ActivewearAug 18, 20269 min read

Meet SportPort Active Youth: Celebrating the Next Generation of Strong, Active Girls

A New Generation Is Ready to Move

There's a moment every parent recognizes.

One day your daughter is running through the backyard simply because running is fun.

Then suddenly she's training for a sport.

Packing her own gym bag.

Heading to riding lessons.

Joining a team.

Learning a tennis serve.

Running her first race.

Practicing a dance routine until she finally nails it.

Hiking farther than you expected.

Becoming stronger.

More independent.

More confident.

And somewhere along the way, movement becomes part of who she is.

At SportPort Active, we've spent years designing performance apparel for women who believe an active life should be supported—not interrupted—by what they're wearing.

Now we're extending that philosophy to the next generation.

Welcome to SportPort Active Youth.

For the first time, select pieces from our performance-driven Apex Collection are available in XXS, opening SportPort's technical compression, maximum-support construction and signature phone-pocket design to younger athletes whose measurements align with our smallest performance size. Current

SportPort listings confirm XXS availability across several Apex sports bras and Zephyr-style tanks.

But this launch is about much more than adding another size.

It's a celebration of active girls.

Girls who ride.

Run.

Dance.

Play tennis.

Hike.

Cycle.

Strength train.

Play volleyball.

Practice yoga.

Compete.

Explore.

Or simply love moving their bodies.

Because a lifelong relationship with fitness doesn't have to begin with a workout plan.

Sometimes it begins by discovering something you love doing.

Why Keeping Girls Active Matters

We couldn't think of a better time to introduce Active Youth.

Current CDC physical-activity guidance recommends that children and adolescents ages 6–17 get 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day, with vigorous, muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening activities incorporated throughout the week. Regular activity during these years supports physical fitness, stronger muscles and bones, brain health and long-term well-being. ()

And there is encouraging news.

The Aspen Institute's State of Play 2025 found that 65% of U.S. youth ages 6–17 tried a team sport at least once during 2024—the highest level tracked by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association going back to at least 2012. Regular sports participation among girls also increased for a third consecutive year, reaching 37% in 2024.

But there's another number worth paying attention to.

Regular participation among teenagers ages 13–17 declined by 3% in 2024, even while younger children's participation improved.

That matters to us.

The teenage years shouldn't be the point when girls begin hearing that sport, movement or physical confidence belong to somebody else.

This is exactly when we should be encouraging them to keep going.

Movement Builds More Than Strong Bodies

Sports give girls opportunities to discover what their bodies can do, rather than constantly focusing on what their bodies look like.

That's an important distinction.

The Women's Sports Foundation reported in its Thriving Through Sport research that girls participating in quality sports environments showed more favorable measures of depression, anxiety, peer relationships, meaning and purpose than girls who had never participated. Importantly, the quality of the sports environment mattered: supportive coaching, autonomy, improvement and teamwork were associated with better experiences.

That is the spirit behind Active Youth.

Not:

You have to win.

Not:

You have to be the fastest.

And certainly not:

You have to look a certain way.

Instead:

Find something you love.

Learn.

Move.

Practice.

Fall down.

Get back up.

Try something new.

Become stronger than you were yesterday.

That is an active lifestyle worth celebrating.

One Collection. Every Kind of Active Girl.

We thought carefully about whether SportPort Active Youth should focus on one particular sport.

The answer was no.

Girls aren't one-dimensional athletes.

A teenage equestrian may also run.

A tennis player may practice yoga.

A volleyball player may hike with her family.

A dancer may strength train.

A competitive athlete may spend Sunday afternoon paddleboarding.

And plenty of girls simply enjoy moving without wanting competition involved at all.

That's why Active Youth will remain sport-inclusive.

You'll see us celebrate:

Running.

Horseback riding.

Tennis.

Dance.

Volleyball.

Golf.

Hiking.

Cycling.

Yoga.

Strength training.

Walking.

Outdoor adventure.

And whatever gets the next generation away from screens and excited about moving.

But there is one sport we're going to spotlight a little more often.

The Active Youth Equestrian Edit

If you've noticed more horses appearing around SportPort lately, there's a reason.

We're listening.

Our growing connection with the equestrian community has shown us how naturally SportPort's design philosophy fits the riding lifestyle.

The broader horse world is also overwhelmingly female in many participation surveys. In the 2025 American Horse Publications Equine Industry Survey, 90.5% of respondents were female. Meanwhile, 2025 data from U.S. Eventing Association ShowConnect competitions showed junior and young riders representing more than one-third of riders at participating events. These aren't complete measures of the entire equestrian market, but they are meaningful signals that girls and women represent a substantial part of the community.

And equestrian life demands real performance apparel.

Riders spend hours:

Grooming.

Walking.

Lifting tack.

Cleaning stalls.

Training.

Working around the barn.

Traveling to competitions.

Riding.

And repeating it all again.

For younger riders, an Apex sports bra can function as a supportive base layer beneath an appropriate riding top, while an Apex Zephyr tank can work beautifully for conditioning, groundwork, warm-weather barn days and casual riding environments where attire rules permit.

The emphasis remains safety first: proper riding boots, an appropriate certified helmet and barn-specific safety practices always take priority over fashion.

Equestrian will be an important chapter of Active Youth—but not the whole story.

That's exactly where we think it belongs.

Why We Chose Apex to Introduce Active Youth

When we decided to extend SportPort into XXS, the Apex Collection was the natural place to begin.

Apex was created for performance.

The sports bras use premium warp-knit compression, racerback construction, four-way controlled stretch and recovery, moisture-wicking fabric, flat-lock seams, high necklines and secure front closures. Current

Apex styles are described by SportPort as maximum/high-impact support and several are available in XXS.

For young athletes, that means clothing engineered to stay put while they concentrate on what actually matters.

The next serve.

The next mile.

The next jump.

The next routine.

The next trail.

Not repeatedly adjusting their clothes.

The Apex Sculpt Bra, for example, combines maximum-support compression with a racerback, high neckline, moisture management, UPF 50+ fabric and SportPort's patented front phone pocket. SportPort currently lists the style from XXS through L and recommends sizing up when greater ease is preferred.

For teens, however, we want to emphasize something especially important:

Age does not determine size.

XXS Is a Measurement—Not an Age

No two teenage girls develop on the same timetable.

That's normal.

World Health Organization, (WHO) describes adolescence as ages 10–19 precisely because these years involve enormous physical, cognitive and psychosocial development.

A petite 16-year-old might wear XXS.

A 13-year-old may need XS.

Another girl of the same age may need a different size entirely.

That is why SportPort Active Youth should never be purchased solely according to age.

Measure first.

Use the SportPort size guide.

Pay particular attention to bust and ribcage fit for sports bras.

And remember that Apex is specialty compression: it should feel supported and secure, but never painful, restrictive or difficult to breathe in.

For parents shopping Active Youth, we'd rather help you choose the right size than simply sell you the smallest one.

One Tank. Built-In Support. Fewer Layers.

Sports bras aren't the only Apex pieces entering the Active Youth conversation.

Our Zephyr-style performance tanks may be especially useful for young athletes because the support is already built in.

The Blurry Bouquet Apex Zephyr Tank is currently offered in XX-Small and features a built-in maximum-support sports bra, racerback design, princess seams, LYCRA® SPORT four-way stretch, moisture-wicking fabric, UPF 50+ sun protection and SportPort's patented phone pocket.

There's also the colorful Turquoise Zephyr Tank, currently listed in XXS, which provides the same convenient idea: one performance piece combining a tank and supportive bra rather than requiring several layers.

For girls moving between school, practice, outdoor activities and weekend adventures, simplicity matters.

Put it on.

Go move.

That's the idea.

The Phone Pocket: Security First

Then there's the feature that makes SportPort different.

The phone pocket.

Today's teens often need their phones nearby for completely practical reasons:

Parent communication.

Practice pickup.

Emergency contact.

Maps.

Music.

Team messages.

Ride coordination.

The question becomes:

Where does an active girl safely put it?

Holding a phone while running isn't ideal.

Neither is constantly checking whether it fell from a loose pocket.

And stuffing it into a waistband isn't exactly a performance solution.

SportPort's patented front zip phone pocket gives the device a dedicated, secure place close to the body, supported by the garment's compression. Current Apex product specifications describe the pocket as integrated into the front of the bra rather than added as a loose accessory.

For equestrian girls, runners, hikers and outdoor athletes, having a secure hands-free storage option can be particularly useful—although young riders should follow their instructor's rules regarding phones and should never interact with a device while actively controlling a horse.

What About the EMF-Protective Layer?

This is an area where we want to be both innovative and responsible.

SportPort's patented pocket includes shielding technology, and current product information reports independent laboratory certification for SAR reduction through the shielding system. (SportPort Apex)

For parents who prefer to take a precautionary approach to how closely a phone is carried against the body, this provides an additional exposure-reduction feature alongside the pocket's practical secure-storage benefit.

But SportPort does not need to tell parents that normal cell-phone RF exposure has been proven to harm their daughters in order for this innovation to have value.

In fact, current FDA guidance states that the weight of scientific evidence has not linked cell-phone radiofrequency exposure with health problems, including in children and teenagers. The National Cancer Institute similarly reports that evidence to date does not show cell-phone use causes brain or other cancers in humans.

So our message is straightforward:

Secure the phone. Add a tested shielding layer. Give families another option. Never exaggerate the science.

That's responsible innovation.

And it's the standard we want the next generation of SportPort athletes to grow up expecting.

Explore the Active Youth XXS Apex Edit

Among the SportPort styles currently offered or identified in XXS are:

Availability can change, so always check the individual product page and current size guide before ordering.

This Isn't About Raising Athletes. It's About Raising Active Girls.

Not every girl will win a championship.

Not every girl wants one.

And that's perfectly fine.

The real victory is helping the next generation discover that movement belongs to them.

That strong is something they can feel, not simply something they have to look like.

That sport can mean competition—but it can also mean friendship.

Adventure.

Confidence.

A horse and a quiet trail.

A tennis racquet.

A Saturday hike.

A bike ride with Mom.

A run with the dog.

A yoga mat in the backyard.

Or simply finding an activity that makes you excited to get up and do it again tomorrow.

SportPort Active Youth is our celebration of that girl.

The girl who's already moving.

The girl who's just discovering her sport.

And the girl who hasn't found hers yet.

We can't wait to see where she goes.

Coming Up in Part 2

Apex is only the beginning.

In Part 2 of the SportPort Active Youth Series, we'll explore how selected pieces from our Setis and Cloud Collections can fit into the lives of older teen athletes—especially for yoga, Pilates, dance, stretching, recovery, travel, barn days, school-to-practice layering and the increasingly important world of comfortable active lifestyle wear.

Because the next generation doesn't move in only one direction.

And neither should her wardrobe.

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