GAALS: Girls Athletics And Life Skills℠

I want to raise a kind, confident daughter who has the mindset and skills to navigate her relationships and everyday life. But I’m unsure of myself and feel like I can do better.

I wonder when I should help my daughter versus when to let her learn for herself.

I struggle with how to support her when things aren’t going well.

I worry about whether my daughter will ever recognize her self-worth.

I wish I knew how to communicate with her in a way she likes and finds helpful.

You are not alone!

As the mother of two teenage daughters, I find myself working tireless to find the best answers for both me and my family. I try one approach, I fail and try again.

Parenting is hard. There’s no easy path. No perfect way to parent. No one size fits all solution.  Yet there are plenty of “experts” telling you what to do and not do. And tons of articles offering quick fixes to your specific issue of the moment. 

You don’t need to overhaul your parenting style to build a strong foundation for your daughter to thrive.

I believe that by making small shifts in how you interact with your daughter, you can nurture the development of her social, emotional and life skills, empowering her to become a kind, confident and highly capable woman.

A new perspective can renew your sense of competence. 

A simple change in the words you use to respond to your daughter can be the difference between your daughter walking away feeling good about herself and feeling bad. 

Whether or not you have a lot of time, you can still be the mom you want to be, and the one your daughter needs you to be.

What moms are saying...

Now, close your eyes for a minute and imagine...

Watching your daughter navigate her relationships assertively and effectively.

Believing in your daughter's ability to stand back up after she falls.

Communicating with your daughter in a manner where you both feel heard, and understood.

Knowing that your daughter recognizes her self-worth.

Feeling confident that you are giving your daughter the tools she needs to live a healthy, productive life.

You don’t need a Ph.D. in parenting to turn these thoughts into reality. Nor do you have to overhaul your parenting style. Everything you need is within you and I’ll be here to guide and support you.

If you're ready to start making small shifts...

If you're ready to start making small shifts...
Get this 5-minute daily ritual to
Strengthen Your Daughter's Confidence, Kindness + Resilience.

Hi, I'm Dawn.

I’m a lover of learning, writer and educator, and am passionate about empowering girls for life. 

I was the chubby, uncoordinated little girl who never played sports and lived in fear of embarrassing myself. As I got older, regardless of successes in other areas of my life, those insecurities and feelings of inadequacy – in terms of athletic competence and body image – resurfaced time and time again. 

When I became a mother, I vowed that my two daughters would not follow in my footsteps. 

My husband and I agreed enrolling them early in team sports was the answer. But regardless of the program, our girls dreaded going, and often refused to participate. I was desperate to figure out why.

One day when watching my daughter’s class, I noticed she wasn’t going near the basketball. I asked if she was afraid of the ball. “No, Mommy, I’m afraid if I take the ball from someone, they’ll be mad at me,” she answered. A-ha! YES! My daughters were worried how their actions would be perceived by others, and how it might affect their friendships. This is precisely what I had subconsciously experienced, but hadn’t connected the dots until that moment.

Armed with this realization, I sought physically active programs that took into account girls’ social and emotional development, but came up empty-handed. I realized it was up to me to ensure they would grow up feeling strong inside and out. Through countless hours of research and discussions with educators, doctors, and moms, I gained valuable strategies on how to make small shifts in my parenting in order to enhance my daughters’ physical, mental, social and emotional well-being. 

In the process, GAALS: Girls Athletics And Life Skills was born. My goal is to prevent as many girls as I can from having a similar childhood experience. And now I want to pass along to you, all of my learnings and tips from my work with thousands of girls, as well as guidance and support, so we can raise a future generation of strong, confident women who are ready to take on the world!

Maybe You’ve Seen or Heard My Passion for Empowering Girls

with Stacey Sager on ABC7NY, in a report on how technology affects your kids and what you can do to help, and how to put your kids on a screen time diet.
with Michael Watt on “Mr. Long Island’s Search for Truth & Beauty,” on the Daily Blu, about the importance of cultivating confidence in girls of all ages.
with Hayley Foster on her podcast, Foster Your Passion, sharing the importance of empowering girls for life.

Gain insights and strategies to confidently foster your daughter’s well-being, empowering her with the mindset and skills to lead a healthy, productive and enjoyable life.

You’ll feel welcome in this sacred space where like-minded moms come to feel connected and validated through shared experiences and empathy.

Each week(ish), you’ll get emails with parenting tips, stories, and encouragement, along with valuable resources and other goodies!

Join the GAALS community,

along with 6,226 like-minded moms.

I’ll never share or sell your email. Read privacy policy here.

I'd Love to Hear from You...

Don’t hesitate to email me questions, comments and even relevant articles. I promise to read them when everything is crossed off the to-do list. OOPS, that would mean never! It’s the perfect reading for the car pickup line!

You can also check out social media for more valuable content and inspiration.

Facebook & Twitter
Curated articles / content on parenting, girls, sports, life skills and more.

Pinterest
Categorized content from FB & more – making it easy to find what you want. 

Instagram
Inspiring pictures from and about our mission and programs.

YouTube Channel
See us in action, and access our workout videos for kids of all ages and their parents.

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