A Fresh Fit: The varsity girls soccer team is getting women’s fitted jerseys instead of unisex ones

The varsity girls soccer team — the only SM East sport that has to share unisex jerseys with the boys’ team, according to varsity player and senior Sophie Danker — will get new women’s jerseys for their season starting on March 2.

The Shawnee Mission School District agreed last month to buy jerseys for the varsity girls team this season. The district initially rejected the idea last December because the team offered to pay for new jerseys using girls soccer fundraising money. 

Now, the JV and C team will receive their updated jerseys next school year, paid for by the district.

Danker and senior Kate Lucas sent a follow-up email to the athletic director addressed to the district after being rejected, which encouraged the district to approve the change, according to Lucas.

“What I really loved about how [Lucas and Danker] went about it was it's so easy to, when you're upset with something, point fingers to blame,” soccer coach James Kelly said. “But the way they went about trying to show what they were able [to do] or the reasons why, was very well done.”

While according to Kelly, the team ordered the unisex jerseys because they’re cheaper, Lucas and Danker explained in the email that the fit is uncomfortable for women’s bodies.

To better accommodate the female players’ proportions — the shortest at 5 feet and the tallest at 5 feet 10 inches — the women’s jerseys won’t be as long and oversized in the shoulders and sleeves. 

Also, the unisex white shorts provided for away games create discomfort and anxiety for many female athletes during their menstrual cycles, according to Danker.

Because they’ve been varsity starters since their freshman year, Danker and Lucas helped design the new jerseys, which are now an all-Columbia blue set, including a top with a white stripe down the side, shorts and socks in the same blue. 

The girls made clear in the email that their request “is not about appearance, but about comfort, confidence and competing safely and effectively at a high level.”

“It's just because this is our final year, and we honestly have a really good run for state,” Lucas said. “It's just our last year, and we feel like we deserved it.”