Periods remain the biggest barrier for secondary school age girls in accessing physical activity while at school, data from Youth Sport Trust shows.
But for Loughborough Lightning captain, Nat Panagarry, the fact that young girls now are experiencing the same worries as she did 20 years ago is “unacceptable”.
Whether girls worry about leaking, cramps, bloating, or heavy bleeding, Panagarry is determined to change the narrative around the menstrual cycle in sport and stop girls from dropping out when they hit puberty.
“It does make me really sad because it feels like it was something that I was worrying about when I was 14/15 and I’m 35 now, we’re 20 years on, and the young girls coming through are still having that feeling,” she said.
“That conversation around periods isn’t happening enough, it makes me sad and frustrated because I know how much joy sport has brought me.
“I think the person I am today is due to playing sport, the people I’ve met and the confidence it’s given me.
“So to think that young girls that want to play sport still have that barrier of their period and feel like they can’t speak about it, or don’t know where to get female products from, or can’t afford those products, that to me is just unacceptable.
“It is our duty, being older women, to be having these conversations so the next generation don’t feel like this, it shouldn’t be something that’s stopping young girls hitting the hockey pitch or a tennis court or a cricket pitch or football pitch, anything.”
Panagarry has played for Lightning since 2015, reaching 200 Netball Super League games on March 8, and in that time has seen the attitudes and research into women’s sport change drastically – but she believes we’re still not where we should be.
Loughborough Lightning won the NSL Grand Final in 2021, 2023, and 2024
She revealed how in recent years Lightning’s support staff have taken a lot of time to look into how women’s health issues can impact them on the court, crediting this as a part of the reason for their consistent success.
But with that, she’s realised how the norms she was raised on can be harmful, and that discussing your menstrual cycle with coaches and teammates doesn’t make you any less strong.
It’s also not just how we approach periods in sport, the Lightning captain is also passionate about seeing free menstrual products available in all women’s public restrooms.
“It’s been really nice to see conversations about the menstrual cycle being brought up more, with women and girls being more open to speak about it because so many of us are going through the same thing,” Panagarry said.
“But for some reason I remember when I was younger it was such a taboo subject in sport and I always think being from Preston up north I had that ‘no nonsense attitude, when you walk in you give a hundred per cent of whatever you’ve got’ embedded in me.
“Now we’re getting to that point where we’re realising that that’s not always possible and it isn’t healthy, mentally you just can’t give a hundred per cent, especially when you’re going through your period.”
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Loughborough Lightning’s Jess Shaw believes her team will reach the Netball Super League final again this year
A big worry for Panagarry used to be leaking, as she experiences heavy bleeding particularly in the first couple days of her cycle, and the options of shorts for under her netball dresses were always light colours, such as pink and purple.
To avoid leaking and try to give herself peace of mind while playing, she even used to wear both a pad and a tampon at the same time.
But now with black undershorts and the option of period underwear, from Lightning’s sponsor Hustl, she feels so much more confident on the court.
She has also noticed that some of the younger players coming through are significantly more open to talking about periods than she was at their age, praising their unwavering confidence.
“As women when we get older I think we get more and more confident, you’re a bit more ballsy, you protect yourself a bit more,” she added.
“When you’re younger sometimes you feel like you come into these spaces and maybe you’ve got to be a bit quieter and get used to people.
“But I’m just loving this next generation that you do feel like have a massive voice and a massive opinion, I’m loving Gen Z and everything they’re about.
“Netball, especially in the Super League, is all about one per cent gains and we’re always speaking about recovery, protein, what you’re eating, what fluids you’re getting but I think there’s loads of one percenters about women’s health.
“If us talking helps any young girl feel like their period won’t stop them going on a netball court, if we can help just one young girl, that for me is what it’s all about.”
Watch the Netball Super League live on Sky Sports this season, with round six’s double header where Nottingham Forest host LexisNexis Dragons and Loughborough Lightning take on Manchester Thunder from 2:50pm on April 4.
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