Philly Leader

Getting girls together to play sports, particularly football, is one thing, but gathering the necessary equipment for them to be able to compete is another.

Forty percent of females don't participate in sports. There are 1.3 million fewer opportunities for high school girls to compete in sports than boys. Girls in low-income communities are six times more likely to drop out of sports than boys.

That's where FLY:FWD by Operation Warm comes in.

In collaboration with the Philadelphia Eagles, FLY:FWD is an initiative aimed at addressing disparities and equipping young girls from diverse backgrounds with the gear they need to participate in sports – providing them with sports bras, which are an essential piece of equipment in girls' sports.

According to a 2024 Operation Warm Athletic Director survey, 100 percent of athletic directors agreed that a sports bra is an essential piece of equipment for girls in sports and 86 percent of the athletic directors from the same survey who received sports bras for their entire school witnessed an increased interest in sports programs.

To celebrate Women's Equality Day, the FLY:FWD organization and the Eagles held a clinic at the Firstrust Lounge inside Lincoln Financial Field, bringing in a local school from Delaware – Padua Academy – an all-girls Catholic college preparatory school. Delaware will start its first girls flag football high school season in September.

The girls were welcomed on Monday morning by more than 20 Eagles staff members who volunteered, going through different teamwork stations where they worked on bonding activities in groups ranging from untying a human knot to She Says (similar to Simon Says), and there was even some singing and dancing as the girls choreographed celebrations.

After the workshop, each participant received two Eagles sports bras for their use.

The sports bras have made a difference in the world of girls' sports – 86 percent of girls surveyed in the 2024 Operation Warm Impact Report said that receiving a sports bra will "Make me more comfortable playing sports/being active." Eighty-three percent agreed that receiving a sports bra made them more interested in or more likely to play a sport.

"The Eagles came to us with this partnership and we we're all in and super excited to be a part of it, so thank you all for your support," said Heather Connolly, Vice President, Partnerships, for FLY:FWD. "Tell your friends and neighbors about FLY:FWD and we really appreciate you all being here today."

– Written by Liam Wichser