Stay In The Game: Athleta

This post is sponsored by Athleta.  All opinions are my own.

Ben and I were both pretty active in sports growing up! Ben played baseball, soccer and rugby.   I played soccer, basketball and ran track! As soon as the kids were old enough we enrolled them in soccer.  We knew based on our upbringing that we wanted our kids to be active as well. Our oldest daughter Ava started playing soccer when she was 4! The others followed suit right after her.

Team sports are always good in my opinion.  It gives you a separate community outside of school and church and it also forces you to work with other people on a common goal.  Last year with Ava’s team was pretty tough. Her coach was not overly warm and was extra hard on the girls. In addition to the coach’s overall attitude, the team was playing in a league that was advanced and unevenly matched, significantly in skill.  They lost every single game by at least 10 goals and never really came together as one. We would have to drive hours to get to games and transport Ava to multiple soccer practices during the week. I think Ava asked us to quit the team at least 2 times per week.  In fact, I was happy to let this go as well. Thank God Ben was level headed during this time and he said “We don’t have to be on this team next year, but for the sake of morale and team spirit we are going to stick this out.” And we did. Oh, boy was that tough but I am glad we did.

There are so many ways I can related to Ava and how she felt last year. I had mentioned, I started playing sports when I was 9 years old! My dad really pushed me towards soccer out of everything I was involved in. As I continued to play I began to realize that the girls on my team had a lot more prior training than myself. I managed to be accepted on a travel team but was very aware of my lack of skills. I was extremely fast so that was in my favor, but footwork was lacking. As I got into middle school I moved toward track and field and continued to play soccer. My confidence grew in running but I still felt I was the lowest on the soccer team due to lack of skill. Within a few years I ended up quitting because I didn’t feel like I had what it took to continue in soccer. I really did love the sport.

My advice to my two Athleta girls is if you’re passionate about a sport and don’t feel that you’re good enough, stick with it. Sign up for extra training and push through. It’ll be worth it. Lucikly, both Ava and Savannah are both very passionate about the sport and have no desire to quit this year!  Looking back, I feel like I quit too soon. I will do everything I can to push my girls in the right direction and to stay in the game!

We are wearing the most COMFORTABLE athletic gear from Athleta Girl.  I cannot believe how soft the material is! I LOVE my pieces so much from the  line but also want to steal everything the girls have! Savannah is wearing the perfect lightweight hoodie.  It is perfect for layering this Fall and the thumb holes make it extra cozy!! Both girls received the most amazing shorts that are PERFECT for their soccer practices. They are breathable, stretchy and have a built in brief! They girls keep talking about how comfortable they are!  The top Ava has on is just what she needs for the cold evenings this Fall and running around on the weekends with friends! The key hole detail is the cutest and it is made of the most soft material! You can check it out here.   Out of everything the girls got, my fave is probably Savannahs mesh leggings! We adore the color, the mesh detail and the super soft fabric.  These are perfect for Savannah’s acro and soccer practices as well! Lastly the girls received the most comfortable sports bras to wear at practices! They are reversible, stretchy and lightweight! Sav loves the floral print and Ava loves the solid colored side! Everyone is happy! Check out more amazing Athleta Girl gear here.

All photos by: Mae Batista