The sport of gymnastics is somewhat of a fantasy to little girls across the world, getting to wear sparkly leotards and do cool flips for the world to see. Across the US thousands of little girls are enrolled in gymnastics classes, but only a few will get to experience all that gymnastics has to offer. If they’re lucky enough, one of the luckiest little girls, they will get to compete in the sport they fell in love with and see it in a whole new light.

When you give a girl a leotard, you give her the ability to dream to be something bigger than she is. You give her motivation to work hard because hard work will always beat talent. She will strive for greatness and with it perfection, not only in the sport but perfection to be the best version of herself. You give her a work ethic that will follow her throughout her life.

When you give a girl a leotard, you give her someone to idolize. Maybe it will be an older teammate that she trains with or an Olympian that she aspires to be. Growing up she will pretend to be that person and worship her. You give her a positive role model and the concept that she, too, can achieve greatness.

When you give a girl a leotard with it comes confidence. Something about a leotard covered in rhinestones makes a little girl feel like Superwomen and Miss USA all at the same time. You give her the courage to believe in herself every time she steps on the floor to perform a routine in front of a crowd. You teach her that failure happens, but it is important to get back up on the beam and continue the fight. You give her the ability to realize her uniqueness and that she is more talented than she ever thought possible.

When you give a girl a leotard, you give her an extended family and escape when the going gets tough. With teammates, coaches, and a gym, she will realize that she is never actually alone. She will always have her teammates as sisters, coaches as parents, and the gym as a home no matter how many years pass or distance between them.

When you give a girl a leotard, you teach her the importance of discipline and structure. With sweat stains down the back and long hours of conditioning, she will realize how strong she actually is, mentally and physically. When she wears it, she wears it with pride knowing that the sport can be snatched away from her at any second.

When you give a girl a leotard, you give her the greatest gift you could ever give; Because it will always mean more than simply a piece of fabric with a pretty design. To a gymnast, it becomes an identity.