how that can impact a girl.
And, you know, that's something I think that that I've done OK with,
(27:23):
but I can definitely see how an adult can be dismissive towards that type of relationship.
And high school relationships can be intense.
Absolutely. Absolutely. And I think even even as like an incoming senior,
I will look at like freshmen who are in relationships and it's easy for me to want to pass judgment.
(27:46):
But then I'm like, OK, this could be very serious.
This could be something I have no idea, you know?
Yeah. And I think, yeah, it definitely it can definitely eat at you when it's bad.
Yeah. And that's something I know I can do better about.
I think we assume that kids come to practice and they're struggling with low
(28:10):
energy availability or they're struggling with their period or they're struggling
with their math class or they're having problems at home.
But I think we sometimes forget that some of those social emotional factors
are because of relationships with peers.
And I think we could all do a better job. I know I can do a better job remembering
(28:31):
that those are super important relationships and they can weigh hard on a student athlete.
Absolutely. They can't even affect, I mean, eating, like whether you have an
appetite or not or whether you're sleeping.
And that's also something that's really not talked about, but definitely,
definitely could be relatable. Yeah. Yeah. That's a great point.
(28:53):
Well, it has been an absolute pleasure. So thank you so much.
We didn't even get to talk about you are going to be a mentor for PEAK.
And so I'm so excited about that. Right. So excited.
Yeah. So we're going to have you and a couple other athletes,
a collegiate athlete and a professional athlete that are going to,
(29:16):
you know, just be a sounding board and role models and advocating allies for
for what we're trying to do at PEAK, which is really trying to understand the
unique needs of female athletes in sports.
So thank you so much for being a part of our mentor program.
We really appreciate that. And, you know, we get to do so many incredible things with this.
(29:39):
And I know, you know, you've got some ideas with your beautiful writing and
some of your other talents.
So I can't wait to see where this calling takes you.
Oh, thank you. I'm so excited.
All right. right so let's cool it down just a little
so let's learn a couple more things about you
so here i'm curious about this if talent weren't
(30:01):
an issue what would be a sport that you
would love to excel oh that's
a really good one honestly i i
want to say swim oh you can
go train the i know that is
a great answer i think swim or maybe water
(30:21):
polo oh it's so cool i think it's so cool so cool well then i have to ask you
what's your favorite sport to be watching in the olympics right now oh that's
tough honestly i know there's so many so tough i have to say gymnastics give
me three gymnastics what about your second best.
I have to say swim. Absolutely. It's so exciting, isn't it? It's so fun.
(30:48):
I love that. Oh, my gosh. Do you have a favorite female athlete right now?
That probably could be a high school athlete, a college athlete, professional.
I think Sabrina. Oh, I'm not going to say her name right. Sabrina Ionescu. Okay. I believe.
Yeah. What does she do? you well i
(31:09):
got to learn about her when i was actually writing the future of
women's sports piece she's a basketball player she's
really cool i just really liked i really
liked the like i i watched a interview
with her i don't even remember anything about it
now of course but i i put some of it into my drops
(31:29):
of ink drops of ink piece and it
was really cool she's just she's very she's
very humble in the way she speaks and I
think that's something that especially given like a very
talented and dedicated athlete like humility is I would definitely struggle
absolutely but I think it was just really cool very inspiring to listen to humble
(31:54):
athletes I would agree with that humility I think is I'm I'm big on humility
I think that it's something thing.
I, I, it's a huge value of mine and I, it's a value that I know I seek out in other people.
So I'm with you on that. So we'll
drop the link to her so other people can find out how fabulous she is.
(32:14):
And also I know we're going to figure out how to drop a link to drop some ink
so people can read your awesome writing.
Um, yeah, which can be super exciting. So one more question before we leave
and do you have either the best or the worst advice a coach has ever given you?
(32:35):
Oh man, no.
That's a really good, that's a really good one. I think I've had one thing that
I've kind of carried with me that actually my, one of my club lacrosse coaches
told me, she just said, you don't owe anyone anything,
but your teammates have got you.
(32:55):
So I think about that, like your teammates have got you and they also aren't
expecting you to owe them anything, you know, But they're still supporting you
and they're still, I mean, you don't know.
I think about it all the time. I think about it on the field,
off the field. You don't owe anyone anything.
(33:16):
It's interesting when you said that because it's also reciprocal because if
your teammates are also saying it back,
that reciprocity and that's the humility you were just talking about because
if everyone is saying that same thing, saying everyone's out there working their
hardest, but knowing they don't owe anything to anybody, but you're just showing up.
(33:36):
It's the best version of you. That's great advice. I love that.
I'm going to write that down and use it. So if I say it in practice one day,
I'll give you credit. I love it.
And it's when you know that your teammates have got you, they know you don't
owe them anything, but they've still got you either way.
Man, it's so true. Well, Sophie, Okay, thanks so much for being here.
(33:58):
Thanks everybody for tuning in.
Don't forget to follow us. Make sure you're sharing our episodes.
Join us on Instagram, peak, train like a girl, and take a minute to explore our website.
As I already mentioned, we're gonna drop the links to everything we've talked
about today in the show notes.
(34:18):
Music.
Music.
(00:09):
Welcome to Peak, Train Like a Girl, a podcast by girls in sport for girls and coaches in sport.
We're here to amplify your voice that deserves to be heard.
At Peak, we are a safe place for girls to hang out, learn, grow, and build community.
We empower girls in sport and their coaches with knowledge, resources,
(00:30):
and support we think is necessary to thrive in today's athletic environments.
Join us for bold and candid conversations about the experiences of girls in sport.
Our discussions will make you laugh, cry, cheer, get frustrated,
and hopefully rethink the future of girls in sport for generations to come.
(00:51):
Whether you're walking, commuting, getting ready to move into a dorm room,
or cleaning your bedroom, take us with you.
Follow us. It helps more than you can imagine. Check out our website and make
sure you share with a female athlete or coach you love.
Now, I can't wait to introduce you to our next guest.
(01:12):
Our next guest happens to be the first high school athlete we've had on the podcast.
And I'm super excited to have you get to learn a little bit more about her.
Our next guest is Sophie. She is a high school lacrosse player.
She's actually a really good lacrosse player even
though I coach cross country and she happens to
(01:34):
also run cross country for me I
also have had the pleasure of watching her on lacrosse field and I will tell
you she absolutely lights up with joy with passion with commitment and with
leadership and it's been such a pleasure to get to watch her grow and thrive in a sport she
(01:56):
absolutely loves over the past four years.
I know Sophie hopes to play college lacrosse, and I'm going to let her talk
a little bit more about that.
We probably got a little closer when she asked me to sit down for an interview
with Drop Some Ink, which is a school newspaper where she does writing and editing.
(02:19):
I was really impressed that she wanted to learn more about my thoughts about
girls, sports, what the future is, what the past looked like.
And I knew that she was somebody that I wanted to talk a little further with.
So without any more interruption.
So are you ready to get warmed up? I'm ready.
Awesome. All right. Cat or dog?
(02:43):
Dog. I love both, but dog. All right. Oh, I'm curious about this actually.
Track workout or in the long run.
Oh, that's a good one. I know.
I think probably long run. Get to think a little more?
Yeah, especially if you're running at a steady pace with a few good friends.
(03:04):
Long run. Yeah, nothing better than that, for sure.
All right, now I'm also curious about this. Taylor Swift or The Beatles?
Oh, The Beatles, any day. I love The Beatles so much.
I actually kind of thought that was going to be your answer.
Really? Yeah, you're a little old soul-esque, I think. Thank you.
(03:26):
It's very funny. We'll have to fire up some Beatles at practice this summer. Oh, absolutely.
This fall. All right. Four-star hotel or camping?
Camping. I love camping.
Nice. I thought you were going to say that.
Well, thank you for agreeing to sit down and chat with us a few.
Of course. Thank you for having me.
(03:48):
We are so glad you're here. year. So why don't you fill us in a little bit on your journey in sport?
Why don't you start around middle school and let us know when it took you to
get to the position you're in now, playing high school lacrosse and considering
playing at the collegiate level? Absolutely.
(04:09):
So I began as a dancer, actually, when I was really young.
And I kind of just stuck with with dance for a really long time because that was what I was put into.
And I liked it, I actually really enjoyed dance and I got really strong.
But I think the the social and emotional aspects definitely started to weigh on me.
(04:33):
I think the pressures that came with being a dancer, especially with ballet,
that really starts to affect someone, especially like as a middle schooler.
You know, you're going through so many changes physically and especially emotionally.
And all of that was completely disregarded at dance. And it was just it was
(04:54):
so uniform and you just had to do exactly what you were told all the time.
And there didn't really feel like I didn't really feel like there was any room
to branch out and make it what I wanted it to be.
So I did end up quitting dance during covid and I picked up my brother's old
(05:16):
lacrosse stick and I just I was having so much fun.
Yeah I fell in love with
lacrosse and then going into high school or going
into eighth grade I played lacrosse and going into high
school I continued playing lacrosse and cross country
of course yeah and with
lacrosse I think because I joined so late
(05:38):
I definitely had to spend a lot
of extra time learning new stick skills and honestly just how to play the sport
I remember I remember before my high school varsity tryout I was looking up
how to play a game of lacrosse because I didn't even really know what I was getting into.
(05:58):
I just knew I was decent at the stick work. I know how to run.
But, yeah, I think definitely with the help of I had so much support with my
mom and with the help from coaches, I was really able to grow and be where I am now.
Oh, my gosh, that's amazing. Yeah.
There's so many interesting things that I want to talk about here.
(06:22):
And I want to circle back to the beginning of what you talked about.
But before we do that, the interesting thing about lacrosse is it's still a
new enough sport that you can really, you know, as late as eighth grade,
given what you said, you were, you know, you were a skilled athlete.
You had good stick skills. You know, you were fast. You were coordinated.
(06:45):
You know, you were able to pick it up. I see that one of the things that has
been a consistent theme as we keep talking to girls in sport is that the non-specialization
has actually helped these athletes stay healthy,
stay injury-free, and keep developing passion for sport. work.
(07:06):
So do you think even though, you know, it may have been, again,
a fast start, do you think that the fact that you were a multi-sport athlete actually helped you?
Absolutely. I definitely think so. And with having a mom who is both a trainer
and a runner, and she's just so athletic, she definitely encouraged,
(07:29):
she encouraged me to run and to involve myself
in other physical activities outside of dance and
so I think having that plus the
plus the prior dance training definitely contributed
to the fast pickup of lacrosse
yeah I think so that's so interesting and you for the most part have been injury
(07:53):
free throughout your high school career correct yeah I've been so blessed to
not have really been out yeah and I think that goes back to the fact that But
you are, you know, you're mobile,
you're well conditioned, you're strong.
I mean, you had stuff and you it wasn't a lot of repetition.
So your body had the opportunity to rest and relax and try different things on for side.
(08:17):
So it didn't necessarily get broken down. You think that's true? Absolutely.
Yeah, I think it is, too. All right. Let's go back and talk about the dance
piece for just a minute. This is not the first time I am hearing this in particular
about the sport of dance.
The interesting thing is, is when I talk to people initially,
(08:40):
people are like, you know, sport isn't a dance. And I'm like,
have you seen them? Right.
Dance is definitely a sport. So let's just start there and let's clarify. Yeah.
But it's hard to hear that a lot of what dance is, in particular ballet,
is, you know, the unison, the fitting in.
(09:01):
I heard that and I can see that, right? There's symmetry in dance and obviously
there is benefit to that.
But then when you take it that step further and you're not only trying to make
different moves look similar, you're now also trying to make different physiques look similar.
And that's kind of what I heard you saying from both a physical and an emotional
(09:23):
perspective that your body was going through the normal fluctuations that a,
you know, 14, 15, 16 year old would be going through.
And that was not seen in a positive light. Is that accurate? Absolutely.
Can you elaborate just a little on that, what that felt like or how it manifested,
(09:44):
how it showed up? Yeah, for sure. Sure.
I think definitely with ballet, I did get I did get this in all of the types of dance that I was in.
But I was really lucky to have a few teachers who were very body positive and
didn't apply this pressure.
(10:04):
But it came to points in ballet.
I've been told like and we talked about this, like, Sophie, I can see your lunch.
Sophie i can see your dinner like i think especially
like when you're when you're a middle school girl
like you're starting to develop physically and
like i definitely noticed like
(10:26):
my hips were getting bigger or wider i started
developing a chest and i had to get different leotards and
it was just such a funky time because you're
wearing the tights that you wore three years
ago and they're uncomfortable around your
waist and so like obviously you might see my lunch
a little bit more but I think not having
(10:49):
teachers I and this isn't a knock on my teachers because yeah
and no one's taking that yeah they were taught
in the same way so this is what they would know how
to teach but I think it would have been so beneficial
to me and all of the
other girls if we could stop and like address the
fact that it might not be it might
(11:12):
not feel super comfortable at times and especially like when you're on your
period like the last thing you want to do is a leap through the air like sure
yeah I think it would have been nice to have that or to recognize the changes
that were going on in our bodies and how that might impact.
Are dancing or even how we feel at dance. Sure.
(11:34):
Yeah. Yeah. It is interesting because we're not here to point fingers.
I think we are here to point out some roadblocks or some hiccups or some changes that have to happen.
And I think that you and I are in agreement there.
And I think what has to happen is from, from a non-emotional perspective,
(11:59):
to be able to say to somebody, hey, you know what.
When you tell me that my stomach looks full or round or plump or sticking out
after I've eaten lunch, it really makes me feel self-conscious.
You know, it really makes me, you know, think about, you know,
does my body not look, quote unquote, good enough?
(12:21):
And really, what would be better is if you just focused on, you know,
how I'm performing, how I am moving and having less to do with like the physical traits.
And I do think there's an education piece there because you're exactly right.
Like we all have to learn somewhere. And I go back and I look and I've been
(12:44):
in this industry for 40 years. And trust me, not only did I hear the same things that you heard.
I wasn't in ballet, but I heard those same things when I was growing up.
You know, your stomach looks a little full.
You shouldn't eat that because this will happen like this.
You know, as if, you know, eating an avocado and, you know, a peanut butter
(13:04):
and jelly sandwich was, you know, somehow going to make me less well or unhealthy
or not fit or whatever the it is.
Right. But we also have to realize and recognize that those words and those
taboo subjects, like you were saying,
(13:24):
whether that's fueling or having a period every month.
Those are conversations that we have to be having.
We have to be telling young girls that they need to fuel for performance.
They need to fuel for recovery.
They need to be having a period every single month.
(13:46):
And those have to be normalized. And the conversations have to start somewhere.
And I do think we can have those conversations with a 12, 13, 14, 15-year-old.
But I also think that if we're not having those conversations with coaches and caretakers,
it's hard to, you know, have those be implemented in a way that is forward moving.
(14:15):
You think that's right? I think so.
I do think definitely that conversation just needs to be normalized everywhere.
I think these are our bodies and our well-being and these are our minds.
And the fact that it's so awkward in places where I don't believe it should
(14:37):
be awkward to talk about our physical and emotional state.
Yeah, I think that there definitely needs to be some change revolving around
that. And I think that would have really benefited me as a dancer.
And it would have definitely benefited the girls around me so much.
Yeah. Do you see it less in lacrosse? Do you see less body shame,
(15:02):
less stigma, more talk about periods, not really fill us in there?
I will. So I definitely believe that, or I've seen less body shaming in lacrosse for sure.
However sometimes it is
still awkward around period talk and it's
it's interesting to me too because again you're
(15:25):
in this environment with all girls with
the exception of my assistant coach and again it's just not something that we
bring up all the time but I I'm very lucky to have teammates who we can talk
about it and we can like really acknowledge how it does still affect your playing sometimes. Sure.
(15:47):
But yeah, I think, I think period talk is still very, it's still very quiet
and not addressed enough.
Yeah. So my big mission is to get periods out of the dark and into the locker room.
I mean, that is, yeah, it is a big mission of mine. sign, how do you think that
(16:08):
happens? Because I think you're right.
I mean, like, I'm doing a survey in cross country this year,
I'm making every single athlete fill it out and making their parents sign it.
And I'm flat out asking, is your athlete menstruating? Do they menstruate every
month? Like I'm, I'm asking, I don't want and.
I have no idea how that's going to be received, by the way. I don't know if
(16:30):
people are going to be like freaked out.
I don't know if people are going to be upset. I don't know if people are going to be relieved.
Like, first of all, how do you think two questions?
How do you think we get the period talk out of the dark and into the locker rooms?
And what do you think the reaction to that survey is going to be?
All right i'll answer the second question first okay
(16:52):
it pops up in my mind i my
hope is that it is received i hope it's received in a good way i hope that parents
will see that and understand that your motive is to genuinely like acknowledge
(17:12):
that you care about the well-being of these
athletes and in one podcast you
talked about like how athletes will
talk about how they're not menstruating during their seasons and how
how unhealthy that really is right and how unfortunate that like I mean I've
gone to full cross-country seasons where I hadn't had a period and I did yeah
(17:35):
I did have to talk with my mom about that and make some changes in my diets
and not diets, but in what I eat. Yeah.
So I think that it definitely needs to be addressed because it's something that
happens to so many athletes, especially runners.
I mean, you hear it all the time. I'm sure you hear it as a coach.
(17:58):
As a runner, I hear it all the time that so many of us just don't get periods. Yeah.
So I think I think that survey is going to be great. I think it's very necessary
to do that because, I mean, that's part of our health.
That's, you know, and the first question, how to get it out into the open.
(18:19):
I would like to know the answer to that question as well. Well, I think
I think the what's sad is sometimes even if you are like so open to talking
about things because it's it's so there's just a stigma about keeping period
talk silent that a lot of girls also just won't feel comfortable talking about it.
(18:41):
Yeah and that's i mean it's
nothing wrong with the girls it's the way that our society is in the way that
we are shaped to be when we hear talk of period yeah and i think i think there's
also just this idea around periods being gross and i i just hate that because it's something
(19:04):
that's naturally occurring in almost every woman.
And it's it's just it's really unfortunate that it's something that we have
to stay so quiet or that we feel we have to stay so quiet about.
Yeah, and you know what? And here's the thing, and Megan and I have talked about this.
Megan, if you want to unmute to when I'm done, feel free to do that.
(19:26):
You know, one of the things, too, is there are parts of having your period,
that, I mean, that are gross, like no one wants to deal with it, right?
But, and it's, it's complicated and it can be messy.
And, you know, the, the, the very, very good news is there's so many more options out there.
(19:49):
Like, you know, there's so many more types of tampons out there and,
you know, you've got the menstrual cups and there's, you know,
you know, different period pads.
There's so many more options that girls and women have choice now,
which I think is absolutely incredible.
I think part of it too, is if we could normalize the conversation.
(20:12):
It takes some of that quote unquote gross away.
Because when you realize now everyone may not be having the same things.
I mean, some people experience, you know, terrible cramping.
Some Some people have heavy flow. Some people have light flow.
Like there's so many things. Some people get super hungry.
Some people aren't hungry at all. There's so many different,
people get headaches, right?
(20:33):
There's so many different things and that's okay.
But I think just creating the opportunity to be able to say,
you know what? I'm not feeling 100% today.
I started my period. I'm feeling just a little off. I need to take it a little easier at practice.
Or, oh my gosh, I can't believe it. I didn't bring enough tampons with me,
(20:55):
you know, and I go to the, you know, bathroom where, you know,
I know we had Christine Yu on and she said one of the things to move the conversation forward.
She thinks there needs to be period products in every single locker room and
bathroom that girls and women go into. And I think that's a great start.
Why don't we have that? Like they should be in our locker rooms.
So I think that would be a super good start.
(21:18):
Megan, do you want to add anything there? I know you've had some experience
like soap where you lost your period for a little bit.
Yes, most definitely. I'm going to go back to kind of what we were talking about
just a few minutes ago about the survey.
I just like inputting myself in Sophie's position where if I was that age and I saw a survey like that,
(21:39):
that would just have provided me with so much, you know, curiosity in a good
way where I could have brought this information to myself so that further down the road,
I probably would have been able to confront the situation.
A little bit more beneficial for myself so
i am a big fan of the idea of this
(22:01):
survey and just how much even if it's something
that you fill out super quickly and you're uncomfortable with it or if it's
something you absolutely love at least it's a start and that you're aware of
you know what is happening to your body or at least it's just bringing questions
you know so yeah i think that i don't know i think that this would have been
very beneficial to me a few years ago well Well,
(22:23):
I'm going to keep you both in the loop, and I'll let you know how it goes.
And actually, the survey is more in-depth than that. It also talks about fueling.
Are you eating three times a day?
Are you fueling before practice and after practice?
I mean, it goes into how many hours are you sleeping? I mean,
it's not just that. I think it's about 10 questions and everything.
(22:45):
You know, the fact that caretakers and athletes are filling it out together,
you know, and I want people to know that if like,
you know, both you and self experienced, I experienced back in the day,
you know, if your athlete is going three,
four, five months without a period, we're going to have a conversation and the
(23:05):
conversation is going to be with your athlete and their pediatrician or an appropriate
doctor because it is a medical condition at that point.
That is something that has to happen to protect long-term health of bones and
muscle and fertility and mental health and performance.
(23:29):
There's so many things that are involved. So I'm excited about it.
We'll see what happens there. So thanks for coming in, Megan.
I appreciate that. I'm excited, too.
Yeah. And then so I know another thing that you and I have talked about before
is just around social and emotional support for girls in high school in general.
(23:53):
And I'm passionate about this
conversation because I do believe that when you're on an athletic team,
you have the opportunity to develop relationships with girls in sport that are
a little more intimate than perhaps you'd develop in math class or history class.
You know talk to me a little bit about from a social emotional perspective some
(24:17):
of the things that you went through and how it could have served you better
in the high school experience,
absolutely I definitely think that the teammates that I've had have been that
I've made like I've grown these strong friendships with have been my best friends
(24:38):
throughout high school I mean I think cross country and lacrosse have both given me.
Just these friendships where like, if anything is bothering me throughout the
day, I know that the second I get the practice, I can just completely open up
to these girls and I won't be judged for anything that I'm saying.
And I think that I've just been so lucky and blessed to have that throughout high school.
(25:03):
And it's honestly been my driving factor. One of the driving factors for playing
in college because not feeling the pressure of joining,
you know, know like greek life or joining different
clubs to have to make friends but to be able
to be on a team where i have that i
have that environment i think that's it's so priceless um
(25:24):
but yeah i think especially i've we've talked about this you know i've i've
definitely had my share of toxicity in high school and i think being on the
receiving end just like toxic relationships it's really
difficult to, it's really difficult to go to practice and to just play your best.
(25:49):
And I mean, I think it's so true when we say that, like, you take,
you take what you're feeling on the field with you.
And I think when I would take, you know, just these,
these thoughts and these problems that I've been experiencing,
and I would take them onto the field without conversation, I think it would
definitely impact how I feel when I'm playing or running and also how I play or run.
(26:14):
And I think, honestly, having really, really caring teammates and coaches,
I think having you as my coach has been amazing.
So it's so comforting. But having these teammates that just really want to be
there for you and want you to absolutely just succeed.
Yeah, that's something you just don't get anywhere else. You don't get that in your math class.
(26:39):
You don't you know, it's so it's just so amazing to have those relationships.
Yeah, I agree. And I know that something me, a passion had said,
and I know you had said the same thing. And I before we cool down,
I want to just kind of circle around this because I think that this can be hard for people to remember.
(26:59):
But just understanding that high school relationships are serious.
And I know, you know, the oh, it's just a high school relationship or it wasn't
that big of a deal or the kind of like, you know, almost dismissing or downplaying
how that can impact a girl.
And, you know, that's something I think that that I've done OK with,
(27:23):
but I can definitely see how an adult can be dismissive towards that type of relationship.
And high school relationships can be intense.
Absolutely. Absolutely. And I think even even as like an incoming senior,
I will look at like freshmen who are in relationships and it's easy for me to want to pass judgment.
(27:46):
But then I'm like, OK, this could be very serious.
This could be something I have no idea, you know?
Yeah. And I think, yeah, it definitely it can definitely eat at you when it's bad.
Yeah. And that's something I know I can do better about.
I think we assume that kids come to practice and they're struggling with low
(28:10):
energy availability or they're struggling with their period or they're struggling
with their math class or they're having problems at home.
But I think we sometimes forget that some of those social emotional factors
are because of relationships with peers.
And I think we could all do a better job. I know I can do a better job remembering
(28:31):
that those are super important relationships and they can weigh hard on a student athlete.
Absolutely. They can't even affect, I mean, eating, like whether you have an
appetite or not or whether you're sleeping.
And that's also something that's really not talked about, but definitely,
definitely could be relatable. Yeah. Yeah. That's a great point.
(28:53):
Well, it has been an absolute pleasure. So thank you so much.
We didn't even get to talk about you are going to be a mentor for PEAK.
And so I'm so excited about that. Right. So excited.
Yeah. So we're going to have you and a couple other athletes,
a collegiate athlete and a professional athlete that are going to,
(29:16):
you know, just be a sounding board and role models and advocating allies for
for what we're trying to do at PEAK, which is really trying to understand the
unique needs of female athletes in sports.
So thank you so much for being a part of our mentor program.
We really appreciate that. And, you know, we get to do so many incredible things with this.
(29:39):
And I know, you know, you've got some ideas with your beautiful writing and
some of your other talents.
So I can't wait to see where this calling takes you.
Oh, thank you. I'm so excited.
All right. right so let's cool it down just a little
so let's learn a couple more things about you
so here i'm curious about this if talent weren't
(30:01):
an issue what would be a sport that you
would love to excel oh that's
a really good one honestly i i
want to say swim oh you can
go train the i know that is
a great answer i think swim or maybe water
(30:21):
polo oh it's so cool i think it's so cool so cool well then i have to ask you
what's your favorite sport to be watching in the olympics right now oh that's
tough honestly i know there's so many so tough i have to say gymnastics give
me three gymnastics what about your second best.
I have to say swim. Absolutely. It's so exciting, isn't it? It's so fun.
(30:48):
I love that. Oh, my gosh. Do you have a favorite female athlete right now?
That probably could be a high school athlete, a college athlete, professional.
I think Sabrina. Oh, I'm not going to say her name right. Sabrina Ionescu. Okay. I believe.
Yeah. What does she do? you well i
(31:09):
got to learn about her when i was actually writing the future of
women's sports piece she's a basketball player she's
really cool i just really liked i really
liked the like i i watched a interview
with her i don't even remember anything about it
now of course but i i put some of it into my drops
(31:29):
of ink drops of ink piece and it
was really cool she's just she's very she's
very humble in the way she speaks and I
think that's something that especially given like a very
talented and dedicated athlete like humility is I would definitely struggle
absolutely but I think it was just really cool very inspiring to listen to humble
(31:54):
athletes I would agree with that humility I think is I'm I'm big on humility
I think that it's something thing.
I, I, it's a huge value of mine and I, it's a value that I know I seek out in other people.
So I'm with you on that. So we'll
drop the link to her so other people can find out how fabulous she is.
(32:14):
And also I know we're going to figure out how to drop a link to drop some ink
so people can read your awesome writing.
Um, yeah, which can be super exciting. So one more question before we leave
and do you have either the best or the worst advice a coach has ever given you?
(32:35):
Oh man, no.
That's a really good, that's a really good one. I think I've had one thing that
I've kind of carried with me that actually my, one of my club lacrosse coaches
told me, she just said, you don't owe anyone anything,
but your teammates have got you.
(32:55):
So I think about that, like your teammates have got you and they also aren't
expecting you to owe them anything, you know, But they're still supporting you
and they're still, I mean, you don't know.
I think about it all the time. I think about it on the field,
off the field. You don't owe anyone anything.
(33:16):
It's interesting when you said that because it's also reciprocal because if
your teammates are also saying it back,
that reciprocity and that's the humility you were just talking about because
if everyone is saying that same thing, saying everyone's out there working their
hardest, but knowing they don't owe anything to anybody, but you're just showing up.
(33:36):
It's the best version of you. That's great advice. I love that.
I'm going to write that down and use it. So if I say it in practice one day,
I'll give you credit. I love it.
And it's when you know that your teammates have got you, they know you don't
owe them anything, but they've still got you either way.
Man, it's so true. Well, Sophie, Okay, thanks so much for being here.
(33:58):
Thanks everybody for tuning in.
Don't forget to follow us. Make sure you're sharing our episodes.
Join us on Instagram, peak, train like a girl, and take a minute to explore our website.
As I already mentioned, we're gonna drop the links to everything we've talked
about today in the show notes.
(34:18):
Music.
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