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At this years espnW: Women + Sports Summit my colleague (and certified badass) Julie Foudy?exposed me to a?phrase: Own?your?awesome. Despite being a World Cup and Olympic champion, Foudy admitted it took her until quite recently to master that trick. And while Id like to?say my confidence hasnt wavered since the day I arrived, two weeks early and ready to take on?the world, like Foudy, it took me quite a while to own my?awesome.Growing up, I?was always?confident in my best qualities.?I knew I was?smart, athletic, funny and?tough, but?girls?werent?always valued for those things.?Boys?were encouraged to try to be?the best at whatever they did, academically or physically. I could do that, easy.?In fact, I?was?doing that,?in the classroom and on the field. I was boisterous and?uninhibited, winning pizza-eating contests, telling dirty jokes and out-racing, out-playing and?out-dueling?everyone. And though that sort of unchecked vigor seemed at odds with the idea?some folks had of sweet little girls, I was too young to care.As I got older, doing the things Id always done kept me on?top in terms of schoolwork and?sports, but it felt like in order to be successful socially, I needed to?dim my light. I saw?examples of powerful, driven?men?everywhere,?and the doting, charming women by their side.?The?same?formula that had landed me on a Division I?track team at an Ivy League school felt like it wasnt going to?land me that cute guy in my English class,?and as much as Id love to say that didnt matter to me, it did.And it didnt stop there. All?around me, it felt like?men?had a direct?line?to success, forged by their ambition. Success for a woman was much more complicated, a delicate dance?that prized style over substance, and I began losing?confidence in the very things that had made me so proud. I found myself stifling my humor and intellect on dates.?Instead of owning my awesome,?I tried to downplay it. On job interviews and assignments, I started to worry more about what I looked like than what I had to offer.The good news is, that phase didnt last long. It just didnt feel right. I?started letting my wit fly no matter who I was with. I wouldnt hesitate to join a good debate or school?anyone?in?pick-up hoops. Not surprisingly, I eventually found the perfect partner. And my?career?followed suit. I found good bosses and mentors who valued and validated my voice, making it easier to worry less about how I looked using it.?With each opportunity Ive tried hard to make my?work?about those same qualities that?made me feel powerful as a little girl.My wish for todays young?women is for them to feel more empowered than I did?during those awkward years. I hope they find those support systems earlier than I did.?I hope they?feel like they can show their toughness, show their strength, beat the boys and stay true to?themselves. And I hope theyre celebrated for it.Life is a lot more?fun when you learn how to own your awesome. Fake Yeezy 350 v2 Zebra .ca NHL Power Rankings for the second straight week, ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche. Yeezy Boost 350 v2 Supreme Black/Red . -- Brandon Jennings made the most of his first game with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. http://www.yeezys350cheap.com/fake-yeezy-350-citrin-wholesale.html . On Saturday night, the normally free throw-challenged centre did just that. Howard scored 18 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, including 13 of 19 free throws in a 2 1/2-minute stretch, and the Houston Rockets beat the Denver Nuggets 122-111. Fake Yeezy 350 v2 Black . PETERSBURG, Fla. Cheap Yeezy 350 v2 Womens . Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, announced Wednesday that the team would assign Swedish forward Elias Lindholm to his nations team for the upcoming tournament. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Torrance Gibsons once-promising, turbulent career at Ohio State appears to be over already.After being suspended for the fall semester, the former five-star recruit signed a junior college letter of intent with Mississippi Gulf Coast on Tuesday, signaling that he wont be returning to the Buckeyes.The university had suspended Gibson in August for a violation of the student code of conduct, and at the time football coach Urban Meyer publicly disagreed with the discipline.Ohio State declined to comment on Gibsons future.We are looking forward to having Torrance join our football program, Mississippi Gulf Coast coach Chad Huff said in a statement. We are confident in his abilities on the field and his character off the field, and we expect him to contribute to our team and the Gulf Coast community.Ohio State also had great expectations for Gibson when he signed after a high-profile recruitment, first as a potential dual-threat quarterback and then as a potentially game-changing wide receiver.Thanks to a logjam of passers on the depth chart and his dynamic athleticism, Gibson asked for the opportunity to switch to wide receiver after arriving on campus and looked capable of making an impact there with his 6-foot-4 frame.Butt the transition did not go smoothly, on or off the field for the Florida native.ddddddddddddGibson never stepped on the field as a true freshman as he struggled to find consistency with his new responsibilities as a wideout. He was also suspended for a game during his redshirt season.The hype that surrounded his recruitment was renewed during practices in April when Gibson capped off a productive month with six catches for 50 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the spring game. But again, that didnt last long.Ohio State announced Gibsons semester-long suspension shortly before the season opener.It was not from the athletic department or football, Meyer said at the time. I disagree with it.Meyer didnt provide any details then on what transpired and what led him to oppose the discipline. Ohio State has still not commented on the nature of the violation.But nearing the date when Gibson could re-enroll as originally anticipated, it appears the plans have changed.As far as his ceiling, hes as talented as anybody Ive been around, wide receivers coach Zach Smith said before the season. The ceiling is extremely high. ' ' '