Tuesday

Girls Can Do Anything - Enter To Win the $5,000 Verizon Giveaway #PlayLikeAGirl

When my daughter was five years old she plunged herself into a pool at a friend’s birthday party and sank like a stone to the bottom of the pool. She did so under the premise she could swim. Thankfully there was a man there who didn’t hesitate, to even take off his shoes and dove in after her. When I picked her up from the party she was happy to have spent the time there but visibly shaken. Although she had already taken a handful of lessons, I decided it was time for her to get full blown training. No one, especially a child, should live in fear of something they are able to navigate.

Not even twelve months later she was diving off the high dive, tucking her little knees into her chest and swimming back to the surface to do it all over again.

The first time my daughter went roller skating with her mother, she was unsure of herself and stuck close to her side. It only took her a couple hours of intense determination and absolutely refusing to leave the floor. She’s been skating effortlessly ever since. She had a similar experience when learning how to ice skate. Daddy is still making the highlight reels of people’s memories based on the spectacular falls I experience on skates of any kind. She climbs just as high as they do on the playground. She is as fast as any boy in her class. And the instant some little boy tries to tell her what she can’t do she looks them dead in the eye and tells them she can do anything she wants to do.

One day she saw me skipping rope the way the boxers and she asked me how I was able to move the rope so effortlessly and quickly. Truth is, it takes plenty of effort and I told her so. She began attempting to mimic me with her smaller rope and didn’t fare as well. This time around she didn’t pick it up as quickly as she does everything else. She got frustrated and threw the rope down. I stopped her as she tried to skulk off and let her in on a little secret.

“Guess who taught me how to skip rope?”

“Who?” she asked, looking at her feet.

“A female boxer … a girl … someone who is way stronger than me.”

She looked up at me with wonder in her face. “Really?!”

I told her women are just as capable at men at the things they do, if they set out to do them. And the mantra in our house is that the only thing we can’t do is fly without the assistance of an airplane or glider. And in time not only can she skip rope like me, she can also cross it while jumping - something I cannot do.

Although my daughter has played many sports she has yet to express an interest in competing at an organized level. Should she ever go down this path I have no doubt that nothing will prevent her from being competitive, especially the notion that “girls don’t belong here.” I fully expect her to Play Like A Girl.

Verizon FiOS gives your family the connection and speed you need to play with the big boys. Share your proudest moment of your daughter’s athletic achievements at www.verizon.com/playlikeagirl. You could be chosen to win a grand prize valued at $5,000! You'll be able to capture plenty of memories with that!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Verizon. The opinions and text are all mine.