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A Leader’s Guide to Uniforms, Gear & Swag That Actually Work for Girls

The uniform and apparel you choose for your girls’ program might be the reason she quits.

Not the coaching. Not the schedule. Not the competition level. The shirt that rides up when she raises her arms. The shorts that are cut for a boy’s body. The single size run that skips from “small” to “extra large” with nothing that actually fits her. The team swag hoodie that was ordered in men’s cuts because it was cheaper. And when uniform options leave no room for gender diversity, some athletes are asked not just to perform in discomfort, but to show up in something that does not feel like them.

For athletes, especially girls moving through puberty, girls with larger bodies, girls from different cultural backgrounds, girls with visible differences or disabilities, what she wears while she plays isn’t a detail. It’s a daily decision about whether she feels safe, confident, and like she belongs. And too often, the answer is no.

45% of girls drop out of sport because of low body confidence.

Body Confident Sport, 2023

Why Uniforms Are a Retention Issue, Not a Logistics Issue

Body Confident Sport research identifies clothing and sport uniforms as a direct contributor to body image concerns. Women’s uniforms are often shorter, more tight-fitting, available in limited size options, and designed to look “stylish” rather than to function well (Body Confident Sport, 2024). When a girl is tugging at her shorts, pulling her jersey down, or sitting out because she’s uncomfortable, that’s a design problem and it’s one that leaders have the power to solve.

Possible signs a uniform or gear policy is creating barriers for girls:

  • Frequent adjusting, tugging, or covering up during activity
  • Requests for different fits, more coverage, or alternative gear options
  • Avoidance of photos, videos, or other high-visibility team moments
  • Complaints about comfort, sizing, cut, or movement
  • Parents purchasing replacement items on their own
  • Decreased participation when official uniforms are required
  • Girls appearing distracted, self-conscious, or less confident in uniform
  • Athletes opting out before they ever say directly that the uniform is the issue

Not every sign will be verbal. Often, discomfort shows up first in behavior.

What “Body Inclusive” Actually Looks Like in a Gear Closet

Body Confident Coaching defines a body inclusive approach as being accepting of and encouraging appearance diversity on your team including diversity of height, weight, body size and shape, skin color and shade, religion, gender identity and expression, and visible differences, injuries, and abilities (Body Confident Sport, 2024).

That principle must be reflected in the uniforms and gear you choose. When there is only one cut, one length, and one color option, you are not offering choice—you are assuming one standard body and one standard preference. Girls who need something different for comfort, coverage, movement, or confidence are left feeling overlooked.

Five Principles for Getting Uniforms and Swag Right

1. Offer Choice, Not Just Sizes

A wide size range is necessary but not sufficient. Girls need different styles, not just the same cut scaled up or down. Some athletes feel most confident in compression shorts; others want a looser, longer option. Some want sleeves; others don’t. When you offer two or three style options and let athletes choose, you shift the uniform from something that’s assigned to something they can wear with comfort and confidence.

  • Practice gear: Offer fitted and relaxed cuts. Include options with longer inseams and higher waistbands.
  • Competition uniforms: PProvide at least two bottom options (for example, shorts and leggings, or shorter and longer short options). Make sure tops are available in multiple cuts and fits, not just one default style, so athletes can choose what feels best for comfort, coverage, and movement.
  • Team swag and spirit wear: Order a variety of cuts, not men’s only. A hoodie that hangs to a girl’s knees doesn’t make her feel like part of the team; it makes her feel like an afterthought.

2. Design for Function First

Body Confident Sport research emphasizes that girls’ uniforms are too often geared toward looking “stylish” rather than supporting performance (Body Confident Sport, 2024). Function-first design means asking: Can she run, jump, slide, and stretch without thinking about what she’s wearing? If the answer is anything other than yes, the gear is getting in the way.

  • Fabric matters: Choose moisture-wicking, opaque materials that don’t become see-through when wet or stretched.
  • Stay-put design: Waistbands that don’t roll down, shirts that don’t ride up, shorts that don’t require constant adjustment.
  • Temperature and coverage: In cold-weather sports, ensure girls have the same quality layering options as boys’ programs or also a same level of variety to choose whats best.

3. Accommodate Cultural, Religious, and Personal Needs

The Body Confident Coaching checklist asks directly: “Do I allow athletes to alter their standard uniform where possible for religious or other reasons?” (Body Confident Sport, 2024). For many girls, this is not a preference, it’s a prerequisite for participation.

  • Allow modifications: Hijabs, longer sleeves, leggings under shorts, and other fit or coverage choices should be built into the policy from the start, not handled as special exceptions.
  • Skin tone considerations: If your sport uses items like dance tights, ballet shoes, or athletic tape, stock them in a range of skin tones, not just one.
  • Write it into policy: When accommodations are documented as organizational practice rather than handled case-by-case, no girl has to be the one to ask.

4. Involve the Girls

The single most effective way to get uniforms and swag right is to ask the people wearing them. Involve athletes, especially those with different body types, backgrounds, and abilities, in the selection process.

  • Try-on sessions: Before placing a bulk order, bring in samples across the full size and style range. Let athletes try them on and give feedback in a low-pressure setting, and offer a private option such as taking items home to try on so no one has to navigate fit, coverage, or comfort concerns in front of the team.
  • Anonymous input: Use a simple survey to ask what athletes liked and didn’t like about last season’s gear. You’ll hear things they’d never say in front of the team.
  • Representation in the room: If a parent committee or booster group handles gear orders, make sure that group reflects the diversity of the athletes they’re ordering for.

5. Audit What You Already Have

You may not need a complete overhaul. Start by looking at what you’re already providing through the lens of the girls who are wearing it.

THE BOTTOM LINE

You wouldn’t hand a player equipment that doesn’t fit and tell her to make it work. Uniforms and swag deserve the same standard. When she feels good in what she’s wearing, she’s not thinking about her clothes—she’s thinking about her game.

TAKE ACTION

Use the Coaching HER® Uniform & Swag Audit Checklist to evaluate your current gear program before fall orders close. Make uniform redesign one of your three goals on the Leader’s Season Goal Sheet.

References

Body Confident Sport. (2024). Body Confident Coaching Key Takeaways. Nike, Dove, Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, Centre for Appearance Research.

Canadian Women & Sport. (2024). Rally Report 2024: A call to reimagine sport so all girls can play.